Chapter One Apps Corner Apps Corner is designed for teachers and other educators who are looking for innovative ways to integrate apps into their content-specific curriculum. Apps Corner not only provides great apps with current information but also shows how other educators are using and integrating education apps. As a result, Apps Corner is designed with all educators in mind, regardless of their interests or subject area. You can use Apps Corner to expand your resources by reviewing apps outside your curriculum area; remember many apps associated with one curriculum area can be adapted for use and added to lesson plans in a wide variety of other curriculum areas. Use Apps Corner as a springboard for collaborating and sharing the successes and hurdles of integrating apps in a classroom or an entire school system. Consider Apps Corner a place to locate app integration ideas and resources. Information on educational apps are organized in four Corners (Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School, and Secondary), and different apps are available for each chapter. Many apps are free, others cost from $1 to $5. Inexpensive site licenses for classrooms, schools, and school districts are available for many apps.
Early Childhood
1. Nursery Rhymes with StoryTime This app is a magical book that allows children to play with Humpty Dumpty, Jack & Jill, Three Blind Mice and other classic nursery rhyme characters. It includes a feature called StoryTime which lets you read the book to a loved one from anywhere in the world.
2. Intro to Letters by Montessorium Help your child learn to trace, read, write, and pronounce letters and phonograms using the proven methodology of Montessori. A special recording section helps your children learn sounds, phonograms, and names.
3. Tic Tac Math Universal Kids love Tic Tac Math Universal because it’s a game that they know how to play and it’s fun. Parents and teachers understand that a game that is fun, familiar and educational. This unique app combines the time-tested and kid approved favorite Tic Tac Toe game with math equations for an educationally fun experience.
4. LETTERS A TO Z This app is a simple and quiet alphabet sequence. At first glance it looks like you’re only going to get letters on a card, but don’t forget to touch the letters and the pictures. The letters will be read to you and the pictures have a bit of animation.
Elementary
1. NSF Science360 The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Science360 provides easy access to engaging science and engineering images and video from around the globe. Content is either produced by NSF or gathered from scientists, colleges and universities, and NSF science and engineering centers.
2. The Ruler This app allows you to measure things by using your finger to drag the marker across the screen. Actual dimensions will be instantly displayed in centimeters or inches! Tap the screen twice to save the size, and to view it again later. The ruler will work in both portrait and landscape.
3. Stack the States Stack the States is a geography quiz game in which users are asked trivia questions (e.g. What state's capital is Austin?) about U.S. states. When responding correctly, users drop the state onto the bottom of the screen, attempting to stack the states beyond a line about a third of the way up. When the line is reached, users are awarded a state as a prize.
4. Math Magic Remember flashcards? Well, think of this app like interactive flashcards that are a bit more visually appealing than tattered index cards. Math Magic frames addition, subtraction, and division problems like a game to engage young learners.
Middle School
1. Periodic Table of Elements With this application, one can look up information on 117 different elements. Scroll through all the symbols, signs, meanings, and gain a better understanding of all that is included on the periodic table. This vibrant app uses great colors to help students retain this science standard.
2. Reader Trainer Practice your reading skills and WPM! This app provides everything you need to read texts of all types faster, more effectively and, most importantly, with better retention. The ideal app to double your reading speed while improving your retention at the same time.
3. iBooks This app is an amazing way to download and read books. iBooks includes the iBookstore, where you can download the latest best-selling books or your favorite classics – day or night. Browse your library on a beautiful bookshelf, tap a book to open it, flip through pages with a swipe or a tap, and bookmark or add notes to your favorite passages.
4. Britannica Kids: Volcanoes Volcanoes are an awesome display of the Earth’s power. Explore them interactively with this app and learn about the world’s major volcanoes and their eruptions, lava, plate tectonics, and much more. Learn and play at the same time through a variety of games like Memory Match, Jigsaw Puzzles, and the Magic Square among others.
Secondary
1. Science Glossary This app is a glossary of scientific terms and short biographies that support science educational standards. Though geared for high school and undergraduate students, the glossary and modules are appropriate for anyone generally interested in science.
2. Frog Dissection Instead of a real scalpel, and a slippery, formaldehyde-reeking amphibian that you dread slicing into, you can now dissect a virtual frog. The virtual frog is complete with pins to hold down the limbs, a marker to identify where you'll make the cut, scissors to open up the abdomen, and forceps and scalpel to prod and poke at the internal organs. Audio guides you through the dissection.
3. SpaceTime This app is a graphing calculator with over 200 functions. Graph 2D function, parametric, polar, vector field, implicit and contour plots with our powerful 2D graphing calculator. Move, pinch and trace 2D graphs in real-time.
4. Dictionary The Dictionary app delivers trusted reference content from Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com. This app includes nearly 2,000,000 words, definitions, synonyms and antonyms. It also features audio pronunciation, voice-to-text search and Dictionary.com’s popular Word of the Day and Hot Word blog.