Like the title? It’s been a very busy week with my face in my lessons and head constantly focused on the work at hand. You can tell it is getting closer to holiday break! All work and no play make me..well you know. I’ve been organizing and getting my iPads cleaned up and getting ready for Texas in February. Here are some new apps I’ve been using in the classroom. Remember, there is always a way to use an app whether it is a one iPad or class set of iPads classroom. Just remember to stay creative and have fun!

Aurasma- Download  An app all about augemented reality. You create a target picture and a video or picture that would overlay when the app is on and pointed at the photo. It is actually a really cool experience and turns something as simple as a word wall into an interactive must have. I printed out my dynamic and tempo words I teach students and made videos of myself playing them on the xylophone and overlaid over each photo. Now when a student uses an iPad with Aurasma and points at the target picture, they can see the video play.  The best part about this whole app is that the overlay picture is a 3D experience. The students get a kick out of it.

Book Creator Free- Download I just started using this app a few weeks ago with some students who do not celebrate holidays. We have a schedule part of each lesson that is dedicated to singing holiday songs a few weeks before our school holiday singalong.  During this time I have a few students who work on books about our music room. They take pictures, label instruments and write tips on how to use them. It has been very cool to see them work on these and they have found it easy and are still learning as the rest of the class are singing the holiday songs for our sing a long.

Piano Mania- Download  Another Joytunes masterpiece. This app dives deeper into beginning piano taking reading music to a new level. Instead of attacking dust pieces with a feather duster they are actually reading notes and rests as they scroll across the screen on the staff. My beginning piano students use this as either a warmup or a cool down during a private lesson. Lately I have caught a few of my students who use iPads as a behavior incentive or just during a free time during the day playing it as well!

Keynote- Download I never know where I am going to be some days. I never know if my older computer is going to work. My holiday song lyrics are in powerpoint form so I always keep an extra copy on my iPad in the Keynote app. I can easily play the lyrics off the iPad using the reflector app or an Apple TV.

      Have any cool new apps to share? Post them in the comments! I’m always looking for more to try out!