Apps for Education by Lisa Miller

APPS FOR EDUCATION

AUTHOR: LISA MILLER

THERE ARE APPS FOR EVERY SUBJECT

MATHCUBES“MATHCUBES” IS AN APP DESIGNED TO ALLOW CHILDREN UP TO THE AGE OF 8 TO LEARN MATH IN AN ENJOYABLE WAY. IT ALLOWS THEM TO FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH NUMBERS AND LAYS A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE MATH. THE APP IS COMPLETELY INTERACTIVE AND DOES NOT REQUIRE READING TEXT IN ORDER TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. THE CHILD SIMPLY PLACES THE “CUBE” WITH THE CORRECT ANSWER IN THE BOX PROVIDED. CRITICAL SKILLS ARE USED AND DEVELOPED AS THE STUDENTS FOLLOW AND COUNT THE PATTERNS OF THE OBJECTS ON THE SCREEN AND SEQUENCE THE OBJECTS TO ARRIVE AT THE CORRECT ANSWER. HOWEVER, THE COLORS, SHAPES, AND SWIFTLY MOVING CUBES ON THE SCREEN HELP TO CAPTURE AND MAINTAIN THE ATTENTION OF THE YOUNG CHILD. WHEN THEY DON’T KNOW AN ANSWER, THEY FOLLOW THE CLUES TO ARRIVE AT THE CORRECT ANSWER. THIS INSTILLS CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ABILITY TO REASON. THE BASIC SKILLS LEARNED USING “MATHCUBES” ARE VITAL TO ANY YOUNG CHILD MATH PROGRAM. ONE OF THE PRIMARY CONCERNS IN TEACHING YOUNG CHILDREN IS THE SOMETIMES DEFICIENT ATTENTION SPAN. WITH THIS APP, THE DIFFICULTY LEVEL CAN BE CHANGED. IT ALLOWS FLEXIBILITY IN MANY WAYS ALTHOUGH THE SIMPLICITY OF THE DESIGN MAKES IT VERY USER FRIENDLY.

QUICK MATH +

“QUICK MATH +” IS THE FOLLOW UP APP TO THE TOP RATED “QUICK MATH” APP. THIS APP IS CENTERED AROUND THE DEVELOPMENT OF MENTAL ARITHMETIC. THE PLAYERS ARE RACING AGAINST TIME TO IMPROVE THEIR SCORE AND EARN STARS TO UNLOCK AVATARS. ALTHOUGH THE APP IS DESIGNED FOR AGES 5-8, IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR ANY PERSON WHO HAS A DESIRE TO IMPROVE THEIR MATH SKILLS AS WELL AS THEIR RESPONSE SPEED TO MATHEMATICAL QUESTIONS. HIGHER LEVEL THINKING SKILLS ARE ADDRESSED THROUGH THE FOUR GAME MODES. STUDENTS SOLVE (USING THE ORDER OF OPERATIONS), MEMORIZE (THEY MUST REMEMBER WHERE THE HIDDEN NUMBERS ARE) , CONQUER (BY DEVELOPING EXCELLENT ESTIMATION SKILLS) AND SWAP (MANY LEVELS PROVIDE A MEMORY AND ORDER OF OPERATIONS CHALLENGE AS ONE NUMBER OR SYMBOLS CHANGES WITH EACH EQUATION). MANY OF THE SKILLS LEARNED THROUGH USING THIS APP ARE VITAL TO STUDENTS IN DEVELOPING MATHEMATICAL FLUENCY AS WELL AS IMPORTANT LIFE MATH SKILLS. “QUICK MATH +”HAS RECEIVED HIGH REVIEWS FOR BEING AN EASY TO USE, FUN, AND EXCITING APP FOR MANY DIFFERENT AGES.

NAIL THAT NOTE“NAIL THAT NOTE” IS AN EXCELLENT APP FOR STUDENTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. THIS APP WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE ADDITION TO THE CONCERT CHOIR CURRICULUM OR ANY HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC THEORY CLASS. IT WOULD ENABLE STUDENTS TO DEVELOP A KEEN SENSE OF PITCH. WHEN SIGHT SINGING OR READING NEW MUSIC, STUDENTS WHO HAVE DEVELOPED RELATIVE PITCH THROUGH YEARS OF MUSIC STUDY HAVE A DEFINITE ADVANTAGE IN ACCOMPLISHING SINGING INTERVALS MORE ACCURATELY. THROUGH THE USE OF THIS APP, ALL STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO DEVELOP THE ABILITY TO RECOGNIZE AND SING SCALES AND INTERVALS WITH MORE ACCURACY AND WITH MUCH MORE CONFIDENCE. THIS APP WOULD INVOLVE HIGHER LEARNING THINKING BY APPLYING THE SKILLS DEVELOPED TO NEW MUSIC BEING TAUGHT IN THE CLASSROOM. THE SKILLS LEARNED USING THIS APP ARE DEFINITELY RELATED TO MATERIAL COVERED IN A HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC THEORY CLASS AS WELL AS TECHNIQUE FOR SIGHT SINGING IN ANY CHOIR SETTING. THE APP IS VERY USER FRIENDLY AND CONTAINS INSTRUCTIONS THAT ARE EASY TO UNDERSTAND.

MEET THEORCHESTRA

“Meet the Orchestra” - learn classical music instruments is an app available in the itunes store. Children learn about the instruments of the orchestra not only by sight, but learn to recognize them by their individual sound (visually & audibly). In addition to learning about the instruments, students are exposed to some of the best examples of music of the master composers like Bach, Mozart, and Chopin. Unlike other apps, these orchestral recordings are done in a professional studio by musicians from a national symphony orchestra. This app helps to develop the child’s musical ear as well as their musical and general memory. The format of the app is composed of two sections: learning and quizzes. During the learning stage, the children are introduced to the instruments of the orchestra.. In the quiz section, they are asked to identify the instruments based on sight and sound. The difficulty accelerates with each level keeping the students engaged.This app would be appropriate for the 3rd-5th grade child. Most elementary school curriculums contain sections on orchestral instruments and classical music. This app would be a very useful tool in reinforcing the content taught in class. Higher level thinking skills include, developing the knowledge and applying that knowledge as they analyze the sight and sound of the instruments to determine their answer. The app is user friendly and contains easy to follow instructions.

THEORY LESSONS

“THEORY LESSONS” IS AN APP AVAILABLE FROM THE ITUNES STORE. IT FEATURES THIRTY NINE MUSIC THEORY LESSONS FROM MUSICTHEORY.NET. THE LESSONS ARE IN THEIR ORIGINAL ANIMATED FORMAT. THIS APP COVERS BASIC MUSIC FUNDAMENTALS AND PROGRESSES THROUGH INTERMEDIATE MUSIC THEORY. IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL OR JUNIOR HIGH STUDENT. “THEORY LESSONS” WOULD BE IDEAL FOR THE JUNIOR HIGH BAND CLASS AS WELL AS GENERAL MUSIC CLASS. SOME STUDENTS ENTER BEGINNER BAND AFTER HAVING STUDIED PIANO OR OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. THESE STUDENTS TYPICALLY CAN READ MUSIC AND HAVE A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF MUSIC. HOWEVER, FOR OTHER STUDENTS, THIS IS THEIR FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH MUSIC AND AN APP LIKE THIS WOULD BE IDEAL FOR REINFORCING THOSE MUSIC FUNDAMENTALS. THIS APP INVOLVES HIGHER LEVEL THINKING SKILLS BECAUSE OF THE SKILLS DEVELOPED THROUGH GAINING KNOWLELDGE AND COMPREHENSION AND APPLYING THIS KNOWLEDGE TO SPECIFIC SONGS AS THE SONGS ARE ANALYZED. THE REVIEWS ARE POSITIVE. THE INFORMATION IS PRESENTED IN A SIMPLE, EASY TO UNDERSTAND FORMAT.

PLANETS“PLANETS” IS AN APP AVAILABLE FROM THE ITUNES STORE. IT INCLUDES 3D GUIDES TO OUR SOLAR SYSTEM. THE REVIEWS FOR THIS APP ARE POSITIVE FROM TEACHERS AND BEGINNING ASTRONOMERS ALIKE. IT IS VERY USER FRIENDLY WITH CONCISE INSTRUCTIONS. “PLANETS” INCLUDES A ROTATING 3D GLOBE OF THE PLANETS AND THE MOON. THIS APP WOULD BE A VERY USEFUL TOOL FOR USE IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE CLASS WHEN TEACHING A UNIT ON THE SOLAR SYSTEM. STUDENTS CAN LOCATE THE PLANETS WITH A FLAT VIEW OF THE SKY IN 2D. IN 3D, THEY ARE ABLE TO HAVE A PLANETARIUM STYLE VIEW OF THE SKY. THERE IS ALSO CONTENT TO INSTRUCT THE USER AS TO TIMES WHEN THE PLANETS ARE VISIBLE. BECAUSE SCIENCE IS A NEW AREA TESTED ON THE BENCHMARK BEGINNING LAST YEAR, THIS WOULD BE A VALUABLE TOOL IN A SCIENCE CLASSROOM.

THE HUMAN BODY

“THE HUMAN BODY” IS AN APP AVAILABLE FROM THE ITUNES STORE. THIS APP IS DESIGNED FOR USE WITH STUDENTS BETWEEN THE AGES OF SIX AND EIGHT.HOWEVER, IN READING THE REVIEWS, ALL AGES HAVE REPORTED ENJOYING THIS USER FRIENDLY APP. IN “THE HUMAN BODY”, EVERY BODY PART IS ANIMATED AND INTERACTIVE. IT IS DESIGNED FOR KIDS TO LEARN ABOUT HUMAN ANATOMY AND HOW THEIR BODIES WORK. SCIENCE IS A NEW CONTENT AREA BEING TESTED ON THE BENCHMARK SO EVEN THE LOWER ELEMENTARY GRADES ARE LEARNING SCIENCE FACTS. BECAUSE OF THIS, “THE HUMAN BODY” WOULD BE A VERY USEFUL TOOL FOR THE ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM TO MAINTAIN CURRICULUM STANDARDS.IN READING THE REVIEWS, THIS APP IS DESCRIBED AS EASY TO USE AND FUN FOR EVERY AGE. THIS APP DOES CONTAIN A PRIVACY POLICY FOR PROTECTION OF THE STUDENTS.

VOCABULARY SPELLING CITY

“VOCABULARYSPELLINGCITY” IS AN APP AVAILABLE ON THE ITUNES STORE. THIS APP IS A WAY FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN SPELLING AND VOCABULARY WORDS BY PLAYING A VARIETY OF GAMES. FOR EXAMPLE ONE GAME READS A WORD ALOUD, USES IT IN A SENTENCE, AND THEN REPEATS THE WORD FOR REINFORCEMENT. ANOTHER GAME INCLUDES MISSING LETTERS FOR THE STUDENT TO FILL IN TO COMPLETE THE WORD. ALPHABETIZE IS AN EXERCISE IN PUTTING WORDS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER WHICH IS A VERY IMPORTANT EARLY LITERACY SKILL. THE ACTIVITIES RANGE IN APPROPRIATENESS FROM KINDERGARTEN TO HIGH SCHOOL WITH A SECTION OF SAT WORDS. LITERACY, WHICH INCLUDES SPELLING, READING, VOCABULARY, ETC. IS AN AREA THAT IS VITAL TO STUDENT SUCCESS THROUGHOUT THEIR EDUCATIONAL CAREER. THEY ARE TESTED ON THE BENCHMARK, SAT 10 AS WELL AS ACT AND HAVING EXCELLENT VOCABULARY SKILLS WILL DEFINITELY ENHANCE THEIR PERFORMANCE ON THESE TESTS. THIS APP INCLUDES A WEALTH OF INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS AT MANY DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL LEVELS. STUDENTS WHO USE THIS APP WILL APPLY HIGHER LEVEL THINKING SKILLS THROUGH LEARNING TO SPEAK, SPELL AND UNDERSTAND THE DEFINITION OF VARIOUS VOCABULARY WORDS AND THEN APPLY WHAT THEY HAVE LEARNED THROUGH WRITING PAPERS AS WELL AS READING BOOKS. THE APP IS USER FRIENDLY.

STORY BUILDER

“STORYBUILDER” FROM THE MOBILE EDUCATION STORE IS AN APP AVAILABLE FROM THE ITUNES STORE. THIS APP IS APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. IT WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT TOOL TO USE IN A LANGUAGE OR LITERACY CLASSROOM. “STORYBUILDER” BEGINS WITH A PICTURE, BASIC QUESTION, OR SIMPLE PROMT AND ALLOWS THE STUDENTS TO BUILD THEIR OWN STORY. IN ONE OF THE ACTIVITIES, THE STUDENT WILL LOOK AT A PICTURE, MAKE AN INFERENCE REGARDING THAT IMAGE, AND WRITE A STORY. BECAUSE OF THE RECORD FEATURE, THEIR STORY CAN BE RECORDED IN THEIR OWN VOICE. THIS APP ENCOURAGES IMAGINATION AS WELL. THE STUDENTS WILL USE HIGHER LEVEL THINKING SKILLS WITH THIS APP BECAUSE OF THE EDUCATIONAL GOALS ESTABLISHED: TO IMPROVE PARAGRAPH FORMATION, TO INTEGRATE IDEAS, AND HIGHER LEVEL ABSTRACTIONS BY INFERENCE. ANOTHER POSSIBLE USE FOR “STORYBUILDER” INCLUDES DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION SKILLS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS. FOR EXAMPLE SOME STUDENTS HAVE USED THIS APP WITH HIGH FUNCTIONING STUDENTS WITH AUTISM. ALL STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO WRITE FROM EARLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THROUGH COLLEGE. DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE WRITING SKILLS AS WELL AS CREATIVITY MAY HELP TO PROMOTE FUTURE EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS.

STACK THE STATES

“STACK THE STATES” IS AN APP AVAILABLE IN THE ITUNES STORE. IT IS DESIGNED FOR USE WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL ( AGES 9-11) STUDENTS. THIS APP WOULD BE A GREAT APP FOR USE WITH ANY MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES CLASS. STUDENTS LEARN TO RECOGNIZE THE SHAPES OF THE STATES AS WELL AS THE CAPITALS, ABBREVIATIONS, FLAGS, AND WHERE THEY ARE LOCATED ON A MAP. WHILE USING THIS APP, STUDENTS WILL ALSO LEARN ABOUT IMPORTANT UNITED STATES LANDMARKS. THE APP INCLUDES ENGAGING ACTIVITIES THAT INCLUDE FUN SOUND EFFECTS, MUSIC AND AN INTERACTIVE MAP. THE REVIEWS ARE POSITIVE WITH PARENTS AND TEACHERS ALIKE COMMENTING ON THE EASE OF USE AND ENJOYABLE FORMAT. “STACK THE STATES” DOES INCLUDE A PRIVACY POLICY.