Must-Have Apps for Education -- Robbie Melton
How will the app be used:
In making decisions about how I might use the app educationally, I use the following criteria as my guide.
1. Can this app be used by the Instructor in and outside of class for personal, professional development, and course use in the form of presenting information?
2. Can this app be used by the Instructor and student as a normal part of learning and interacting with course materials, student-to-student, and instructor-to-student?
3. Can this app be used by the student to learn and submit assignments?
4. Can this app be used by anyone of any age group as a drill and practice exercise to improve practice and improve skills or for learning and information purposes?
My must-have apps for instructors by academic discipline include:
English
o Essay Workstation – Students can learn how to write different types and styles of essays inside the app while at the same time they are writing their respective essay for submission. Once the essay is written, students can submit their written essay directly to the instructor.
o Grammar App – Students can learn basic grammar rules, engage in drill and practice exercise games, take a test, and have their progress recorded for review.
o Lit Analysis – This tool provides students with the definition, description, and examples of the meaning of words used in the analysis of poetry, prose, and rhetoric.
o Concept Mapping & Brainstorming –
Inspiration App
iBrainstorm App
o Idioms – Many non-native speaking students and a number of native speaking students do not know what an idiom is or how it became a part of American culture and language. The apps displayed below are excellent in stating the idiom, describing what it means, and providing information on how the idiom came about.
Idioms Pro App created by Webrich Software
Idioms in Use App
English Idioms Dictionary with Sound
Math Apps
o Showme – An interactive whiteboard that you can write and record both audio narration and content that is written on the whiteboard. After saving the recorded session, the instructor can e-mail a link to the recording for the student playback. Our online Math faculty members love this app because it quickly allows them to narrate a response to student questions while working out each step of the problem. No more math equation editors to worry about.
o Math Formulas – A reference guide to math formulas in the area algebra, geometry, calculus, trigonometry, probability and statistics, and unit conversions. Examples are provided for each formula.
o Algebra Course Assistant by Wolfram Labs – This app provides explanation and examples on how to evaluate, solve, plot, expand, and factor algebraic and analytic geometry equations.
o Precalculus Course Assistant by Wolfram Labs – This app focusing on providing explanation and examples for Precalculus equations.
o MathApp – This provides examples and explanation on the area of geometry. After learning about the topic, students can elect to take a quiz on each topic area.
o FlashToPass Math Flash Cards – This is app provides timed drill and practice exercises on addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Social Science
o US History Timeline – This app provides historical information on events, people, territories, and the world as it occurred on a timeline starting at 40,000 BC – the year 2011.
o Presidents by the Number – Provides information on the office of the President, Vice President, Cabinet, Supreme Court, Declaration of Independence, Constitution, America Wars, and other related topics. Video clips of the Presidents along with quizzes are also included.
o The American Presidency – Provides photographs along with specific information on each President from Washington to Obama.
o MyCongress – Provides information on Congress by state, party, chamber, and name of person in office. Contact information on how to reach each person in office as well as recent news event, video clips, and twitter feeds about the individual.
o Political TV – An app that list and connects you to all of the political TV shows that currently air across television networks to include cable broadcast.
o ShowOfHands – a really fun app that ask poll questions and immediately displays your response result as it is compared with others by state and national results.
Science
o VideoScience by ScienceHouse – This app features a host of experiments demonstrated on video by a Science Teacher.
o Mighty Microbes – Stunning 3D visuals and information are provided in index form by organisms and diseases from A-Z.
o Cell and Cell Structure – Facts, interactive activities, and video clips are provided on a endless variety of cells and cell structures. Excellent visuals.
o The Elements – Detailed information and visuals about each chemical element on the periodic table.
o Muscle and Bone Anatomy by Real Bodywork– Excellent app depicting the detailed description labeling all aspects of the human body. Animations, video clips, 3D images, and quizzes are provided.
o Apps are also available from Real Bodyworks titled Skeletal 3D, Organs, and Anatomy Quiz.
Health Careers & Nursing
o Handbook of Nursing Diagnosis by Unbound – Nursing diagnosis information for types of conditions that exist are indexed from A-Z.
o Diagnosis Pro – Diagnosis of conditions are presented as it relates to information provided on typical patient history, physical exam findings, and other related patient results.
Assistive Learning Apps
o Proloquo2Go – App that assist individuals with speaking via the iPad who are unable to verbally communicate.
o Sign4Me – This app could be used to teach sign language. Users enter a phrase or word and an animated character demonstrates how to sign the phrase or word. The view of the character can be adjusted to see how to sign the phrase or word from different visual angles and perspectives.
o Dexteria by BinaryLabs – This app is an engaging interactive daily practice drill to assist individuals with improving their fine motor skills.
o SpeechTutor – Teaches individuals how to pronounce each letter of the alphabet by visually demonstrating the audio pronunciation from the frontal and side view of the face and mouth region.
o Autism Apps – Is an app that provides information on autism apps available by category and challenge to address.
Music & Art
o Discovr Music – App that allows you to explore and sample different genres of music. The user is prompted to enter an artist name. Once the name has been entered a spider map appears containing a visual link to samples of the artist music along with visual links to the names of related artist with similar styles in that genre. You simply double click on each visual link to learn more about the artist and listen to samples of their music. This is an excellent app that can be used by instructors teaching an introductory music appreciation course.
o NPR Music – If you are familiar with NPR (National Public Radio), imagine NPR focused on music. This is another way to introduce and discuss current topics and issues in music to students enrolled in an introductory music appreciation type course. This app contains video clip performances and audio commentary.
o ArtPuzzle – a fun way to learn more about artist and view their work. The app is setup as an art gallery. You click on the artwork to learn about the artist. After studying the art piece, you can touch a button to grapple the art work into a puzzle and try and place the puzzle pieces together. Once the pieces are placed back together again in correct order, you can now move forward to the next art work being displayed. It’s a fun way of learning about art.
o Collections – consist of art work collections from around the world.
o Doceri - provides you an environment where you can express yourself visually using this app.
Other apps
o Skype or ooVoo apps – Can be used to schedule virtual office hour discussions and meetings with students on the go.
o Socrative – A free app that allows instructors to poll students on questions in which they can respond using a variety of smart devices. This information can be displayed on a large screen for further class discussion. Similar to the clicker system concept minus the purchase of clickers.
o App Tracker – tracks and list apps that go on sale
o VDictation or Dragon Dictation – captures what you are saying and types the information into the app.
o AroundMe – Allows the user to enter an address and search to locate businesses and restaurants near the address.
o LogmeIn – allows the user to access files from computers located remotely and display this information on their iPad.
Apps to allow for comparing the extent of the depth of reporting of the same news topic
o BBC News – British Television News
o NBC News
o CNN
o PBS
o Flipboard
o Fluent News
o News Pro
o USA Today
o Pulse News
o 60 Minutes
o StumbleUpon
o Hitpad