The Best and Worst of Classroom Apps

Ipads in classrooms.

This seems to be a common trend within modern elementary schools, and one that is cheaper than smartboards and laptops, and possibly more effective. My question is, which apps should teachers use with students? Here are some of the best and worst I could find:

Best:

TOONTASTIC

"Lights, Camera, Play! Toontastic is a storytelling and creative learning tool that enables kids to draw, animate, and share their own cartoons with friends and family around the world through simple and fun imaginative play! With over 2 million cartoons created in over 150 countries, parents and teachers rave about the app... and kids can't stop creating! Making cartoons with Toontastic is as easy as putting on a puppet show - simply press the record button, move your characters onscreen, and tell your story. Toontastic records your animation and voice as a cartoon video to share with friends and family on ToonTube, the app's global storytelling network for kids."

Now, this description just speaks for itself. An app that utilizes a child's creativity and unique thoughts rather than replacing it. I am going to look into this app and try it out myself.

GRAPHITE

"Fun pictures and prompts are great for getting kids to start writing"

I love this! One of my biggest fears is getting into the classroom and not being able to improvise things like this... A free write is always a great way for students to express themselves using writing skills and this is a great way to prompt them.

GRAMMAROPOLIS

Animated parts-of-speech app enlivens grammar lessons

Let's face it... grammar is boring. I don't remember many grammar lessons from school except for one where our teacher showed us a cartoon with a catchy song about conjunctions.. "conjunction junction, what's your function.. if and but or, what are they for...." I will never forget it. Catchy songs and characters to spark that visual aspect are a great way to teach "blah" grammar lessons.

HOPSCOTCH

"Hopscotch is still a favorite for us. We talked about this last time, but it's still free, and they've added so many new features for both building and sharing that we can't imagine it not being at the top of our list. The block coding makes it easy for early readers to program, but the complexity keeps it engaging and challenging for older students, too. Users can create games, stories, interactive art, apps, and more!"

Well, I chose this one simply out of curiosity. Is it true that children can learn how to CODE something simply through an app? Children?! This is where I begin to feel very old, don't you need to learn binary to code??!!... Sigh. I think this will be the subject of my next blog post.

Worst:

DOODLE BUDDY

"Doodle Buddy Gold is the most fun you can have with your finger! Finger paint with your favorite colors and drop in playful stamps. Connect with a friend to draw together over the Internet."

THis is a quote from a website encouraging the use of Doodle Buddy in classrooms. My reaction... WHAT?!

Arts and crafts are one of the many beautiful outlets children get to experience in school. By dipping their fingers in paint and slapping it onto a piece of paper, children get the means to express themselves. They can bring this piece of art home to a parent, give it to a friend or hang it in their room, and even if they aren't happy with the art they have created (which they usually are..) they still gained the motor skills and visual stimulation that comes with art work. Why would we take this away and replace it with an iPad?

BRAINPOP JR. MOVIE OF THE WEEK

"BrainPOP Jr. Movie of the Week app spans subjects within Science, Social Studies, Reading, Writing, Math, Health, Arts and Technology. The gentle, humorous, and relatable characters Annie and Moby serve as guides through each topic, empowering kids to form their own ideas. BrainPOP Jr. content is designed to cultivate critical thinking skills and encourage children to ask questions and make connections."

Now, this app isn't so bad.. It allows children to see education in a playful way, and to follow characters through a world of subjects, encouraging them to think and learn.. The only thing is, isn't this the job of a teacher? Putting this into a classroom would put us teachers OUT of the classroom.. would it not?

I've sure got a lot of catching up to do on technology. Now I know what my parents feel like...

-Jen

Sources:

http://elearningindustry.com/15-free-must-have-ipad-apps-for-elementary-students

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/coding-for-kids-revisited-anna-adam

https://www.graphite.org/top-picks/best-1-to-1-ipad-apps-for-elementary-school