ShowMe the Learning!

How do we know a child has grasped a skill?  They can reteach it (and actually know what they are talking about!) In cooperative groups or whole class, children can use the iPad to create videos, showMes, or even Prezis or Power Points to reteach topics learned in class.

Apps like ShowMe or Educreations two free Apps (and websites) that not only record what the children are drawing on its white-board like screen, but also their voice-over.  It publishes the finished recording to a website URL which can then be posted to a website or e-mailed.  In a single class period, a math topic for example, can be taught, reviewed whole-class with a ShowMe, and posted to a classroom website for the children to reference when they are doing homework.
Kids can also do this in small groups as a "show what they know" type activity.  They could reteach a concept for the benefit of other students.  Here is an example of a simple ShowMe that was done by a student in a small group setting: Click here to view the ShowMe link

Ok, I'm forewarning you, we are going to differentiate up next so if you are feeling like being overwhelmed is a possiblity, go ahead and stop now!  ShowMe is a basic, easy tool to use.  A good place to start :)

Podasts & Vodcasts (video podcasts) are videos or voice overs that review the lessons learned in class.  Similar to what you could do with a ShowMe, but this would use a video to reteach a concept (and is a little more advanced as it involves more steps between the iDevice and computer).  You can still post it to the web and the children can reference this if they need help on homework.  The children have to work together as a team to create clear, concise videos with math or Common Core language.  Here is an example of one that was done a couple of years ago reteaching rounding. I use iMovie on my Mac to get the video from my iPad onto the computer, but you could use Windows Movie Maker, or an easier alternative, is download your video to YouTube or SchoolTube and link it that way.  You can even download your videos from the YouTube App without having to download to your computer first.

Picture stories can be made as a class collaborative project or in small groups.  These can be comprehensive or skill specific.  You can write a story as a class, have individuals or groups illustrate the pages, scan it into the computer, and put the pages together in a PowerPoint.  Have the children record a narration and you have an instant class classic! Or use the camera to illustrate a story and put a book together the same way. 
My children wrote real-world school math problems that were "challenging" and then had to go around WJG to take pictures to "illustrate" each problem.  We turned it into a vodcast, but you could do the same thing with PowerPoint (and probably more effectively too, the speed moves pretty fast through the video and we constantly had to pause and discuss as a class how to solve the problems, but you get the idea :)