App Spotlight: StoryKit

StoryKit is an app that's available for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. It allows users to create stories that they can anonymously upload to the StoryKit server. Here's a brief look at StoryKit:

Ideas for the classroom

Individual students: Students could use StoryKit to create and share stories.

Small groups: Students could work in groups to create stories using StoryKit.

Whole class instructions: Students can create stories as a class in exploring parts of a story or other instruction.

Tip: StoryKit has some built in public domain books that children can remix.

Caution: Remind students about privacy and security with respect to posting information online.

Quick Facts

Description: Students can create stories or remix stories.
Cost: Free
Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/storykit/id329374595?mt=8
Grade Levels: K-12
Groupings: individual, small group, whole class

App Spotlight: Pulse News

Pulse is an App the lets you add content from news sources to match your interests. You can also add feeds from your Google Reader into the app. To add content, you can use an RSS feed, browse sources in the app or search for feeds using keywords from within the app. You may have up to five "pages" of content and each page can have a maximum of 12 sources. The app is available for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch. Here's a video review that demonstrates the app:

Ideas for the classroom

Individual students/small groups: Students could look up news stories for current events. Sites like Time for Kids and News Bites from National Geographic has content aimed at children. Popular news sites like BBC, CNN, and Aljazeera can also be added.

Whole class instruction: News can be used to generate writing prompts, topics for inquiry, articles for analysis, etc.

Tip: Pulse summarizes some of the articles so that readers may use this determine whether or not to read the entire article.

Caution: Because any content with an RSS feed can be added, it's important to use good filters, including the human (teacher) filter.

Quick Facts

Description: News from many sources all in one place.
Cost: Free
Link: iPad: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pulse-news-for-ipad/id371088673?mt=8; iPod Touch/iPhone: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pulse-news-for-iphone/id377594176?mt=8 
Grade Levels: Upper Elementary and up
Groupings: Individual, small group, whole class

App Spotlight: Puppet Pals

Puppet Pals lets users create stories and scenes using characters, sound and movement on an iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Puppet Pals HD is only available for the iPad. The video below is a demo of the Puppet Pals app.

Ideas for the classroom

Individual students: Students can create digital stories and scenes to show scenarios, explore solutions, demonstrate understanding of concepts. Puppet Pals allows students to be at the heart of creation.

Small groups: Students can do tasks in a collaborative way using Puppet Pals. Each student can play the role of a character in their creation.

Tip: Puppet Pals has a few backgrounds and characters available. Additional characters and backgrounds can be bought in the app or added using the camera.

Caution: Be careful with logged in accounts in the App Store as purchases can be made in app.

Quick Facts

Description: Create scenes with sound, movement and characters.
Cost: Free, with pay add-ons
Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/puppet-pals-hd/id342076546?mt=8
Grade Levels: K-12
Groupings: individual, small group

Links

• http://www.ipadsforeducation.vic.edu.au/education-apps/apps/38-puppet-pals from the Government of Victoria
• http://www.tme.ie/tablet-apps-in-education/2011/6/2/puppet-pals.html
• http://www.mindleaptech.com/language-arts/puppet-pals/

App Spotlight: Easybib

Easybib is an app that's available for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. It allows users to scan a barcode on a book to quickly create citations using MLA, APA or Chicago format.

Ideas for the classroom

Individual students: The online Easybib website is very useful for creating bibliographies. Students can now use this app to quickly create citations without having to type in the information..

Tip: A classroom Easybib account may be useful if this app is being used with younger children.

Caution: It is always a good idea for children to do a visual scan of the citation/bibliography to confirm format and completeness.

Quick Facts

Description: Scan a book's barcode to quickly create a citation for it.
Cost: Free
Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/easybib/id436768184?mt=8
Grade Levels: Upper Elementary +
Groupings: Individual

App Spotlight: Screen Chomp

ScreenChomp is an iPad app for creating videos with sound by working on a digital whiteboard. For the style of videos, think of RSA or Khan Academy. Here's a brief demo inserted from youtube:

Ideas for the classroom:

Individual students: Students could use ScreenChomp to create tutorials or explanations.

Small groups: Students can present explanations or tutorials to peers making use of videos created with ScreenChomp. Students can collaborate on ScreenChomp creations, taking turns with drawing, and speaking.

Whole class instructions: Teachers could record presentations in ScreenChomp and make them available to students to review instructions/processes/explanations.

Tip: Only one background can be placed in each screencast.

Caution: Ensure that students are following the school's acceptable/responsible use policy in the information that they provide in the screencast if videos will be uploaded to web hosting sites.

Quick Facts

Description: Create screencasts with sound and images created on a digital whiteboard.
Cost: Free
Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/screenchomp/id442415881?mt=8
Grade Levels: K-12
Groupings: individual, small group, whole class


More information

• http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/mac/easy-whiteboarding-with-screenchomp-for-ipad/1324
• http://www.labnol.org/internet/khan-academy-style-videos/19875/

App Spotlight: Idea Sketch

Idea Sketch is an app that lets you create diagrams from outlines and outlines from diagrams. Diagram may be concept maps, mind maps or flowcharts. The app runs on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Ideas for the classroom:

Individual students: Students could use Idea Sketch to create mind maps, concept maps or flow charts  for brainstorming, for planning systems, papers, or events, and to show connections between ideas. 

Small groups: Students can do the same activities as in individual use while sharing an iDevice, especially for collaborative work.

Whole class instructions: This app is useful for whole class brainstorms, and planning, for teacher modelling of mapping or planning, 

Tip: Copy diagrams created in Idea Sketch to any other program on your device.

Caution: Idea Sketch allows connection with Facebook.

Quick Facts

Description: Create diagram and outlines.
Cost: Free
Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/idea-sketch/id367246522?mt=8
Grade Levels: K-12
Groupings: all


Links

• http://www.ipadsforeducation.vic.edu.au/education-apps/apps/22-idea-sketch with ideas for iPad use in the classroom from Victorian government in Australia
• http://educationaltech-med.blogspot.com/2011/05/sketch-free-brainstorming-and-mind.html Educational technology blog
• http://ieducationappsreview.ning.com/profiles/blogs/idea-sketch?xg_source=activity from the iEducation Apps Review

App Spotlight: Noterize

Noterize is an app that's available for the iPad. It allows users to take notes, and annotate notes and documents. Watch the video for an overview of what you can do with Noterize.

Ideas for the classroom

Individual students: Students could use Noterize to take class notes, for annotating and highlighting documents and sharing it with the teacher through Google docs or Dropbox, and for quick notes in the form of stickies.

Small groups: Students could give feedback to each other for peer editing using Noterize. Students could also share documents from Noterize to each other via e-mail, Dropbox or Google docs.

Whole class instructions: A teacher could model proofreading, editing, or other skills related to writing.

Tip: Noterize has a number of features that make it a useful productivity app. Try it yourself to determine its usefulness in your classroom.

Caution: Make sure that students are using authorized accounts if connecting Noterize to the cloud.

Quick Facts

Description: Create notes, or annotate documents.
Cost: Free
Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/noterize/id364906681?mt=8
Grade Levels: Upper Elementary +
Groupings: Individual, small group, whole class