At 3:15 p.m. Monday through Friday, I walk into my quiet third-grade classroom and do a quick visual scan of the floor to find this mindless crayon under the desk or trash paper in the corner so the caregiver can vacuum at the end of the day and feel like I’m his helped In small. What I did not find on the floor of my classroom were pieces of learning centers that I collected with a lot of love and boredom over many summers.
I no longer have to hide the central folder, frame or file to which the missing part belongs because without it the center would be incomplete. I found a way out of this search and search for a center-right game. This instructor discovered a not-so-simple new way to incorporate centers into my daily education, the iPad. This two-pound Apple electronic device has eliminated the traditional malls in my room. They are still on the shelves in my room, but they collect dust and keep all their little pieces. This is because Idaho has a program to lend these iPads to schools that send grants. My school first got an iPad and they are used daily in my room.
My students deal with applications Education Info for 30 minutes a day. They are in different reading applications. In the morning, but in the afternoon, they explore the applications of mathematics. These iPads are mostly used in partners, just like with traditional hubs, but reducing cleaning time and lost daily parts.
Some of the reading apps my students enjoy are:
Read:

  1. Word Bingo: This is like a traditional bingo game with visual words, but it can be leveled and works well with partners. Traditional and student cards earn a better point for the included mini-games.
  2. Hangman: The digital version of this game involves rotation and students enter a word, while the partner uses spelling patterns and phonetic skills to beat their partner.
  3. Chicktionari: This is a new mode for Hidden Word. The player gives 6 letters in the hen’s body which they decode to write a new word. The use of phonemes and spelling patterns is encouraged to create new words and rhyming words as well as a family of words. It’s fun even for adults.
  4. Ilivegrammar …: This one is available in different versions including: winter, fall and botany. It contains beautiful images related to the theme of the title and is a program for non-fictional language art. The student gives a sentence and then points out the word inside the sentence. Then the student must choose a word as a part of speech such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. In each version there are several levels for building language skills.
  5. Shell Lagoon: This app. View synonyms, synonyms and antonyms in a vivid and fun way with a beach theme. The game can be played in partners, and there is an option for short, medium or long play. The game is equipped with sound so that students can hear the differences / similarities between the given words. This is a definite plus for ESL students who need additional listening practice. It also introduces children to the new vocabulary and encourages them to use their own dictionaries to search for words (sneak into dictionaries).
  6. Prepositions (Ablative Builder): This application is easy for children to use and displays great pictures with the sentences it uses. Students are given three words to choose from that which corresponds as a sentence in a sentence. It reviews nine different categories of proposals, and each category has 21 questions. I think this is a great resource for ESL students in my class.
    For mathematics:
  7. Math Flash Cards: The free version is just an add-on, but you can buy a version that contains all the operations. This application allows you to ask the number of questions you want to answer, so you can choose the length of time to ask. It is a simple application without distracting graphics. Single-digit cards are mostly used.
  8. Math Bingo: This is a Word Bingo partner app and a favorite with most students. It adjusts to grades and students can save their progress to come back later. The student is allowed to focus on one or all four processes in a mixed examination, in addition to identifying difficulty levels. As students play and find answers to mathematical equations, the signs are cute icons that seem to fill the game board with monster germs. Points that give students access to mini-games are collected in the app.
  9. Pizza Fractions: Fractions are the focus of this simple and addictive application. The traditional fraction view is shown as a pizza and gives students three answer options at the bottom. This is an initial partial application, because it is not long-lasting and the level of difficulty cannot be adjusted. However, it is a favorite app of my students.
  10. Flow Mathematics: Two-digit equations are the star in this application. That’s right es the flashcards to a new level of difficulty and skill practice.
  11. Number Line: This number line is not the traditional one with only a set of information but it is closer to the “living number line” because it is one that incorporates not only whole numbers but also percents, decimals and fractions. It is designed to create an awareness of how all these expressions fit together. I like that this app gives instant feedback. If a student places the bubble (with the number inside it) in the correct place the bubble turns green. If the bubble is in the wrong place on the number line it will turn red. This allows the student to correct their mistake and figure out what was the misunderstanding in their thinking. This is best introduced in the whole group but then in pairs as students understand the objective. However, this is for mixed review only and does not allow for a focus on a single skill which would be helpful. It was the winner of the Virgina Mobile Learning Apps Development Challenge ().
  12. TanZen Lite: This is the digital version of the tanagrams manipulative sets. It gives a shadowed figure with colored shapes that students move over the shadow to try and over it correctly. The covered shadow then creates a picture. This is a great app during our geometry unit.
  13. ClockMaster: This app allows the difficulty level to be adjusted and player information to be stored. The graphic displays a colorful clock with a time given. Students roll the wheels at the bottom to identify the time. This works great in partners.
  14. Flash To Pass Free: This app has a lot of the same features as the other flashcard apps already listed here but this one has higher levels of difficulty.
  15. Pop Math: This is a fun app that has students identify the answer and the problem of what are floating around in large colored bubbles. The background images that the bubbled float are bright and colorful too. There are just enough bubbles to keep student attention without them feeling overwhelmed by the math. It allows you to focus on one operation or a mixed review.
  16. Math Drills Lite: This math app is not only flashcards but it walks students through the given problem with a number line and explanations. It looks like a chalkboard with a number pad for the answers. The student is not timed so it allows students to work without the pressure of being times which can stress some of my students out. It allows for focused practice on a single operation, or a mixed review.
    Mixed Reading & Math:
  17. Murky Reef Lite: The combination of reading and math in this app sets it apart from the others. It is an undersea adventure where the student answers math and grammar question inside of a submarine while the creatures of the deep swim around. It is a great app for skill review and partners.
    After our “borrowing” of these digital learning center iPads is over I will be spending my summers writing grants to obtain classroom sets with even more applications because I will no longer have to spend it coloring, cutting and laminating (and replacing pieces) new learning centers.