Mobile Apps

      This week we are focusing on mobile apps and how they can be used in education.  I have chosen some apps that I feel would be most beneficial to my students and our curricular needs.

     As I explored the possibilities of apps for my class I found great ways to practice math facts using Match Up Math and SkillsTutor Math Fact Fluency.  SkillsTutor even records what students do so that I can view their progress.  Teachers are always looking for ways to incorporate fluency practice into our daily instruction.  Using Fluency Timer would allow this to be completed in a station with students recording their fluency weekly, monthly, or as needed per individual student.  Writing is another area that I always search for something creative to do with my class.  With Storyrobe students can create books and record their own voices.  Timelines are something that we have been doing in classrooms for such a long time.  Using Tiki-Toki I found these timelines can be created by students.  This could be independent work or even a group project.  Finally, my school is always looking for ways to connect with families.  With Google Groups I have highlighted how teachers can create mailing lists and include parents, students, or even other teachers.

Please view the apps I have chosen to highlight.  I am excited to try some of these with my own students.

Apps	Brief Description/Uses
Storyrobe	Students can create books, record their voices, and share their books on the internet.
Match Up Math	With this app teachers could differentiate practice for students using addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division.
Google Groups	Using Google Groups teachers can create mailing lists to share documents, such as class notes, sites being used, and even calendars with class information.  This could be shared with other teachers, parents, and students.
Fluency Timer	This app costs $0.99.  Teachers could ask their school’s PTO to purchase this app.  Students can record their fluency reading and teachers can review these recordings throughout the year.  This could also be shared with parents at conferences.
SkillsTutor Math Fact Fluency	This app offers instruction and practice for math facts.  Students could use this at home or school.  All the work is recorded so teachers could view it.
Tiki-Toki	This app so many possibilities.  Students create timelines.  This could be great for writing stories and creating personal narratives.  In Social Studies the class could keep a timeline for the school year keeping track of what they have learned.