Since ipads and ipod/touches hit the district, I can’t count the number of times I’ve been asked what apps are great. I wrote about this previously (Apps) using the lens of “Relevance, Thinking Skills, Sharing and Usability” (adapted by Tony Vincent; Kathy Schrock). Another layer may be to connect the app against the SAMR model (a framework for how we integrate technologies).
While there are millions of apps in the Apple Store, the following are apps that everyone should consider having as part of their basic toolkit:
Explain Everything 3.0 ($3.99) – screencasting and interactive whiteboard that allows you to annotate, teach, narrate, animate. Exports to/from anywhere which makes this incredibly flexible.
Book Creator ($5.79) – Create stunning ebooks that can be saved, uploaded, or saved as pdf. Incorporate images, video, audio, music, text. Turn the pages to see the magic happen.
Tellagami-Edu ($5.79) – Create a custom talking avatar to share story, lesson, teaching. Includes backgrounds or draw your own. Products can be saved to the camera library. Great for oral language development and speeches (records up to 90 seconds). No in-app purchases needed.
ChatterPix Kid (free) – Take a photo of anything and make it talk. Teach a lesson, share a story, sing a song, do a rap. You’re only limited by your imagination. Share it on our class blogs.
Voice Record Pro (free) – A professional voice recorder that saves in standard formats. Exports to anywhere including camera library, YouTube (as a movie). (This is a phenomenal app to reflect on reading fluency.)
PhotoCard by Bill Atkinson (free) – Create postcards of information. Use the library of stunning images or include your own. A great way to synthesize learning. Post a screenshot of your product on your blog.
iMovie ($5.79 or free with new ipads) – Create movies and edit using the editor. Have fun with filters and multiple special effects. Make a real movie trailer by using the templates. Great for storytelling.
Green Screen by Do Ink ($3.49) – Create green screen videos and images. Tell a story, teach an idea, share a research project, be a newscaster and include an interactive weather map behind you.
Drawing Pad ($2.29) – Create art using crayons, paints, markers and pencil crayons. Control the tip sizes, use the blender tool to smudge and blend. Save to library or export the product.
Paper by FiftyThree (free) – Sketchnotes are all the rage. Use this canvas for visual note-taking. Express your ideas and save them in albums. (This app is more for personal devices.)
Wordpress (if you use blogs) (free) – This is extremely handy to upload content directly from your idevices. You can write directly onto a post and save as draft for editing. Or publish immediately.
Google Drive (free) – Another direct way to upload to your Drive accounts. Access your writing, collaborate with teams any time, anywhere.
Products from these apps can be used in our blogs to continue the thinking process. I would love to hear how you’re using any of these in your classes. Drop us a comment in the comment box below.