Mobile Apps
For Use in Grade 10 - 12 Math Science and Social Classes
Schoology
Description: This is a learning Management System application. Student can be managed, assignments can be posted, and students can submit the assignment on this LMS as well. Students can also interact with each other for class discussion and collaboration. The discussion tool is threaded so students can respond to the responses of others for a post.
Cost: Free
How it can be used in the class: I would use this as my Learning Management System in my Math class. I can post assignments, and students can submit them right back to me when they are done. I can mark them fast and they get them back as soon as possible. This provides them with quick feedback and the areas they are struggling with. I can also use it to facilitate class discussion. I feel this will help me build community in my class. Students can reply to posts and to responses to the posts.
Since I am a Math major I would not mind trying out the "Flipped Classroom" (Fricker, 2013). So I would post videos of me solving some problems and explaining the concepts and post them on YouTube and link them back in Schoology so my students could view them on their own time, and I can use class time for their questions, and showing them more advanced problems.
Device: iPad and iPhone
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/schoology/id411766326
Conic Sections
Description: This tool explores the various conic sections: circles, parabolas, ellipses, and hyperbolas. There are also sample problems
Cost: $0.99
How it can be used in the class: If I ever end up teaching a Math 30 class this would be the app I would use to demonstrate conic sections. I remember my math teacher bringing in a large cone and took a rule to show the various ways we could cut it. You could take the pieces apart to see what a circle, ellipse, and parabolas look like. Since this was only one cone hyperbolas could not be demonstrated we had to picture it. However, this tool allows you to see what a hyperbola looks like. So this tool I would use to demonstrate the various conic sections, and I would use some samples problems provided.
Device: Mac
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/conic-sections/id458033479?mt=12
Evernote
App # 3: Evernote
Description: This is an App that can organize all the information on your device. You can highlight key words to go back and look at later. This also keeps your notes well organized in many different notebooks.
Cost: Free. There are costs for upgrades. See the ink.
How it can be used in the class: I could see myself using this as a substitute LMS. I can create one account I can store and save all the notes for my classes, videos, and audio as well. The notebook is given a URL that I can give to my students so they can go back and review. I really like the organization feature that is why I chose this App. Students can also make their own and share it via some of their social media networks. This is another tool that allows for collaboration.
Device: iPad, iPhone, and Mac
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/evernote/id281796108?mt=8
Mathemagics
Description: This is an app where you can play math related games in the area of multiplication. You can work at your own pace to go over any area you want. This is a tool based on mental math, and not using a calculator.
Cost: $2.99
How it can be used in the class: I would use this for elementary math classes. I feel this is an important tool to use because people are too dependent on calculators for Math. My problem with the high school math curriculum is a glorified calculator course; as long as you type into the calculator properly you get the answer. Mental math is an important tool. You use simple math on a daily bases to pay bills, and while shopping. So I feel it is appropriate to use for a younger class so they feel confident in higher grades to do math in their heads.
Device: Mac
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/mathemagics/id402458650?mt=12
gFlashcards Lite
Description: With this app you can create and download a variety of flashcards, ones with images, and audio.
Cost: Free
How it can be used in the class: I would use this app for a social class. I like using flashcards when I have to memorize definitions of words, and memorize stuff like dates.
Device: Mac
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/gflashcards-lite/id503771586?mt=12
Mental Case 2
Description: This is an app that lets you create your own flashcards as opposed to downloading ones already made like a previous app. You can have audio cards, written cards, image, and visual cards. You can study on your own time and wherever you like.
Cost: $29.99
How it can be used in the class: Since I can group cards together to form a stack I feel this tool would be great for a Social, Biology, or Chemistry class. With these courses there are a lot of things that need to be memorized and retained for lectures that present new materials. With Biology you need to know about one process to know how a new process works. I would use this as a review tool. I like the idea presented at my high school of a brain warm up problem. I would use this for a brain warm up activity in the first 5 to 10 minutes of my class.
Device: Mac
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/mental-case-2/id402688205?mt=12
Studyblue
Description: This is a tool where you can study through flashcards, study guides and practice quizzes. By creating your own flashcards you can use audio, recoding your own voice, and use pictures to study. You can study anywhere you want whenever you feel like it. You can even team up with classmates to share. Teachers can also use this to assign study materials and can track the progress of their students.
Cost: Free
How it can be used in the class: This is a tool I would use for assigning my students review. It gets hard when you learn a new concept everyday and only a few go back and review old material daily. With this I can assign review for each day. I would not set a due date. I would just track my student’s progress. I can see who is struggling, and improve my teaching in those areas, and I can track students who are not completing the review assignments. If hey don’t I can just assign for in class review and go through it with my students.
Device: iPhone and iPad
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/app/studyblue/id323887414
Record Lectures
Description: This is a voice recorder that allows you to record lectures and meetings. What I like about this tool is that it is organized in a calendar. With other voice recorders you need to add the date to the title if you like going through stuff in a particular order. With this one I do not have to keep flipping back through a syllabus to know what day the lecture happened on it is saved in my calendar.
Cost: $2.99
How it can be used in the class: I like the idea of recording lectures so students can go back and revisit concepts presented in lecture. I know with me during most lectures I am rushing to write down class notes since I do not like printing off posted notes. I feel like I get nothing out of the class if I am not doing anything. With classes where notes are not posted students rush to copy down everything, and often miss out on stuff mentioned that does not appear in the notes and would be valuable to remember for an exam. With this tool I could post the recording to my LMS for students to go back and listen to over and over. Each time something new might stick out and they can write it down.
This would also be a tool I would use for Special Needs classes I would teach. Some students need to go back and listen to the lecture over again. It gets hard taking notes and listening to the teacher at the same time and making notes of what they are saying.
Device: Mac
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/record-lectures/id511281738?mt=12
VirusBarrier Plus
Description: This is an app that protects your Mac from viruses.
Cost: $ 9.99
How it can be used in the class: The reason I chose this app was because it is important to teach our students about backing up material on their computers, and how to prevent viruses from crashing their computers. I feel it is important to teach students to protect themselves. If I was using technology in the class this would be one of the first things I teach my students about protecting their devices from viruses, and then to protect personal information.
Device: Mac
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/virusbarrier-plus/id430337549?mt=12
Study Center
Description: This app is used to take and manage notes. This is a study tool that shows you how to highlight important notes to study, and you can use the calendar feature to set up study dates.
Cost: $2.99
How it can be used in the class: I ffeel on eof the most important things about being a teacher is having good review and notes. These are the main tools that students use to study for exams. I don’t like the fact that our whole learning system is based on tests and not projects to demonstrate knowledge. This is why I choose a bunch of tools that I can use for class review and to teach my students to take good notes. I know this was the case for me at university I did not know how to take good notes. I feel it is necessary to get my students in the habit of being good note takers. This tool also allows my students to make their own tests, and I can make exams for practice to help them.
Device: Mac
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/study-center/id411447203?mt=12