Apps for Organized Teachers

I just got an iPhone in January and like every other iPhone owner I fell in love with it. I buy things for it, make sure I don't drop it (only twice so far with no damage!), and constantly have it by my side. I also love being organized. Anyone who knows me can see that. So I wanted to find some applications I could download and use to organize myself when I begin teaching. I started to look around on different blogs and the iTunes App Store to see if there were things like this out there, and was happy to find that there are.

The first one I came across was mentioned by Richard Byrne in a post on his Free Technology for Teachers blog (I always find great stuff here!). It is called myIEPmeeting and can be downloaded by both parents and teachers as a tool to use during and in between a student's IEP meetings. I took a Special Education class last year and realized the chances of me having a child in my classroom with an Individualized Education Plan is enormous. Now, children with IEPs can have a vast range of disabilities but this application would help keep me organized and the communication between myself and the parents constant no matter what the case is.

I then began the rest of my search on an "App Advice" website where they had a nice list of applications for teachers specifically. I tried searching in the iTunes app store but found this other website easier as I was specifically looking for organization tools at this point, not games I could add into my curriculum and have the students play.

The first app I found on this site is called TeacherPal. Not only is this app free but it is everything I was looking for. It helps keep track of attendance as well as grading records in an easy to use application. I also found TeacherTool, which is a lot like TeacherPal but with a lot more features. Not only does it keep track of attendance, but it can tell you if that student was excused or not. It also keeps track of grades but offers suggestions for final or mid-term grades and you are able to save comments that go along with each grade. It also keeps detailed records of students including contact information, pictures, their absences, where they sit in the classroom all in one spot. If these are still around I will definitely use one of these tools when I'm teaching.

The other two tools I found are more generalized forms of organization and can be used for a multitude of careers or even just in college by students. For the last few weeks my curriculum and instruction teacher has been mentioning Dropbox and all that you can do with it. To my understanding you have to be "invited" by someone with a dropbox to use the program but it is becoming so popular it's not hard to find someone with an account. I did not know that there was an application for Dropbox though. It automatically saves all of your files you have added to your dropbox and makes them portable. You can also upload things to your dropbox from your phone!

The other application I found was Keynote. I have heard of this presentation tool before but have actually never used it. I do like the idea of having my presentations on my phone as you never know when you might need them, especially as a teacher. On this application you can create and present your work. My favorite part is if you use iCloud, which I do and love it, it will automatically make your presentations available on all of your devices. I can't get over the idea of creating a presentation to go along with a lesson plan while I'm out and about and then be able to just jump on my computer and present it easily.

I haven't actually downloaded any of these applications yet but once I do I will definitely let you all know how it turns out! First will be Dropbox and Keynote.


My Spring Break just began yesterday and I will be spending it on Alternative Spring Break through ISU. We leave tomorrow to head to Newark, New Jersey to work with underprivileged children at an after school program. I am beyond excited and thrilled to be able to take part in such a great opportunity. I will not be blogging next week, but I am sure I will have a lot to talk about the week prior. See you then!