What apps should I use?

What apps should I get?

I get this question a lot. To be honest, I DON'T KNOW! It all depends on the skill you're working on and your own personal taste. I follow Smart Apps for Kids on facebook. Every day it pops up on my news feed I go through and decide if any of the featured free (or cheaper) apps could apply to my classroom. Then I do a few things...

1- download the app
2- play with the app for about 5 minutes just to get a general feel
3- decide if this is currently relevant in my classroom
   YES - download it and keep in on my iPad. Place in a folder of other apps for that skill
    No - delete it off of my iPad

If I delete the app off of my iPad I still own the app. I could go in to my "purchased" list in the app store at any time and download it to my iPad. Once you download it, YOU OWN IT! :-) There's no way I could have all of my apps on one iPad all at once. I only have the apps on there that are currently relevant to my class. At the beginning of the year it's letters and sounds. At the end of the year it's words and grammar.

If you keep the app on your iPad you have to decide if it's something you want to introduce or just let kids discover it. Apps with a popular character (Elmo, any PBS character) will get explored. You don't need to introduce those unless you feel like you want to show them something specific. If it's not eye-catchy to them I make sure to introduce it. I show them the new app, how to use it, and explain how it helps them learn to read. My rule is that every app on my iPad is a learning app. If it doesn't teach you how to read (or do math, or science, etc.) then you can't play it in my room. (Sorry, Plants vs. Zombies!)

The best thing about kids is that they are not intimidated by technology. If you hand then an iPad full of apps that you have found to be useful, they'll get right to work. It's amazing how children will self differentiate. Those who need letter help will play the letter games. Those who can handle the harder apps about different types of nouns will play those games! There are ways to lock the iPad into one specific app, and although I thought I'd use that feature quite a bit, I DON'T! (and I never have) I know it's there so I can use it in the future if I need to, but for now I'm golden.

Here's my "expert tip" for the day: DESIGNATE AN EXPERT. During guided reading I don't have the time to help kids with the iPad if they need it. Guided reading time is very protected in my room. The rule is: If I'm teaching kids to read at my table, you may not talk to me. Find a friend or wait until that group is over. Because I won't speak to them I designate an expert. You'll always have at least one friend who is just good at troubleshooting or is willing to play around to figure things out. Name that kid your expert early on in the year. Now, if anyone has a question they know to talk to the expert. If the expert can't figure it out then you step in. It doesn't hurt to name a couple of experts in case one is gone, but this has cut down on simple volume questions and the occasional frozen iPod. Plus, who doesn't want to be known as "the expert?"

One thing I will say is this: When downloading games, try to stay either gender neutral or gender equal. There are so many games that seem to be geared towards one gender or the other. I'm not a huge fan of that, but I understand that some kids really play into the gimmicks. Be mindful that if you have a lot of pink apps that it may not be a bad idea to find a few complimentary apps that are a little more neutral, or even a bit more geared towards boys. It's crazy how a 5 year old can get stuck on those sorts of things.

If there's something specific you want to know about please email me at: mrs.mosier@gmail.com

Future blog posts: Organizing your apps, projecting from your iPad, instructional apps