Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Teaching News

Teaching News

10 Great iOS Apps for Education

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 11:00 AM PDT

With the recent release of the new iPad, I thought that it might be nice to review a selection of apps that can be used in education. Here are 10 that I’ve found recently:

1) The Land of Me – This delightful app begins by letting you choose the different features of a story. It will then tell the story with text, audio and animations based on the items that were selected. You can even change the words of the story as it goes along.

2) It Was a Cold, Dark Night – Collins Education have produced this great interactive story. You can have the story read to you or read it yourself and there is also a ‘Story Creator’ option which lets you choose backgrounds, objects, characters and text for each scene and record your own audio / narration. It’s a wonderful way for children to recreate the story in the app, make an alternative version or even create a brand new one. There are also tips for parents / teachers with tips to support children with reading and get the most out of the app.

3) Countdown – This impressive app features the games from the popular Countdown TV show. These include the letters game, the numbers game (which I use in my Maths lessons!) and the final Countdown Conundrum! You can play 1 player and 2 player games, with short and long games depending on how much time you have available.

4) Little Fox Music Box – This singalong app has beautiful illustrations (with lots of interactive elements) and three children’s songs to join in with. There is a karaoke mode so that you can sing yourself, as well as a music studio which lets you create your own song for Little Fox to dance along with!

5) abc Joined Up – This cursive handwriting app was designed by a Literacy AST and would be a great addition to the classroom. There are options to support children with their writing of individual letters, joined letters and whole words. It also helps children with their knowledge of sounds and reading.

6) Barefoot World Atlas – This incredible 3D globe lets children explore different parts of the world and find out live country facts and weather information. It’s a great way of discovering more about our planet and the people and places on it.

7) Photoshop Touch – Photoshop is an incredibly popular photo editing tool for desktop and laptop computers. This iPad version is specifically designed for the tablet and features lots of powerful tools and effects to help you to improve your photographs. The built-in tutorials are great for schools as they guide pupils through the different features of the program, showing them how to transform their photos in a few easy steps.

8 ) It’s Time for Carrots-  This interactive picture book is designed to entertain and engage the younger reader into making healthy eating choices for the future. It has a great story and it’s also a great resource for those taking part in International Carrot Day on April 4th!

9) King of Math – This Maths game is available as a free app offering Addition, Subtraction and Mixed questions. A cheap in-app purchase provides lots of other question types, including multiplication, division, fractions, equations and more. It’s a great way of encouraging children to practise their maths skills and compare scores with friends and players around the world.

10) Survival – This app features a series of quick-fire mini games to raise awareness among children about some of the world's most endangered animals. It has lots of stunning photos and allows children to play with friends and families to see who can get the best score.

Do you use iPod / iPads in the classroom? What are your favourite iOS apps?