Skip to main content

Favorite iPad tools:Osmo

There are so many tools for iPads out there that to begin to name my favorites is a daunting task.  But I will try to name a few.  The first I want to discuss is Osmo, which impresses me for multiple reasons.

  1. It inspires creativity

  2. It encourages activity

  3. It is hands on

  4. It is adaptable  to many ages and abilities

For those that don't know, Osmo consists of an increasing number of apps for the iPad, a tray that positions your iPad vertically and an attachment that fits over the screen side camera.  It is a very simple setup that I am sure many others wish they would have thought of before the creative geniuses behind Osmo.  But that isn't where the magic is found.  The real magic is in the apps and the pieces that go along with Osmo. Currently there are eight apps available and it always seems like they are developing more.  The first few they released were enough to get me hooked on the product.

The first Osmo app I used was the Tangram app.  The unit came with a set of tangram pieces and when in the app you are given an ever increasingly assortment of shapes to create using your tangram pieces.  The great thing about it is if you assembly the pieces in front of your iPad in the Osmo tray it will give you visual feedback on the screen.  A great way to check your work as you go.  It also inspires some problem solving skills for you or your child/student.

I tried is the Words app.  This is a great hangman style game you can play with a competitor.  Each of you are give different colored letters and race to spell the word from the hints on the screen.  The person that gets the most letters wins.

Newton is a great physics engine that requires you to draw on a paper in front of your iPad.  As you draw the lines and curves appear on the screen.  Your goal is to move the dropping balls to the desired targets.  You don't just have to draw.  You can also place objects in front of the iPad to create barriers for the balls.

The app that I am most impressed with is Masterpiece.  This app takes a stock photo or a photo of your choice and converts it to an outline drawing on the screen.  When you place your hand on the paper in front of the iPad, it appears on the screen.  Your goal is to watch your hand on the screen to trace the image on the screen.  As you do so you are drawing/replicating the image on the screen.  This is a great way create a self portrait or masterpiece of your own.  This one is one of my daughters favorites.

I have yet to find anything to compare to this tools and compared to others, it is very affordable.  If you want to know more, go to the Osmo website.

If you are interested in the lessons they have developed for the classroom, checkout the Osmo Schools page.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Beginning again

I have been silent on my blog for a while.  Partly because I have started a "new" challenge that took some time to settle into.   I have been an educator for over 20 years.   I have been a classroom teacher, building administrator & district administrator.   Our family recently felt called to a new location which gave me the opportunity to work for an education non-profit for a year. Then the call back to the field came.  I couldn't resist.  Those of you that are called into education know that the calling never really leaves you.  I knew I needed to be back in a position that allowed me to have a more direct impact on students.  I loved the work I was doing, but I was in a position that didn't give me any interaction with students and I needed to get back to that on some level.  If you haven't been in that position, it is hard to put into words exactly what this calling means.   Granted I was still able to influe...
Post a Comment
Read more

Do you need a Philosophy of Education?

When we first start out in education we often think that we know what we're doing. We think that we don't need any help and that everything that we need to know we learned in our education classes. It only takes about three days into the job to realize that our college education did not fully prepare us for every single student that we're going to face. It didn't truly prepare us for how we really should deliver a lesson when we have students on five different levels along with multiple types of disruptions. It didn't prepare us to handle all the routines, all the the daily tasks, all the decisions that we have to make.  This isn't intended to disparage any university program, but just an acknowledgement that there is now way for them to fully prepare you for every student and situation you will face.  Experience is the only true way to learn how to handle all of these different types of situations.  So how do we make up for that information gap? That is a chall...
1 comment
Read more

4 Tools for Creating Instruction Video

Many educators are plunging into creating digital resources as part of their districts plan to continue instruction while school facilities are closed for the remainder of the school year.  If you have not explored this before now, there are several options available to you in a variety of prices and skillset. The tools we suggest will be free or inexpensive and only focus on creating videos that you can share with students later.  There are options for live video conferencing and some of these tools are designed for that, but we are only focusing on video recording.  This type of learning model would best be classified as asynchronous because you are allowing students to work at different times.  This may be the best option since some of your students may have siblings and limited use of technology at their house. Before we get started, please check with your district to see if there are any restrictions on which tools you may use.  There is a possibility that ...
Post a Comment
Read more