App snaps - 20 apps in 30 mins

IATELF LTSIG Pre-Conference EventGlasgow

March 2012Paul Sweeney

App Snaps

Overview

• What’s in a device?• Survey• Lots of apps• Finding apps• Questions & demos

What’s in a device?

• Smartphones• Tablets• eReaders• Laptops and netbooks

What’s in the ‘appmosphere’

Stand-alone self-study

Adjunct to classroom learning: homework, catch up and extension

Games (entertainment apps used in education )

Reference

DICTIONARIES

Cambridge Advanced Dictionary (Audio)

• iPhone / iPad / Android• Audio• UK / US• Basic functionality

• http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/audio-cambridge-advanced-learners/id309442435?mt=8

Macmillan English Dictionary (HD)

• iPad / iPhone• UK• Audio• Added value sections:

common words• Learner self study

features: personalisation, lists, tests

Oxford / Collins Cobuild Advanced Learners

• iPad / iPhone / Android (‘made with Diodict’ software)

• UK / US• Audio (on Android)• Learner friendly (fuzzy

logic)• Learner self self-study

features: flashcards, tests

• Dictionary + phone functionality (uses phone voice search)

Other examples

PRONUNCIATION

Phonetics Focus

• Cambridge English Online

• iPhone / iPad• Teachers resource

package: chart; posters; flashcard creation; typewriter

• Student resource: recognition, practice,

• Award winning (!)

Sounds

• Macmillan• Paid for (Limited free

version available)• iPhone / iPad / Android• UK / US• Student features (record &

playback, practice, quiz, typing)

• Integration with coursebooks (buy wordlists)

• www.soundspronapp.com/

Clear Speech

• Paid for• Cambridge• Basic & Intermediate

game based student focus

• Sounds, syllables, word stress

• Related to book but stand-alone

Other examples

VOCABULARY

Premier Skills / My Wordbook 2• Word sets• Audio• Self study features• British Council

‘Vocabulary’ apps

Dictionary plus?

?Developing

personalisation and extra study functionality for dictionaries would be more interesting than developing vocab apps.

EXAM PRACTICE

IELTS Trainer

• Representative of exam support trend with apps

• Familiarisation, tips and exercises

• Lots have listening practice

• Different levels• Also PET, FCE, CAE in

series• Paid for• Cambridge

IELTS VOCAB

• Vital Englsh• Generic vocabulary

practice for students• Audio – UK• Self study tools

GRAMMAR

Grammar in Use (Tests)

• Cambridge• Paid for• iPhone / iPad• There are pairs of apps in

this series• Content / practice apps

called ‘Activities’ • Tests apps (much better)• Elementary,

intermediate, Advanced

iGE (Interactive grammar of English)

• University College London

• Paid for• ‘Grammar reference

and advanced practice book in an app’

Are grammar apps only about practising grammar?

LISTENING

Big City Small World

• British Council• Free• ‘App meets podcast’• Transcript synchronised

with audio• No exercises /

exploitation

At work & on holidays• Red River Press• Skills practising

language in context• Lower levels• Paid for

READING

News sites

• NYT is only one example (iPhone only + paid for)

• Authentic materials with ELT exploitation

• Self study

Simplified readers & children’s stories

• Simplified readers• Children’s nursery

rhymes and fairy stories (native speaker)

COURSE APPS

Edmodo

• iPhone / iPad / Android• VLE / community site

for Primary & Secondary students

• Fits with existing website

Moodle

• ‘Official Moodle app’• Needs Moodle 2.1• Download resources to

work offline• iPhone / iPad• Not Android but there

seem to be Android Moodle apps

Pebblepad - ePortfolio

• ePortfolio app as part of pebblepad.com site

• iPhone only (but necessary for use?)

• Very popular in the UK but paid for

• https://mahara.org/ is an open source alternative. Unclear if there is an app for this

Other examples

• Blackboard• Busuu

NON-EFL APPS

Amazon Kindle

• Device (Kindle Reader)• App (iPhone / iPad /

Android)• Software (Mac / PC)• Free to set up• Leisure reading,

professional development• Email docs & pdfs to your

Kindle account• Project Gutenberg just got

interesting again

Evernote

• ‘Productivity’ app (Microsoft OneNote + ReadItLater + bookmark & docs sharing

• Group by notebooks, tags

• iPhone /iPad / Android

• Free + Paid for

Dropbox.com

• Great way to share any files between PC <> PC and PC <> mobile device

• iPhone / iPad / Android• Starter account is free

Pages

• Writing• Note taking• PDF annotating

Keynote

• Main presentations app for iPhone / iPad

• Quickly assemble presentations based on images & video

• Great to present from

Talking cartoon characters (Rex / Tom)

FINDING APPS

iTunes app store (but which one?)

Google Play (formerly Google Android)

www.chomp.com

A website and app to help you find apps!

Thank you!

[email protected]

This presentation is available fromwww.eduworlds.co.uk/iateflpce.pdf

www.schoolbook-challenge.com Epublishing – how far do you go? (elearning vs

epublishing debate), Thursday 22 March, IATEFL