For iPad literacy, I chose to focus on the My Spelling Test app, Educreations interactive whiteboard, and Puppet Pals, all of which would be wonderful learning tools in an elementary school classroom. My Spelling Test is an app that allows the user to create their own spelling tests. Teachers can make tests or practice tests for their students, and the app even allows the teacher to record their own voice saying each of the words. This would be especially useful for those students who do not have someone who can work with them frequently on homework.
The Educreations interactive whiteboard is a really useful tool for teachers and students, because it allows teachers to create video lessons, recording what the teacher is writing on the screen (as well as the teacher's voice). Students can pause to take notes, going at their own pace, and watch the video as many times as is necessary. Maybe the teacher already taught the lesson to the class, but then during centers students could watch the video again to clarify what he or she did not understand.
I absolutely loved the Puppet Pals app. In Puppet Pals, students can choose characters and backgrounds, then record their own voices to create a story. This could be used as students either write their own stories, perform stories they have already written, or retell stories they have read in order to promote understanding. The app is fun and interactive, and allows the students to be creative. They are learning and reinforcing ideas all while having fun.
For iPad Disciplines, I chose to focus on the Piano app for music, the Kids Can Match Animals app for science, and Mathboard for math. Again, these are all apps that are great for elementary school age, since that is my specialty. I chose to look at the Piano app because I love music, and I truly believe that it is essential to children's development. Not only would this app be fun for students to make up their own songs, but it is very educational. It has a metronome to keep time, a pedal option, and says the notes on the keys. Students can even learn songs on this app. This app would help children to develop a musical ear, especially for those who cannot afford a real piano or music lessons, and to have a good time and develop musical confidence.
The next app I chose to look at was the Kids Can Match Animals science app. In this app, students play a virtual matching game, matching photographs of real animals. The game also plays the sounds that each animal makes, so students can learn that as well. There seems to be a wide variety of animals in the app. Students are learning to identify animals, the sounds they make, and practicing their memory skills. This game would be most suitable for young elementary schoolers, probably just kindergarten and first grade. However, I do think that it would be great for those ages!
The last app I am looking at is the Matchboard app. It is a fun, unique, and interactive way for students at all levels of math to learn. Not only does the app have problems for students to solve, it also makes math into different types of games. There are different math tables that students who are struggling can look at, and the app can save the user's score. This app would make math much more interesting for young students. Again, it could be used as a center after the main math lesson.
I enjoyed exploring and learning about these different apps for education. These would all be great to use in my elementary school classroom, making learning more interactive and enjoyable.
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