Tablets: Literacy for Education

Educational iPad App Review

My Spelling Test

What a wonderful app! I will definitely be using this in my future classroom. Instead of spending awhile giving a spelling test to a child, "My Spelling Test" allows the teacher to pre-record the words onto the app along with example sentences if they wish. In this way, the student can take the test on their own. The thing I love the most about this app is that the child can take the test at their own pace.  The child does not have to become bored sitting and waiting for other students to finish spelling. On the other hand, if the student takes longer to spell a word or needs the word given to him again, the teacher does not have to drag out the test for everyone else, and the students can repeat any words that they need. I also think the immediate feedback is so great. The child does not have to wait for his teacher to grade the test; they can see their results immediately and know which ones they spelled wrong and how to spell it correctly. I think this would be especially useful as a center activity where students could practice their spelling lists for the week. Gifted students could even record challenge words to quiz their friends with! It is a great independent app that can be used at home and at school alike.

 

Dictionary

Having a dictionary app is very useful in the classroom. When using a paper dictionary, you need to know exactly how to spell the word you are looking up in order to be able to find it. When using the Dictionary app, however, you can type in how you think the word might be spelled, and it gives you a variety of different words that are closely related to the spelling you chose. I also think that it is a great advantage to have an option to read the word aloud. English Language Learners would definitely benefit from this. Often times, they may look up a new word to know the meaning, but they still may not know how to say it. This gives them the opportunity to hear it said, so they can practice it on their own. There is a quick link that takes users to Thesaurus.com which is another great resource. It is almost like you are getting two apps in one! My favorite feature is the "Word of the Day." As a teacher, I would take advantage of this feature by doing some activities with that word throughout the day and giving points to my students when they use that word correctly in everyday class conversation. This is definitely a necessary app for every classroom. 

ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard

ShowMe is an app that allows users to upload or watch audio/visual tutorials of virtually anything. The app's features are very easy to use and record; children would not have difficulty with this app. This is useful for students who may be struggling in a certain area. They can look up tutorials in any subject and watch how-to videos to help them in their understanding of the topic. This could also be used creatively in the classroom with students pairing up and creating their own tutorials of what they have learned over a unit so that other (younger students) can watch. It lets them take ownership of what they have learned by becoming the teacher. 

Strip Designer

Strip Designer allows students to be their own comic book authors and illustrators. Students can upload images or even draw their own images. Users can add speech bubbles, experiment with fonts and colors, and essentially make it their own piece. This is a great creative project that students can use individually or even with a partner. When students are learning about different genres, they can learn about comics, write their own, and then transform them into masterpieces on this app.