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cross-curricular

Students can create apps for any type of content quickly and easily with no coding required.

Student App Development with Glide

by Shane Peek April 19, 2024

written by Shane Peek

Our lives are intricately intertwined with mobile devices and apps. From communication to productivity, entertainment to education, we rely on apps to navigate today’s digital landscape. Spend five minutes with a teenager, and you’ll quickly realize this trend is amplified in our students. But while students are consumers of tech, it is important to push students to become active creators in the digital world, fostering vital skills like creativity, critical thinking, and communication. One powerful and underutilized tool that can facilitate this shift is Glide, a free app development platform. Let’s explore this tool and its potential to cultivate digital designers.

What is Glide?

Unlike other app development methods, Glide requires no coding, making it accessible for students regardless of their tech background. With a versatile and user-friendly interface, Glide integrates with spreadsheets, allowing students to work with data and hone their spreadsheet skills. Teachers can upload an Excel spreadsheet, link to Google Sheets, or work within Glide’s platform, but I recommend using Sheets. Teachers create the Sheet and share it with students, who use their Google accounts to add content, edit, and build a mobile or web-friendly product. Glide has a few pricing options and offers Free, Maker, Team, and Business accounts, and you can accomplish a lot with the free version.

Plus, if you feel stuck at any moment, Glide provides robust support with educational clips, a blog, documents, templates, and an active community. In one class period, students have the potential to collaboratively build a fully functional and informative app! Here is an example where students have made a spreadsheet with info about the solar system. With Glide, they can connect their spreadsheet data and view the information in an interactive app with images and more.

Four Stages of App Development with Glide

Shifting our focus over to integration, how does an educator start an app development project with Glide? For ease of use, we’ll break this into four stages: getting started, linking to a spreadsheet, customizing the app, and publishing the project. Here is a five-minute video to get you acquainted with Glide before we dive in.

1. Getting Started with Glide

A "how to" guide for getting started with student app development using Glide. — Get Shane’s “Getting Started with Glide” Guide | **View Presentation** | **Edit or Download Presentation**

Getting started is a straightforward process for teachers. At glideapps.com, sign up on the top right using Google credentials or with a work email. Upon logging in, educators arrive on a simple landing page. Click around and explore before navigating to the top, left-hand side to initiate a new team (e.g., class). While additional features like upgrading, templates, settings, and team member management are available along the lower left side, most educators will not need these extensive features for class projects.

Once a team is started, click “new app” in the main area. Teachers are prompted to select a template type or source of data, and I recommend Google Sheets. In the new window, teachers are prompted to choose a file, which allows Glide to automatically build the framework of the app, as well as instantaneously update the data as students add their research.

2. Building and Linking the Spreadsheet

A pivotal step in the app development process is crafting your Google spreadsheet. Before diving in, consider the following questions:

What are the goals of this project?
What are students researching?
What data will be included in the app?

With these considerations in mind, educators can create a spreadsheet with the end in mind. The answers to these questions may serve as the spreadsheet’s column headers. For example, if students are researching a particular organism, column headers may include “Organism,” “Student Name,” “4 Facts,” and columns for images (here’s a free template). Assign an easily recognizable name to your spreadsheet, then return to Glide and pick up where you left off (new app > select a file). In Glide, locate your spreadsheet and within moments, Glide builds the app framework based on your data.

3. Customizing the Student App

A "how to" guide for customizing the student app in Glide. — Get Shane’s Complete “Customizing the Student App” Guide | **View Presentation** | **Edit or Download Presentation**

Once Glide generates the app layout, a new window opens providing educators with a range of customizations. Along the top toolbar, teachers can rename the app and toggle between the Data, Layout, and Actions tabs. While students edit from the spreadsheet, educators can make adjustments in Glide from the Data tab.

Slide outlining the Data tab function when developing an app in Glide.

The Layout tab offers a fully functional preview and allows for style adjustments such as card or list format. Pro tip: Disable a few options at the bottom right-hand side (i.e., allow users to add, edit, or delete) to prioritize spreadsheet editing over in-app modifications. The Actions tab provides advanced integrations. Feel free to dig into those, but they exceed the scope of this beginner’s guide.

Slide outlining the Layout tab function when developing an app in Glide.

Additionally, the Settings and Publish options are accessible along the top toolbar to the right. Regarding Settings, explore the Name & Icon, Appearance, and Privacy tabs. You can customize the app’s name and upload an icon. Consider appsmashing with Canva to create a personalized icon using this template. Click on the Appearance tab and have fun with your class – allow students to vote on colors, layout, style, and other customizations.

Slide outlining the Settings tab function when developing an app in Glide.

In the Privacy tab, decide between the following accessibility settings: private, public with a link, or sign-in required. For classroom projects, I opt for public access without sign-in ensuring family members can view students’ creative work, but feel free to keep the project private if you desire.

4. Publishing the Classroom App

Now that students have added their research, what’s next? Publishing the app is the final phase in bringing this project to life! Simply click on “Publish” and you’ll receive a shareable link. Upon selecting “Publish” again, Glide provides a QR code that can be printed for parents or displayed in the hallway for easy access. Educators can also send invites via email. Keep an eye on the Publish button – it may change colors to indicate completion (teal to black). Additionally, you’ll notice new settings (Share, Privacy, Publishing, and Domain) behind the Publish button, allowing for further customization should you decide to make changes later.

Your classroom app can now be shared with students, colleagues, and family members, allowing the world to explore your students’ collaborative effort and hard work!

Ways to Use Glide in the Classroom

Slide with icons for student app development ideas using Glide. — Shane’s Ideas for Using Glide in the Classroom | **View** | **Edit or Download**

At this point, I hope app development project ideas are flooding your brain. Here are a few recommendations:

Start Small: Begin with an upcoming unit and experiment with a simple design. Introduce students to the spreadsheet interface cautiously, emphasizing similarities with documents while highlighting unique features. Encourage students to maintain organization within rows and highlight helpful shortcuts like Ctrl+Enter.
Free Activity Ideas: Project ideas are vast with Glide. Anything involving research and sharing information on concepts in science, social studies, or geography is fair game. Students can create apps on the solar system, local organisms, historical landmarks in their backyard, biomes, presidents, states, and more.
Interdisciplinary and Project-Based Learning: Glide lends itself well to project-based learning and cross-curricular projects.
Parent Hub: Schools could leverage Glide to create a centralized hub for parents housing important information, documents, and updates regarding schoolwide events.
Personal Planning: Glide isn’t limited to classroom use, educators also have lives outside of school (despite what our students may think)! Create an app for an upcoming vacation or side hustle, or use your skills to serve a local organization.

The project possibilities with Glide are endless. I’ve only scratched the surface! I invite you to share your ideas and thoughts through X or LinkedIn. Let’s collectively explore innovative ways to harness the power of free app development in education! Remember – it’s not just about teaching, it’s about igniting creativity and curiosity in our students. From simple apps to complex projects, we’re shaping a future where our students aren’t just consumers but creators with technology.

April 19, 2024 2 comments

Google Earth Is More Interactive Than Ever with Voyager

by Leslee Barnes, M.Ed. February 23, 2022

written by Leslee Barnes, M.Ed.

Everything is somewhere, and everyone is from someplace. Place impacts everything, from how we live, speak, eat, believe, and make a living. Investigating places using Geo Tools doesn’t get any better than Google Earth.

Google’s Geo Tools aren’t just about geography or social studies, for that matter. You can use them to trace the Lewis and Clark Expedition, explore Italy’s architecture, measure how sea levels are rising, calculate the angles of the Louvre in Paris, or analyze the expedition of wildlife of the Galapagos Islands. Our students can use these Geo Tools to see locations that inspired stories like Macbeth or actually look inside the Globe Theatre in London. Young students learning the alphabet can pick out both physical and human features in the shape of letters, for example.

By now, we’ve probably all had some experience using Google Earth, whether that is to finally be able to see the Eiffel Tower up close or just look up your house. But did you know that a Google Earth Education site called Voyager can help bring relevance to any classroom? You can also create your own map tours.

What is Voyager?

Voyager is a program that has interactive tours. These tours can be used for inquiry-based learning and storytelling across all contents. After you open Google Earth, start exploring by selecting the icon that looks like the helm of a ship in the menu bar.

Google Earth Voyager icon — *Open Voyager by clicking the icon circled in red above.*

You’ll see many beautifully curated and interactive guided tours. So much has already been created that you’ll want to search to see if what you are looking for already exists before you start creating content yourself! You can do this by selecting the magnifying glass (search icon) in the menu bar.

Take a look at a sample Voyager. GLT Global ED mapped the locations surrounding the events documented in Anne Frank’s diary. You can certainly get inspired by seeing what Google Earth Voyager already has in its library on various topics.

Ann Frank Voyager Tool — *Excerpt from Google Earth Voyager’s Anne Frank Tour*

Creating Your Own Projects

Can’t find what you are looking for? No problem. You can create your own “project.” Here are examples of what you can do in “Projects” within Google Earth:

You can draw on the map.
Add your own photos and videos.
Customize your view.
Share your story with the world.
Use the measurement tool.

Create on Google Earth — *Google Earth Overview Screenshot*

Need more information?

Take a look at this Beginner Tutorial on adding features.

If you’re wanting to go deeper, explore the Advanced Google Earth Tutorial, which has even more features.

February 23, 2022 1 comment

iOS Tips and Tricks Technology Applications

Open-Ended Apps that Make the Cut

by Dr. Bruce Ellis August 5, 2019

written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

We’ve curated a few apps that you can use with your students in a variety of ways. These apps are open-ended so you can use them with many different grade levels and subject areas. You are already doing assignments that could be easily transitioned over to integrate one of these apps so that students’ learning could be easily shared with other students.

Screencast on iPad

To record a screencast on your iPad, you’ll need at least iOS 11 or higher. With that version installed, you can record a screencast of whatever is happening on your iPad. The drawback (at least at the moment) is that audio is not recorded. While students can demonstrate understanding, they won’t be able to think aloud and have you listen as they record. Still, the silent screencast may be adequate for what your students are doing. Do the following to allow screencasting on your iPad:

Go to Settings
Go to Control Center
Tap the green circle next to Screen Recording to make it available.
To confirm that it is available, it should be in the “INCLUDE” section at the top.

Voice Memos

If you are only interested in audio or you are thinking about having your students record podcasts to share their learning, then Voice Memos might be the best app for you to start with. Besides recording audio, you can record over the audio if needed, trim the ends, or select a portion to delete. When done, you can share it out as you would with any other file on your iPad.

Animate It

This easy animation app allows you to create stop motion animation with ease. The LITE version (free) allows you to record up to 100 frames. When done, you can export your movie to the camera roll. The FULL version ($2.99) allows you to record up to 240 frames and adjust the frame rate playback speed. For each version, you will benefit from the onion skill viewing which greatly helps as you “plan your next move” before taking the picture. If you choose not to take the pictures manually, then you can set the auto-timer to take photos on a set schedule (1 per second to up to 24 frames per day…or anywhere in between).

Next time you consider how your students can demonstrate their learning, consider having them create an animation using Animate It.

Photo Grid

This tool is great when your students have a variety of photos they need to put together as a collage! Photo Grid is for iOS as well as for Android. Think of this as an easy go-to tool when your students need to record a process, a sequence, stages, or steps. Or it could be that students are creating a starter pack for a particular topic that will include several photos. Import photos from the photo gallery or use the camera to add student work or illustrations. Students will also enjoy tweaking the borders, applying filters, and adding backgrounds to take their work to the next level.

Adobe Spark Video

Adobe Spark makes creating a video presentation easy AND fun. You don’t have to be a designer to end up with a slick video that communicates your message well. You can find Adobe Spark Video for iOS or you can use it on your laptop or Chromebook by going to https://spark.adobe.com/make/video-maker/. You will need to log in with a Google, Facebook, or Adobe account. Students will find that their quick tutorial will give them all the information they need to start creating and sharing great work.

What Apps Do You Recommend?

What open-ended apps do you recommend for students that could be used in a variety of content areas and/or grade levels? Share with us in the comments below. We would love to hear about them.

How Would You Use These?

Because these apps are open-ended, they can be used by many different content areas and grade levels. How might you make use of one of these apps with your students? Share with us your integration idea (be sure to share the grade level and content area).

August 5, 2019 0 comment

Educational Trends STEM/STEAM

10 Reasons to Invest in 3D Printer Technology in Education

by Guest Blogger January 2, 2019

written by Guest Blogger

Within a few years, the widespread use of 3D technology will revolutionize the manufacturing process. The ability to replicate objects will soon be as complete as those of the replicators on Star Trek. Set your phasers to stun because using additive technology in the classroom is increasingly important to impress your students. You’ll not only impress the kids, but also prepare them as future entrepreneurs, engineers, and creative designers.

How to Use 3D Tech in the Classroom

Additive technology encourages critical thinking, creativity, and classroom participation at all levels of education. In the Wells Primary School in Essex, England, ICT Coordinator Jane Rolfe commented on their 3D program: “The children were more engaged in solving problems with their designs than I have ever seen them and the realization that there would be a ‘real’ end product made a vast difference to their learning. Maths, computing, D&T [design and technology] overlapped seamlessly during lessons.”

With 3D technology, students can understand abstract problems. They can make mistakes and learn about the consequences. The following 10 ways are just a few examples of the possibilities of 3D in the classroom.

1. Chemistry Lab

Teachers can create chemistry labs with scaled models of atoms, molecules, and chemical compounds. You might remember ball-and-stick models used in high school when you were a student. Today, you and your students can print your own chemical compounds. All you need to do is locate the appropriate chemical compound by posting a four-step instructable to get the structure.

2. Topographical Maps

You can use 3D technology to raise geography to new levels by showing more complete topographical features. Chrissie Mahl, a Virginia educator, used 3D technology to teach students about the unique geographical features of Virginia. She and her students created models of the Blue Ridge Mountains, coastal plains, Piedmont, valleys, and the Appalachian Mountains.

3. Prototypes for Engineering Students

Teachers throughout the world are working hard to integrate STEM into their curricula. 3D printing can facilitate building models to learn about complex engineering and architectural design problems. It’s never too early to begin learning how technology and engineering integrates with math and science. Recent research suggests that American students are poorly prepared. The United States ranked 31st in math and 18th in science out of 35 industrialized countries.

4. Surgical Precision

Instead of dissecting frogs, students can assemble a frog, rabbits, or prehistoric creature from 3D parts that fit precisely. Students can learn about the amazingly complex relationships between muscles, bones, skin, and the circulatory system. It’s easy now to create a human skeleton without sending Igor on a graveyard mission.

5. Replicate Teaching Aids

New learning materials often come with high price tags, and many teachers buy their own supplies when bureaucratic approval becomes difficult to get when opportune teaching moments arrive. These resources can be easily and quickly duplicated with 3D technology at much lower costs.

6. Culinary Education

Cooking class inspires a new generation of chefs and restaurateurs in the age of celebrity chefs. You can inspire your students with the ability to create custom food molds to enhance the ability to create molecular gastronomy delights and signature dishes.

7. Design a Bug

Students can view accurate models of common bugs that are so incredible that nothing else is needed to gain their full attention. However, you can ramp up interest by letting students design their own bugs. Students will learn complex engineering concepts such as how to make the legs move and support the insect body’s weight.

8. Automotive Education

The days of dirty garages and shops often discouraged girls from learning about cars and their components. 3D printing allows teachers to replicate clean parts that are easy to handle in the classroom without taking a field trip to a garage. Students can take the components of a transmission apart and reassemble it. Complex mechanical problems are easy to understand with a hands-on approach that doesn’t always involve grease and oil.

9. Biology Class

If you need demonstration models of internal organs, 3D enables you to produce a heart, lung, kidney, or other organs. You can replicate any specimen or organ to produce as many items as you need with an astonishing degree of detail.

10. Graphic Design

Graphic design is where you can really engage your students because additive technology can bring art and video characters to life. You can model video game heroes and villains, crazy special effects, and characters from fiction. Students can create their own designs to really ramp up the “wow” factor.

Getting Started with 3D Education

Just a few years back, additive technology was an expensive hobby. However, prices are becoming more affordable, and your district can probably afford a 3D printer easily now, even if it’s only for shared use. Also, you can make a 3D printer with your students. There are also many affordable components like stepper motors for the 3D printer, and you can easily buy them online. The most popular size of stepper motors for 3D printers is NEMA 17, and most 3D printers use 1.8 deg/step motors. A few years ago, the price may have been a barrier, but this is no longer true. Printers are fast, reliable, inexpensive, and easy to operate, and there are many 3D printer applications for determined educators. You owe it to your students to prepare them for the paradigm changes that additive technology will bring to business, education, and manufacturing over the next few years.

This is a guest blog by Kuzma Cao. Cao is a stepper motor product engineer, specializing in the motion control industry for more than 10 years. Cao has a good background in technology is keen to provide news, views, and insight into the latest trends in 3D printing and motion across the board including the pioneering home users, the maker community, and industrialists for other motion control system.

January 2, 2019 0 comment

Content Areas Educational Trends

Fine-tuning Your Virtual Assistant: Alexa Skills for All Content Areas

by Dr. Bruce Ellis February 20, 2018

written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

Amazon’s Alexa can be a big help in a lot of contexts. But have you embraced the use of Alexa in the classroom yet? If you’re new to the idea of virtual teaching assistants, hop on over to this post to get some background on how Alexa can be a valuable addition to your lesson plans. If you’re already on board with Alexa, you’re in the right place to discover all the skills that will allow Alexa to be more helpful and relevant in your classroom, no matter what you teach.

Adding Skills

Begin by locating the Skills section in the free Alexa app that is associated with your Echo, Dot, or Tap.

While you can use the search feature, I have found it to be quicker to just browse the Education and Reference category. By default, your search results are listed by relevance, but you may want to change that to sort by average customer rating. Below are some skills that you might want to enable and how they can be used in the classroom. Search for the bolded skill name.

Primary Learners

Speak Listen Learn – Speak Listen Learn is being launched with the ability to sing the alphabet, teach letters/pronunciation, words, play sound effects, animal noises, tell jokes and more.
Animal Workout – Animal Workout allows kids to become different animals while getting exercise. Alexa will offer up encouraging words as they go along to also boost motivation and confidence.
Music Bop – This Alexa Kids Skill consists of fun, interactive adventures that get the kids moving around whilst also incorporating educational themes.

ELA

Earplay – Students will enjoy these choose-your-own-adventure stories featuring sound effects. You will need to sign up for a free Earplay account for Alexa to access.
Spelling Bee – The spelling bee is designed for students (grades 4 and 5) to help them practice their words. You can also use Spelling Champion, which will let you enter your own words to practice.
Amazing Word Master Game – Match your word skills against Alexa as you take turns saying a word that begins with the last letter of the previous word said. Earn more points for longer words. Consider having elementary students work in groups and take turns saying their word after Alexa to see how many points the class can get and if they can beat Alexa. Be sure to enunciate clearly; otherwise she might mistakenly think you said a shorter word!
Word Chain – Similar to the Amazing Word Master Game above, this skill limits the game to two categories: names of countries or names of countries, states, and capitals. Social studies students will find this fun and challenging…especially since you cannot repeat a place previously said.
Difficult Word Quiz – This skill reminds me of the word quiz section of Reader’s Digest. You’ll find it very appropriate for middle and high school students to expand their vocabulary for the SAT and ACT. Each quiz has ten words, and you must choose the correct definition of each.
The Magic Door – This is a choose-your-own-adventure skill that lets you explore the sea, hills, or dark forests. There are sleeping dragons, temples, the faint sound of music, and other mysterious sights and sounds to lure your students in. They probably won’t be able to finish the adventure during the class period. So then you can have them write their own endings to the story.
Short Bedtime Story – Each of these stories is 30 seconds to one minute long and can be personalized to one student’s name. These might work well as writing prompts. The Amazon Storytime skill has professionally narrated stories for children ages 5 to 12.
Magoosh Vocabulary Builder – Alexa will ask questions about five different vocabulary words to help you increase your vocabulary.
Highlights Magazine – Bring the family together to try some terrifically toothsome tongue-twisters, laugh at family-friendly jokes, and reconnect with Goofus and Gallant™. If you’re up for a challenge, push your imagination to the limits with brainteasers, or host a poetry slam in your living room. You can also listen to stories about animals, friendship, sports, and more.
Listening Comprehension Practice – This is an interactive story game suitable for all ages. Hear fun, quick stories and answer questions at the end to sharpen your listening comprehension. Each story is about Hutch, a boy in the 5th grade with a big brother and little sister. Listen to Hutch’s adventures and hear him make up his own entertaining tall tales. New content is added weekly, so check back often.

Math

Math Mania – Solve these addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems.
The Queen’s Mathematician – Mischievous elves have kidnapped the Tree Queen, and she can only be rescued if you, her best mathematician, unlock the charms that are keeping her hidden. Kids 6-8 use early elementary math facts, solve word problems, and stretch their imaginations and vocabularies in a quirky tree house castle full of surprises and kid-friendly humor.
My Math – This is a powerful skill that can do lots of different things to help students master math facts.
1-2-3 Math – A math challenge which tests your elementary computing skills, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, comparison, etc., in three modes.
Lemonade Stand – This game skill simulates owning a lemonade stand. Alexa states the weather forecast for the (simulated) day and then the player buys cups of lemonade to sell, buys signs for advertising, and sets a price for a cup of lemonade. The game focuses on the following player skills: careful listening, math, money, business, understanding odds and chance statements, and managing expectations.
Railroad Math – Railroad Math is a math challenge which tests your elementary math skills, including addition, subtraction and multiplication.

Science

NASA Mars – If your students are studying Mars, you might find this skill very resourceful. You can ask Alexa questions about the red planet or the rover Curiosity. Other similar skills to check out include Planets Trivia or Star Facts or Earth, Moon and Sun Facts.
Science Buddy – Science Buddy is a fun and interactive way for kids to learn about science. It quizzes topics including earth science, biology, physics, and energy. It is based on the National Science Bowl but with simpler questions; Science Buddy will ask you ten multiple-choice questions with three choices each.
Outer Space Alice – With Outer Space Alice, kids learn about the International Space Station, geography, languages and other fun facts about the world.

Social Studies

This Day in History – Check in with Alexa to find out what events happened on this day.
Black History Facts – Live stars share important facts about African American history.
Kids Court – No more “she pushed me/he started it.” Send them to Kids Court and let Judge Lexy decide.
While you rest, they will learn some basic facts about the U. S. judicial system. They will learn to present their cases coherently and speak up for themselves.
Texas Fun Facts – Help students learn more about their home state.
Kids News – Kids News provides fun entertaining daily current events, science and other types of news.
Colonial History – Looking to learn more about our Founding Fathers and the era that they lived in? This skill shares interesting historical information about the era of American colonial history.
Time Machine – Listen to the top headlines of the same day in a randomly chosen year from 1851 on.
Kid Power – Want to get active and save lives? UNICEF Kid Power is a way to play games and transform your activity into food packets that UNICEF delivers to malnourished kids around the world.

Other Subject Areas

Jeopardy – Each weekday, Alexa receives six questions by the show’s official writers. How many can you get correct? This may be a great challenge for gifted and talented students. There’s also a Teen Jeopardy available.
Twenty Questions – Young students will enjoy thinking of an animal, vegetable, or mineral and seeing if Alexa can deduce it by asking yes-or-no questions.
Ditty – Ask Alexa to make a fast song with Ditty, which turns any message you give it into a song. This is a great way for students to quickly create a song about a particular topic.
Learn Spanish – Learn the most commonly used phrases in Spanish.
Take part in the breakout explosion and have your students Escape the Room. There are currently four different rooms to try and escape from. This activity is great for logical thinking and problem solving, as well as small group teamwork.

More Skills Coming

New skills are added every week. And as more folks rate the skills, you’ll find that it’s easier to find the best content. Regardless of the user rating, though, be sure to enable the skill and test it out yourself before you introduce it to the classroom. And if you have an idea for a skill that should be added and are interested in creating it for Alexa, jump over to Getting Started with the Alexa Skills Kit or the set of YouTube videos on Developing Alexa Skills.

If you find a skill that is great in the classroom or just plain fun, leave me a comment and we can enjoy it together!

February 20, 2018 0 comment

iOS Tips and Tricks

iPad Apps from the International Reading Association

by Lori Gracey February 12, 2016

written by Lori Gracey

The International Reading Association makes some great and free iPad apps that are cross-curricular and based on sound teaching practices. The apps mirror their web-based interactives. Try one of these today with your students:

RWT Timeline – Timeline allows students to create a graphical representation of an event or process by showing items sequentially along a line. The timelines can be organized by time of day, date, or event, and the tool allows students to create a label with short or long descriptive text. Images can be added as well. Work in progress can be saved and the final timeline can be sent to the device’s camera roll or emailed as a PDF file.

Trading Cards – This is one of my favorite apps. It allows students to create old-time trading cards for fictional or literary characters, historic events, objects, vocabulary words, or real places. Each category comes with guiding questions to ensure that the information on the card is accurate and complete. There are 12 different designs available and you can add your own photos. Cards can be gathered into collections after they are saved to the Camera roll or emailed.

Venn Diagram – Create diagrams with two or three overlapping circles. While this is a fairly simple app, it fulfills a purpose and can help students better understand complex concepts.

The IRA has several other apps more tied to ELA. You can find them here.

February 12, 2016 0 comment