Early Christmas Present

My class got an early Christmas present yesterday.

5 Mini iPads! 

 This cute little firstie's dad's company donated them to us.

 I purchased this cool power dock to keep them charged. Along with some nice cases to protect them. My kiddos are EXCITED to start using them! Only problem is, I'm still trying to find apps and ideas. How do I use just 5 iPad with 28 kids? I'm going to use them in centers of course but I'd like to find more ways. If any one has suggestions, I'd LOVE to hear how you are using them in your room. 

Kimberly over on Funky First Grade Fun does a Technology Tuesday and has some great ideas I'm going to be trying for sure. She does a class journal on a free app called Kids Journal. It sounds like a great idea. So I've downloaded that one and I'm in the process of figuring it out. 

I tried this app yesterday and my kiddos love it. It's called Visual Timer. There are several timer apps out there. Some are free. This one cost $2.99. 

It's kind of like the quiet game while they are working. I set the timer while my kids were working at there desks. If they could work quietly without getting 3 strikes before the timer is up then they got a little reward. The cool thing about this timer is it reveals a picture as the clock counts down. I projected it onto my Smart board so everyone could see it. It was a good visual reminder. To do that, I have airplay on my computer which lets me connect the iPad to my computer. I wrote a post about it HERE.

If you have any suggestions for me, I'd LOVE for you to comment. I'm off to search more blogs and the app store for ideas.

Have a great weekend!