iPad Ideas for October 17th, 2012

1. Handwriting Recognition - WritePad really works! I have been on the lookout for a good iPad App that will turn handwriting to text and this one really works. It will convert your writing to typed text as you go. It also syncs to Dropbox and Google Drive! It is pricey at 9.99, but if you prefer to take notes by hand, this could be a really useful App to own.

2. Grading on the iPad - Learnboost.com is a free Online grading website 

that works pretty nicely on the iPad. I like it because I can enter my grades from any computer or device and, because it is web-based, I can access those grades anywhere. Learnboost also allows you to weight categories and print reports about individual students. There is also funcitonality to add lesson plans and connect to Google Apps.

Google Apps for Ed New England Summit

I am looking forward to attending and presenting at the Google Apps for Education New England Summit being held at Burlington High School in Burlington, MA on November 3rd and 4th. They have even listed me as a "Spotlight Speaker" and people who know me know how much I like to be in the Spotlight ;-) I will be presenting on Apps for Ed on the iPad.

I do think it is going to be a great event and Google is offering a $50 discount to the event if you use the promotional code INVITE and an additional $10 off group registrations when you use the code INVITEGROUP.

I hope to see you there.

Books For Boys: Book Reviews by Boys for Boys

As many of you know, I work in a boys school and we often struggle to keep our boys reading for pleasure. The Reading Zone by Nancy Atwell has inspired me to do more independent reading projects with my 7th grade English students. As both assessment and incentive, we have started a blog called Books For Boys. Students will be posting reviews of the books that they love. Eventually there will be book reviews from the entire student body. 

I hope this blog can help others find books that boys will love to read. Please check out Books For Boys and leave a comment. We would especially like to hear from other kids who have read the same book. Visitors can leave their review as a comment on any post.