Logo Maker

Logo Maker ($2.99) is a neat little app that allows you to design personal logos in just a few quick, easy steps. Users can create a logo from scratch or choose a template and personalize it. The final logo is then exported to the photo album and/or placed on a realistic-looking background. If you wanted to avoid spending the $2.99,  you could probably produce a decent logo by fiddling with Pages, PhotoShop, or any free drawing app, but that would take more skill, creativity, and work.  Logo making is the only thing that Logo Maker can do, which means it does it very well (think laser printer vs. all-in-one fax/copier/scanner/printer).

In my fourth grade tech integration class, we used Logo Maker as part of a lesson on personal branding, which was connected to our election unit.  After a discussion about the various ways presidential candidates create an easily recognized public image, we compared the candidates' logos and analyzed their font, image, and layout. We spoke about other famous brands, such as Nike and Target, whose logos "speak for themselves." Finally, the students were encouraged to think about how they would brand themselves, and we used the Logo Maker iPad app to create personalized logos that could then be placed on stickers, stationary, blogs, and other published work. On a practical note, the students also used (the full name version of) their logos as their iPad wallpaper, which makes the devices that much easier to identify. 

Is it All About the Jargon?

Some of use certain tech tools because they sound cool, modern, twenty-first century...not because they make any real difference. But the cloud? You begin to use the cloud, and it turns into this thing you absolutely can not live without. With no Dropbox or Google Drive (my favorite clouds), I would never be able to collaborate without meetings, access my files from anywhere, save space on my hard drive, or turn multiple students' work into one cohesive project. So Dilbert, it's not just about the Jargon...

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

They are not apps. They come with the iPad. They are on the home screen. They're free! 

Camera:

• The obvious: Take pictures/videos and import them into emails, blogs, or student files.
• The not so obvious: Use it as a quick, compact scanner. (When I couldn't find a map that I liked online,  I took a picture of the one in the textbook, emailed it to my computer, and voila...It was on the Smartboard! During Writer's Workshop, when I wanted to showcase student work, I did the same thing.)

Notes:

• The obvious: Take notes. And shake to undo.  
• The not so obvious: Use it as a dictionary (highlight  a word and tap "define") or as a reader for students (highlight and tap "speak".)

Calendar:

• I like the look and feel of the iPad calendar, but prefer to use Google calendars, so I set up my calendar accounts on Google or my school's Outlook system and link them to my iPad. They show up beautifully color-coded, appointments pop-up on demand, and all changes are synced in the cloud.
• With a student set of iPads, the calendar becomes an essential part of any math lesson... and so does the world clock, for that matter. (Think elapsed time word problems.)

Maps: 

• The new Apple Maps is not very helpful when I need directions using public transportation, but if I want to plan a virtual tour, teach about directionality, neighborhoods, continents, landmarks, or just about anything geography related, I use Maps, and my students have the world at their fingertips. 

FaceTime:

• I have never tried this, but we can take our students on a virtual field trip to just about anywhere...as long as that somewhere has a someone (with an iPad or iPhone) who would be willing to host the tour. Think surgeons, professors, park rangers, museum curators, artists, authors, or just friends in interesting places...

Photoshop Touch

Photoshop Touch is a scaled down version of the real thing. Honestly, I've never used the real thing, but I love working with the app! Professional graphic designers complain about the lack of options, but for regular folks and students, that's what makes it so user-friendly. In my fourth grade art/tech class, we've been using PT to design historical presidential campaign posters using posterizing and filtering effects. The children had a hard time manipulating the colors and the text effects were limiting even for them. In addition, the fact that it doesn't save previous versions automatically led to some frustrating moments. However, they were proud of creating something professional-looking in just a few sessions, and they are excited to learn about the other tools.