Technology Tuesday: ASK 3 APP

I am so lucky to have been able to go to a 1:1 IPad classroom. The exciting news came in January and we rolled out our iPads mid-February! The first two weeks we still didn't have the ability to download apps, which worked out really well because we focused on procedures, procedures, and more procedures! Let me tell you that these 6 and 7 year olds can take care of iPads better than most adults!

Today I want to share with you my FAVORITE app as a teacher. It allows me to monitor and adjust and assess constantly!

ASK 3

This app allows teachers and students to communicate together through threaded, video conversations. It's a wonderful screen casting app that allows students to create, demonstrate, comment, and ask questions. 

We have used Ask 3 each day and here are some ways that we have used it!

• We began our "How To" writing unit last week so the students drew a picture of what they were teaching in "My Arts." 
• Next, the students uploaded their picture into Ask 3 and created a video explaining how to make something. In Ask 3, the students can use the screen cast and annotate over their pictures. They would draw arrows and explained their thinking. 
• Finally, they uploaded the video to our class and the other students watched their videos. The students then commented on their videos. 
• Students have these videos at their fingertips so if they forget to write a step they can just go back and re-watch their video!

Graphics by Ashley Hughes

Here are some other suggestions for Ask 3

• Have students take a picture of the most important part/favorite part, etc. of a book they are reading. Have students explain why this was important. Other students can go in and comment on their video to agree/disagree.
• Students can draw a picture of a word (example: jar when we were studying ar words) and the students can explain how to spell each word.
• Take a picture of a 100 chart and use the Ask 3 to show how to skip count by a certain number or how to find the difference between two numbers. Have students create their own Ask 3 screencast with a 100 chart. 
• Take a picture of a number line. Create a screencast that demonstrates a concept, and then end the screencast with a question for the students. Allow the students to watch the Ask 3 screen cast and then use the commenting feature to respond to each other's screencasts.
• Draw a picture for a math story using My Arts or Skitch. Insert the picture into Ask 3 and annotate over the picture and explain the number sentence that goes along with it. 
• Use the ipad to take a picture of something you read during Reader's Workshop. Insert the picture into Ask 3, and then record a summary of what you read. 
• Using My Arts or Skitch (or another white board app) draw a picture that summarizes a science or social studies concept. Insert the picture and record your thinking using Ask 3. 

We also had a lesson with our Title 1 Facilitator (who is the bomb.com) and she gave them sentence starters to make their responses and comments more deep and thoughtful. Here is a FREEBIE that you can use to help get your nuggets thinking more deeply. For the lesson, Mrs. Joseph put each sentence starter on a strip of paper and the students pulled on and used that to comment on a video of their choice. I laminated the strips so now they are in the writing center ready to be used whenever a student in commenting! 

Even if your classroom is not a 1:1 ratio, this is still a wonderful app to use if you have access to an iPad cart, small group of iPads or just one! Students can use this app in literature discussion groups, small groups or as a center!

Hope you are having a great Tuesday!