Will work for iPad...

Hi there!  It's been a while since I've posted!  Getting back into the swing of things has been harder this year for some reason.  Maybe it was the three week FABULOUS vacation in Nicaragua!  Days on end of lying in a hammock, basking in the warm (ok, really HOT) sun and sipping Tonia beer.  Ahhhhh...ok, back to reality!

Despite feeling a bit sluggish, the year is off to a great start.  I love beginning a new year, it's so full of promise.  While my position means that I mostly see the same kids for a few years in a row, they always come back from summer break a bit different.  They look like they have grown a few inches, their hair is longer, and they have matured... :-).   It's like  getting a new class every year.  And there are perks.  I already know these kiddos.  I know their strengths and struggles.  I know what motivates them and what sends them over the edge.  We have a relationship.  And any good teacher knows that it's all about building strong relationships!

Sometimes relationships have glitches!  Any good counselor will tell you that these glitches are necessary for a healthy relationship.  I get that.  I have been married for 23 wonderful years, and have 5 kids...I know all about glitches.  Another perk...I have iPads this year.  So, when we hit a 'glitch', I can always stoop to gadgets.  It's kinda like offering a crying two year old a piece of candy to stop fussing.  I know, it's really bad practice...but I'm human and sometimes I need that magical something to keep the peace.  Sometimes that magical something is an iPad. 

Of course I only use them for educational purposes.  The kids love the apps I have and they are engaged, happy, and most importantly, learning!  Shhh, don't tell them about the learning part. :-)

Some of my favs so far:
*Everyday Math games (we use the Everyday Math curriculum at school, so its a great way to link back to what's going on in the classroom)

*Evernote (this one is for me~love it for taking anecdotal notes)

*Doodle Buddy (students use their finger to draw or write on the whiteboard...I use it to practice letter formation)


*K12 Timed Reading (K-4 reading passages that are timed...easy for a quick and dirty fluency/rate check).

*Angry Birds (Ok, this one is for me...just wanted to see if you were really reading this)

Ok. Here is where you come in.  I really want to know what applications you use and love.  Either as teachers or parents.  Please just take a quick minute to share one or two apps!

Some of my colleagues...being technical!

Thanks, and sorry for the rambling, somewhat disjointed post.  I blame it on the wine...or lack thereof (I'm at school and typing this during our professional development...not to worry, it's about technology so I am really doing what I'm supposed to be doing).

~Cab Lover (sipping ice water, but anticipating some Kendall Jackson Cab).