Using iPads in
the classroom makes learning fun and meaningful! Students spend a great deal of time
on their mobile devices as it is, so why not incorporate their interests into
teaching and learning to increase motivation? I would have students use the
iPad to practice academic skills during Study Skills. Unless multiple iPads
were available, students would take turns practicing skills on the iPad using
various apps such as apps for flashcards and educational games with an emphasis
on math. Most teachers are excited about using technology. However, selecting the best apps for the classroom can seem overwhelming. At the
time our textbook was being written, there were “over 425,000 apps with over 14
billion downloads” (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p. 229). Teachers
have spent valuable time searching for apps only to be disappointed or not get
what they expected. Roblyer and Doering suggest checking out educational sites
that find and rate the best apps such as “Apps in Education” (p. 229). Apps for
the classroom can also get expensive for teachers. Roblyer and Doering mention a
program for educational institutions that buys apps in high volume (p. 229). I
hope our school system is heading in that direction. Until then, there are tons
of free apps out there! I agree that teachers need to be able to “locate,
download, and integrate apps for mobile devices” (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p.
230). There is so much incorporating mobile technologies and apps in the
classroom can offer that is exciting and beneficial for students!
Here are some
great apps I plan to use for iPads.
DragonBox
DragonBox makes learning Algebra fun! DragonBox 5+ is an introduction to Algebra while DragonBox 12+ is geared towards middle and high school students.
Flashcards by
NKO Ventures lets you create your own cards or download flashcards made by
other users from Flashcards Exchange and Quizlet. Your cards can be stored in
folders. You can share your decks using shared folders, email or iTunes. You
can track your progress. Text-To-Speech is available along with several other
user-friendly features.
WolframAlpha
WolframAlpha is a computational search engine. It can be used for math to graph and solve any math equation. Students can check their work and compare their solution to Wolfram’s. You can also enter math specific problems.
BrainPOP features a new educational animated movie everyday along with an interactive quiz. Topics include Math, Science, Social Studies, English, Engineering, Technology, Arts & Music, and Health.
Flashcards by NKO Ventures lets you create your own cards or download flashcards made by other users from Flashcards Exchange and Quizlet. Your cards can be stored in folders. You can share your decks using shared folders, email or iTunes. You can track your progress. Text-To-Speech is available along with several other user-friendly features
This is an awesome resource for apps!
This seems a pretty good directory of apps for secondaries @elfynanwyl @claremilligton http://t.co/cciXlSCkux
— Alex Clewett (@aclewett) June 30, 2013
There are tons of free apps! I can't really speak for the older grades, but for pre-k there are tons of apps that can be located. I agree that it saves time to find teacher sites that list the apps. It can get very frustrated searching for apps that can benefit the students for the purpose that you want. I enjoyed your video as well. Great job! You made a lot of good points.
ReplyDeleteI also think that using iPads in the classroom would be beneficial. I really enjoyed your article. I am going to put the apps that you discussed on my iPad. I already use the flashcard app, and I love that app as well!
ReplyDelete