The wave of the future is here, especially for education. Terms like 21st Century Computing, BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), and Cloud Computing are mainstream. The introduction of mobile devices, iPods, netbooks, and more specifically, the iPad, has brought technology to more students than ever before. A one-to-one computing environment is not only a possibility, but also a reality in more school districts than people realize. With all that being said, below are some of my favorite sites for finding educational apps.
- Mac App Store - Probably the most comprehensive list of apps around. This application from Apple is the ideal place to find and purchase apps. Works on Snow Leopard OS and above.
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Best Apps for Kids - Wonderful site that does a great breakdown of an educational app, with reviews done on a scale of one through five. Offers readers advice on whether they should purchase the app or not.
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Apps in Education - Nice collection of iPad apps that are reviewed by subject. These reviews are brief and to the point.
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I Education Apps Review - Designed as a community effort of reviews posted by a variety of users. There are even student reviews to give a unique perspective on the use of an app.
Apps for Digital Storytelling
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Voice Thread App - A great free iPad/iPhone app that compliments the Voice Thread very nicely for storytelling. A user can manage their Voice Thread account as well as make digital stories by uploading photos and drawing/recording their voice.
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Story Patch - Is a iPad app ($2.99) that is ideal for digital storytelling. A person can create a story from scratch or use one of their well designed templates to complete all the parts of a story.
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Puppet Pals - A excellent free iPad app that lets users create a story by adding characters or their own photos to a selected background. Once the scene is a setup a person can move the characters around while recording their voice.
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Strip Designer - An app ($2.99) similar to Comic Life for the iPad/iPhone/iPod. A user can create a digital comic by selecting a layout, adding pics, and then stickers and speech bubbles to enhance their digital story.
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Comic Book - Another digital comic creator app ($1.99) for the iPad/iPhone/iPod that is similar to Strip Designer. A person selects their layout, adds their photos, select some effects/stickers/speech bubbles for their finished product.
David Kapuler is an educational consultant with more than 10 years of experience working in the K-12 environment. For more information about his work, contact him at [email protected] and read his blog at cyber-kap.blogspot.com.