Open Discussion Forum

  • 1.  Apps for K-3

    Posted 04-14-2018 11:18 AM
    What apps are you using in kindergarten - third grade? I am interested in discovering more apps that are easy to use and place an emphasis on student creation, rather than just traditional game apps.

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    Cody Summerville
    Program Specialist
    Austin, TX
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  • 2.  RE: Apps for K-3

    Posted 04-15-2018 06:17 AM
    Hi Cody,
    While I often collaborate with Pre-K teachers, these apps are open-ended and/or customizable, and could be used in K-3 with children of differing ages/abilities, to extend learning opportunities. (For example, if you download this free iBook, offers ideas of activities for children of varying ages,  https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/puppet-pals-hd-directors-pass-lesson-ideas/id939806365?mt=11)
    Chatterpix Kids
    Doodlecast for Kids
    SeeSaw/Shadow Puppet
    Puppet Pals Director HD
    WriteReader
    Book Creator
    Clips
    Pic Collage
    Word Wizard

    While I haven't used these apps in PreK, should work well for K-3:
    Toontastic- here is an example of a story created by ELL in K https://twitter.com/gardnerkb1/status/984525319301484544 This innovative teacher uses many other apps stuch as Stop Motion, can explore her posts to learn more
    Explain Everything - also has a free iBook with ideas for use by the app developer https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/explain-everything-user-manual/id1189265088?mt=11

    Hope this helps:^)

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    Bonnie Blagojevic
    Morningtown Consulting
    Orono ME
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  • 3.  RE: Apps for K-3

    Posted 04-15-2018 01:40 PM
    Allow me to recommend a great resource from the Madison (Wisconsin) Public Library: https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/kids/apps
    The librarian and creator, Carissa Christner, is well respected as a "media mentor" and has been involved in helping parents navigate the app forest for many years now. 
    I also recommend her podcasts (sponsored in part by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center) as she reviews apps and interviews app designers: https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/kids/appfairy

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    Allison G Kaplan
    Faculty Associate
    Information School,
    University of Wisconsin
    Madison, WI
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  • 4.  RE: Apps for K-3

    Posted 04-16-2018 07:37 AM
    If you want children to be productive with technology, you should find apps that are "tools."  ShowMe is like an electronic whiteboard, can import pictures, and can handle multiple pages.  Children can use the platform to share writing, responses to reading, import pictures of work, etc.  There are math apps that have tens frames and counting rods, they can be used to show thinking, saved, and viewed at a later time.  Showing children how to properly take a video (object in center of screen, limited background noise, cutting down the video, etc) allows them to use the device to produce work.  They can video themselves responding to text, or video peers.  Book reviews are a great place to begin, but other topics you'd like to hear children talk about (setting, characters, problem/solution, etc) are great to record.  Kids play plenty of game apps on their own time.  We need to be intentional with leading them to using technology as a tool and not a "keep busy" platform.

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    Leslie Frei
    Teacher Specialist for Early Childhood Education
    Frederick County Public Schools
    Frederick MD
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  • 5.  RE: Apps for K-3

    Posted 05-25-2018 09:09 AM
    My colleague Kristen Wideen has written a book about using the iPad in the primary classroom that might interest you. She is leading a book study with her co-author on Facebook this summer.  The book is called Innovate with iPad by Karen Lirenman and Kristeen Wideen.


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    Deanna Pecaski McLennan
    Amherstburg ON
    @McLennan1977
    www.mrsmclennan.blogspot.ca
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