This question has been asked by many different people over the years. Some people think this is just a joke. Others ignore it as nonsense. Others think of this as a debate between science and religion. Still others sit and really think critically about this question. I find myself among the people in the last group.
App Title: Frog Dissection
Developer Website: Emantras
iTunes Link: Click Here
Purpose: B-
Program Functionality: B
Overall Educational Value: C+
Explanation: A great first attempt at a virtual lab on the iPad. The app functions flawlessly as a simple dissection simulator, but lacks a few features that would make this app reign supreme and set the bar for all other iPad science lab apps in the future.
Introduction
A few months ago I read a book called Cats: The Nine Lives of Innovation by Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D. I had actually read it in hopes of gaining inspiration for some ideas for new inventions or to further refine some ideas I have had floating around in my head. However, this past week I have been attending some training at the Summer Seminar as part of the EAST Initiative. Something that was stressed over and over during the various training sessions was the need to be innovative and to break out of the mold of the status quo.
It has been a while since I have written much about my opinion of the iPad. Lately though, I have been thinking a lot about the possibilities of the iPad in education, particularly at the preschool level.
Scientia potentia est is a Latin maxim originally stated by Francis Bacon. The literal meaning of the phrase is “for also knowledge itself is power”, or more commonly paraphrased today as “knowledge is power.” Never has this statement been more true than today.
I came across a great resource for K-6 teachers, or even middle school teachers who have students who read below grade level. This FREE resource is FreeReading.
FreeReading.net is an open-source resource with ideas and lessons on how to help struggling students learn to read. If you are looking for more ways to help struggling students, you might want to check out FreeReading. With it being completely free, it is definitely worth checking out.
App Title: BrainPOP Featured Movie
Developer Website: BrainPOP
iTunes Link: Click Here
Purpose: B
Program Functionality: C+
Overall Educational Value: C+
Explanation: The lack of control of the content of the featured movie and the ability to track the performance of individual students makes it difficult to use the BrainPOP app successfully in the classroom. However, the videos are of high quality and do merit some value.
May
It’s the end of the school year. Your students are anxious for the summer break, and you are even more anxious than they are! The high stakes tests are over and there is not enough time left to start another big project. For some students and teachers, they immediately begin thinking “MOVIE TIME”! Watching movies are passive and do not engage students in any real form of learning though, and many administrators and parents frown upon this practice.
App Title: Outliner for iPad
Developer Website: CarbonFin
iTunes Link: Click Here
Grade Level: MS, HS, College
Purpose: A+
Program Functionality: A+
Overall Educational Value: A+
Cost: $4.99
Description / Recommendation:
Have you ever needed to make a shopping list, to-do list, check list, organize your thoughts, etc.? If you have ever needed to do any of these things (and what person hasn’t needed to do at least one of these things on more than one occasion), then you need to check out “Outliner for iPad”.
I apologize to my regular readers for not updating my blog in a while. Last week was the state’s high stakes testing and I had to proctor the test to a class of sixth graders, even though I don’t teach them. They were short on teachers last week for some reason. But if you’ve ever proctored state tests before, you know how tiresome they can be. Because of that, I have taken some needed time for some R and R. This gave me a great opportunity to play with my iPad some more though. And let me tell you again just how awesome it is!
