Motion Math

First there was Motion Math.  Then Motion Math: Zoom.  Now the family has grown to include Motion Math: Hungry Fish and Motion Math: Wings.  Each game explores different math concepts in a way that takes great advantage of the iPod/iPad motion sensor and touch controls.  All of them are either free or offer a free lite version.  Full versions aren’t that much more expensive (0.99 to 6.99).  These games are on the better end of the math game scale, as they develop conceptual understanding through the use of visual representations of concepts and go much further beyond the math drill digital worksheet that many apps are.

1,000 Apple Apps for Education (and growing)

Go to this website to get a link to a Google document that has a thousand apps sorted by subject and price.  The file is entirely clickable and takes you directly to each app’s iTunes page where you can get more info about it.  Wasn’t it nice of Texas to do this for us?

Special Education Apps

iPhone, iPad and iPod touch Apps for (Special) Educationhttp://www.scribd.com/embeds/24470331/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-1ad4mmq74lp5tqgx1ms4

Inspire to Create

Check out this brief blurb about the importance of creativity and innovation.

What have your students CREATED lately?

It’s Their World, We Only Live In It

We all know the potential of technology for our students’ learning, as this article points out.  But note, it isn’t the technology itself that improves student achievement, but purposeful, planned usage with good decision making and assessment on the teachers’ behalf.  As Ian Jukes mentioned in the post I pulled this from, “with the right tech, the right approach, and the right assessment and feedback practices, great things can and will happen in our classrooms.” 

view the original source for this post

Study Claims iPad Helps Rise in Literacy for Kindergarteners

A study conducted in Auburn, Maine suggests that the iPad may be able to improve literacy rates among kindergarten students, notes The Loop. The Auburn School Department recently assigned iPads to half of the district’s 16 kindergarten classes for a period of nine weeks. This translated into 129 students being taught with iPads, and 137 without; to gauge results, all of the students were tested before and after the trial.

In the end, the classes using iPads are said to have outperformed the ones without them in every literacy metric used. The ASD is, however, reported to have put special effort into the project. “The objective has to be learning, not just getting the technology out there,” says the Department’s Multiple Pathways Leader, Mike Muir. “We are paying attention to app selection and focused on continuous improvement — we aren’t just handing equipment to teachers.”

He claims that many educational institutions have not put in enough effort. “Too many innovative programs don’t prioritize their own research, and even if they collect observations and stories later, they don’t make the effort to do a randomized control trial, like we did,” he argues. “We wanted to make sure we could objectively examine the contribution of the iPads.”

Sue Dorris, the principal at East Auburn Community School, comments that the Department is seeing “high levels of student motivation, engagement and learning in the iPad classrooms.” While the exact apps used are unmentioned, they are said to “teach and reinforce fundamental literacy concepts and skills,” and be “engaging” while providing kids with immediate feedback. They can be customized to suit each child, letting people learn at different rates.

A Simple List, Sure To Grow

10 Educational iPad Apps Recommended by Explore Knowledge Academy

From wire service reports
http://www.eschoolnews.com

When Explore Knowledge Academy has its grand opening celebration in March 2012, it will become the first “iSchool” in Nevada, with a 1-to-1 ratio of iPad tablets to students.

EKA students as young as kindergartners use the iPad to learn traditional subjects in math, English, social studies, and science. (To read about their experience, click here.)

Here are the 10 iPad applications used by educators at the public charter school and recommended for other schools and families with iPads.

BrainPop

BrainPOP is a subscription-based application that brings 750 or more movies and quizzes in science, math, social studies, English, engineering, art, and health to the iPad. Users can watch an animated movie on a particular subject and then test their knowledge by taking an interactive quiz. The iPad application is free, but it costs between $1.99 and $6.99 per student, per month to access education materials.

Cell and Cell Structure

Cell and Cell Structure is a graphic application that teaches middle school students about cells, cell structure, and function. Users can view 3D interactive graphics on different cell types and parts, take quizzes to test their knowledge, and use flashcards to review and memorize information. Videos also give users a microscopic view of the cell. The app costs $2.99 in the App Store.

ConjuVerb

ConjuVerb is a foreign language application that allows students to look up more than 600 commonly used Spanish verbs and their conjugations. Quizzes and flashcards help students memorize and test their knowledge. It’s free in the App Store.

Dinopedia

Dinopedia is a reference guide created by National Geographic for dinosaur connoisseurs. Students can look up more than 700 dinosaur types using the application and get audio pronunciations, vital statistics, size comparison, and videos about each of the dinosaurs. A visual table of contents and an interactive family tree allow students to quickly search for their favorite dinosaurs. It costs $4.99 in the App Store.

Discover

Discover is a reference application for the iPad that repurposes Wikipedia articles for the tablet user. It’s free in the App Store.

Math Bingo

Math Bingo is an educational iPad game modeled after bingo. Elementary school students try to get five “Bingo Bugs” in a row by correctly answering math problems. Scores are determined by how fast students complete a game, and students are assessed a two-second penalty for every incorrect answer. It costs 99 cents in the App Store.

Math Drills

Math Drills is an educational application that tests up to 50 students in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Students can use number lines, wooden blocks, facts, and hints to solve problems. Teachers can view an individual student’s scores and test history to see which concepts need to be reviewed. The app costs $1.99 in the App Store.

Penultimate

Penultimate is a handwriting and note-taking application for the iPad. Students can scribble notes on digital pages and sort them into notebooks. They can also import photos into the application and annotate them. It costs 99 cents in the App Store.

Scientific Graphic Calculator

Scientific Graphic Calculator is a math application for the iPad that allows students to solve math problems needing a scientific calculator or a graphing calculator. The application also contains a triangle solver, which solves for a missing side or angle in geometry problems. Students can also use a unit converter and a constants reference to complete math problems. It costs $1.99 in the App Store.

Word Wizard

Word Wizard is a spelling application for the iPad that allows students to hear sounds of letters and words using an interactive alphabet. The application also provides a spelling quiz with more than 1,400 questions and answers. Elementary school students can tap on alphabetic or QWERTY keyboards. It costs $2.99 in the App Store.

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