What if you only have five devices in your classroom? Where should you start?
My first suggestion is to set up Evernote accounts. Evernote is account base not app or device based so you can log onto your account from any device or computer. This works on Kindle Fires and iPads. I would recommend doing this one of two ways.- Have parents set up the account for their child. Most school systems have policies about children having accounts, especially if they are under 13 years old. By doing this, you are asking parents to set up an evernote account for their child and you are not doing it for them.
- The second option is to set up several gmail accounts that only you have control of. For example: mrshuss1@gmail.com, mrshuss2@gmail.com, etc. Then your Evernote Accounts need to match the email address. By doing this each child does not have their own account, they just have access to that particular group account. You will need to make sure you send home a letter informing parents of this account.
Now most anything you do on your device can be sent to the Evernote account and then accessed from a different computer or device.
The next app to get is Skitch. This is a whiteboard app that syncs directly with Evernote. You can upload pictures into it and then label it or you can take a photo with your device and manipulate it. This is good for maps or something you would like the kids to label. For example, we made an edible cell with a cookie and different types of candy. The kids uploaded the photo of their cookie cell into their ipad and then they labeled the cell.
I would also highly recommend Edmodo. This is a website where the kids will need to have an account, but you do not have to have an email address attached to it, so you can set them up for the kids as long as you have permission from parents. You can upload assignments or ask discussion questions on this site. The students then log in and can either submit an assignment or answer a question to a teacher post. They can then comment on each other's posts. You can also set up smaller groups. Let's say you have one group of kids reading Maniac McGee. You can create a group for just the kids that are reading this book. They simply enter the group code and they can answer discussion questions.
The next app I think is a great one to start with is called Socrative. You would need to download the Socrative app on the devices and set up a teacher account online. Once you have set up your account online, you will be given a "room number". You can create a quiz using their template or you can give questions orally and have the kids answer. You can do short answer or multiple choice. When you are done, you can download the report or even have it emailed to you. All of the answers will come to you in a spreadsheet. The quizzes can be teacher paced or student paced. When you complete an activity, the student will be given the option to hand the device to another student. Since you can get to Socrative on any device or computer, you could have some kids on the iPad or Kindle Fire and some on the computers. For example, let's say you have a guided reading or strategy group. After you have met with them, they will get the Kindle Fires or iPads and log into Socrative to do their "quiz". Now you can meet with your next group. 
The final app or website I would suggest is either the PBS app or www.discoveryeducation.com (If your school system subscribes to United Streaming). You can assign short videos for students to watch to help illustrate a math concept or watch a science experiment or even a documentary on an event from history. The thing to remember is to add things slowly. You may not get the use out of the devices you would like at first, but that's okay. You need to set your procedures up and start slowly. Kids will think they know everything there is to know about the device they are using and you will find that they think they know better than you. You need to be very specific about your expectations and the consequences of not following rules and procedures.
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