Woo-hoo! I made it to 23. I participated in this program as class assignment for my MLIS Curriculum & School Libraries class, and I'm glad I had to do so. The main take away from this experience is just the multitude of apps there are out there! I guess if I had to describe my experience in one word, it would be: overwhelming!
As a future school librarian, I went into this particularly interested in the educational apps, but I also enjoyed the apps that I can use in personal life as well. I am now in the process of deleting many of the apps I tried from my iPhone, but there are quite a few that will be staying. I have to say my favorites were the iPhone tips and tricks as well as the community sites.
I am very impressed with the apps you chose, and the format of this program. If you offered another one, I would definitely participate. The one thing I would do differently next time, is not procrastinate in order to connect better with the other participants. I wish I would have had time to read more blog posts from others and comment on them along the way. Thank you so much for setting this up!
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Thing 21: Free-For-All
One of the things I struggle with about having my English students go paperless is the loss of creativity in mapping ideas. How does one draw a web on an iPad? This is what interested me about the app Inspiration Maps (https://www.graphite.org/app/inspiration-maps). It got good ratings on Graphite from both the users and teachers. Here is what one teacher had to say about the app:
"Inspiration is a great tool for students! This free app is a nice way for students to create their own diagram to show their thinking and learning that's taken place. The only limitation that I can see is the sharing feature. Diagrams can be printed or emailed with the free version. It would be nice to have the Save to Photos feature included with the free version instead of only the full version. You can always take a screen shot of whatever has been created.
Students who have had experience using the program, Inspiration, should be able to use this app with no trouble. They can choose to create their own diagram or they can choose from a variety of templates. Ideas can be added with text boxes and pictures. Ideas can be linked together using arrows. Students can select options to change the shape, style, text and diagram as it appears on the screen. They move from the picture view to the writing view in order to expand on the ideas created in their visual diagram"
When I opened the app, I discovered 36 sample maps, plus an option to upgrade. I tried out one template for a KWHL activity that I actually used with students this week as we are studying the historical background of Iran in preparation for our study of Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel Persepolis. It was easy enough to use, I could fill in the bubbles with text, add more bubbles, and move them around easily. I don't think it is a groundbreaking app that will change the way I teach, but I can see using it with a 1:1 iPad class.
"Inspiration is a great tool for students! This free app is a nice way for students to create their own diagram to show their thinking and learning that's taken place. The only limitation that I can see is the sharing feature. Diagrams can be printed or emailed with the free version. It would be nice to have the Save to Photos feature included with the free version instead of only the full version. You can always take a screen shot of whatever has been created.
Students who have had experience using the program, Inspiration, should be able to use this app with no trouble. They can choose to create their own diagram or they can choose from a variety of templates. Ideas can be added with text boxes and pictures. Ideas can be linked together using arrows. Students can select options to change the shape, style, text and diagram as it appears on the screen. They move from the picture view to the writing view in order to expand on the ideas created in their visual diagram"
When I opened the app, I discovered 36 sample maps, plus an option to upgrade. I tried out one template for a KWHL activity that I actually used with students this week as we are studying the historical background of Iran in preparation for our study of Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel Persepolis. It was easy enough to use, I could fill in the bubbles with text, add more bubbles, and move them around easily. I don't think it is a groundbreaking app that will change the way I teach, but I can see using it with a 1:1 iPad class.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Thing 22: Discovering Apps
In order to pick a good app to share, I am skipping Thing 21 and looking on some "Best Apps" lists for middle school students. I talked about Common Sense Media's Graphite in the last post, so I went there to find what they recommend for this age group. Here is the link: https://www.graphite.org/reviews
Once on the site, I clicked on Apps, Language and Reading, Grades 6-8, and Free to Try. Graphite will then narrow the apps they have reviewed and present them visually. Each app has both a Learning Rating and a Teacher Rating. I do like that in addition to their own reviews, Graphite crowd-sources teachers to provide a rating and includes some of their comments. Certainly, Common Sense media is not without its critics. Some librarians feel their explicit reviews of books, games, and apps only provide fuel for would-be banners. Others, however, appreciate the site for their level of detail in the reviews and the transparency of the reviewers' names and qualifications.
The app I decided to try is called Inspiration Maps. The brief description says it is a "versatile mind-mapping tool offers many options for organizing ideas." The learning rating is a 3 (good) and the teacher rating is a 4 (very good). I will try it out and let you know what I think back in Thing 21. But as for this Thing, I side with those who appreciate Graphite, and I am sure that I will use this site frequently to find education apps for teachers and students.
Once on the site, I clicked on Apps, Language and Reading, Grades 6-8, and Free to Try. Graphite will then narrow the apps they have reviewed and present them visually. Each app has both a Learning Rating and a Teacher Rating. I do like that in addition to their own reviews, Graphite crowd-sources teachers to provide a rating and includes some of their comments. Certainly, Common Sense media is not without its critics. Some librarians feel their explicit reviews of books, games, and apps only provide fuel for would-be banners. Others, however, appreciate the site for their level of detail in the reviews and the transparency of the reviewers' names and qualifications.
The app I decided to try is called Inspiration Maps. The brief description says it is a "versatile mind-mapping tool offers many options for organizing ideas." The learning rating is a 3 (good) and the teacher rating is a 4 (very good). I will try it out and let you know what I think back in Thing 21. But as for this Thing, I side with those who appreciate Graphite, and I am sure that I will use this site frequently to find education apps for teachers and students.
Thing 20: Games
All right, fine! I will play you, Candy Crush. Isn't it bad enough that I am addicted to Scrabble, Words with Friends, and Ruzzle? I've heard all about you, and been warned not to go there, but I'm almost at 23 Things, so here goes the download...
Okay, so I made it past level one and am moving on, but honestly, I'm still not sure what I am doing. I understand that I have to swipe the candies to get 3 or more in a row before the board shifts, right? But I definitely need more practice than I have time right now.
I also spent time looking at the Game Ratings for Age and Content App. As a teacher, school librarian and parent of 4 teenage boys, this is a helpful site to know about! I like that you can search by game name, platform, and content. There are over 30,000+ ratings for games and besides the rating, I like that the reviews will point out specific content categories that may be concerning. Last fall, I did some research on Common Sense Media's Graphite which reviews apps and games as well. I'm glad these sites exist, but I also believe that conversation with kids about what is appropriate and why is much more beneficial than simply banning a game because of a rating.
Okay, now back to Candy Crush...
Okay, so I made it past level one and am moving on, but honestly, I'm still not sure what I am doing. I understand that I have to swipe the candies to get 3 or more in a row before the board shifts, right? But I definitely need more practice than I have time right now.
I also spent time looking at the Game Ratings for Age and Content App. As a teacher, school librarian and parent of 4 teenage boys, this is a helpful site to know about! I like that you can search by game name, platform, and content. There are over 30,000+ ratings for games and besides the rating, I like that the reviews will point out specific content categories that may be concerning. Last fall, I did some research on Common Sense Media's Graphite which reviews apps and games as well. I'm glad these sites exist, but I also believe that conversation with kids about what is appropriate and why is much more beneficial than simply banning a game because of a rating.
Okay, now back to Candy Crush...
Thing 19: Hobbies
I am not a sports' fan, but I live with a couple of them, so I will be sure to share those apps with my loved ones. Instead, I am more interested in the two wine apps! We are heading to Napa this summer and taking a ride on the "wine train," and I always tend to forget the names of wines I like, so perhaps I will find good use for those apps during that trip.
For now, though, I explored Spotify. My husband has this on his phone; I have never gotten around to installing on mine, so I was glad to have a reason to. It is a great app, and I don't know why it took me so long. You can listen to Spotify radio stations according to music genre, discover new music, and share playlists. I spent some time tonight listening to my husband's Bossa Nova playlist. I can see using this app to find background music to pump into the library. I think students really respond to calming music while studying.
I would like to listen to Spotify offline while I'm in the car, and get rid of those CDs for good, but that would mean upgrading to the Premium account. I went ahead and signed up for the "Free Trial" which I am sure will lead to yet another subscription in my life.
For now, though, I explored Spotify. My husband has this on his phone; I have never gotten around to installing on mine, so I was glad to have a reason to. It is a great app, and I don't know why it took me so long. You can listen to Spotify radio stations according to music genre, discover new music, and share playlists. I spent some time tonight listening to my husband's Bossa Nova playlist. I can see using this app to find background music to pump into the library. I think students really respond to calming music while studying.
I would like to listen to Spotify offline while I'm in the car, and get rid of those CDs for good, but that would mean upgrading to the Premium account. I went ahead and signed up for the "Free Trial" which I am sure will lead to yet another subscription in my life.
Thing 18: Education
So many Education apps! Where to even begin? I am familiar with lots of these, and they are all worthwhile. I have used Google Earth, TED Talks, Khan Academy, and even Duo Lingo. Last week in our MLIS class, Doug Johnson introduced me to Socrative, an interactive site where you can easily create quizzes.
Because the Common Core standards and 21st century learning skills are emphasizing using primary documents in research, I decided to explore Today's Document for this Thing. With this app, you can "explore American history with 365 of the most fascinating documents and photos from the collections of the US National Archives." It shows an interactive gallery that displays a significant historical document or photo for each day of the year. Students could type in their birthday or search for a document that would aid in a research project.
The document of the day today was "The Return of Goods Shipped for Exploration on the Ship Mount Vernon" from May 19, 1803. The only document connected to my birthday, November 8, was an election ballot for Kennedy and Johnson vs. Nixon and Lodge (as well as the Prohibition and Socialist Labor Parties' candidates). It was great to be able to have such easy access to these historical documents, and when I clicked on the information button, I was provided with an explanation of what the document was as well as links for more information.
This is definitely a worthwhile app for anyone doing historical research as well as just anyone who is curious about history in general. I can see spending many hours just clicking around in here.
Because the Common Core standards and 21st century learning skills are emphasizing using primary documents in research, I decided to explore Today's Document for this Thing. With this app, you can "explore American history with 365 of the most fascinating documents and photos from the collections of the US National Archives." It shows an interactive gallery that displays a significant historical document or photo for each day of the year. Students could type in their birthday or search for a document that would aid in a research project.
The document of the day today was "The Return of Goods Shipped for Exploration on the Ship Mount Vernon" from May 19, 1803. The only document connected to my birthday, November 8, was an election ballot for Kennedy and Johnson vs. Nixon and Lodge (as well as the Prohibition and Socialist Labor Parties' candidates). It was great to be able to have such easy access to these historical documents, and when I clicked on the information button, I was provided with an explanation of what the document was as well as links for more information.
This is definitely a worthwhile app for anyone doing historical research as well as just anyone who is curious about history in general. I can see spending many hours just clicking around in here.
Thing 17: Connecting to Community
I really had no idea there were so many community apps out there! Personally, I am interested in so many of these. The first app I downloaded was the MPR Radio. I subscribe to podcasts of some of the radio shows on MPR, but I didn't realize how easy it is to just stream it on my phone. As I tested it out, I launched right in to Terri Gross interviewing Louis C.K. Normally, I don't get to hear Terri unless I am driving late while her show is on, but it is great that I can just sit on my couch and listen to her!
Next, I explored Minnesota 511. I thought it was funny that as I installed it, a dialog box came up urging me to Be Safe and asking, "Do you agree to not use this application while driving." I did agree, and a map with lots of red and yellow warnings came up. So many so, that I could not even see the map. It must be spring in Minnesota!
I was tempted to install the Minnesota State Fair app, but I will wait until that is more topical. Instead, the last app I explored was the Going Out from Star Tribune App. This is a great resource for events in the Twin Cities. The menu includes categories like movies, restaurants, music, events at the Guthrie, and Best Bets. I can see myself using this frequently.
All in all, this category is great for me personally, and though I may not keep many of the apps I am trying on my phone long term, these definitely will stay. I also see potential for using these community apps with students. I think it would be interesting to give them this list and see which of the apps appeals to them the most.
Next, I explored Minnesota 511. I thought it was funny that as I installed it, a dialog box came up urging me to Be Safe and asking, "Do you agree to not use this application while driving." I did agree, and a map with lots of red and yellow warnings came up. So many so, that I could not even see the map. It must be spring in Minnesota!
I was tempted to install the Minnesota State Fair app, but I will wait until that is more topical. Instead, the last app I explored was the Going Out from Star Tribune App. This is a great resource for events in the Twin Cities. The menu includes categories like movies, restaurants, music, events at the Guthrie, and Best Bets. I can see myself using this frequently.
All in all, this category is great for me personally, and though I may not keep many of the apps I am trying on my phone long term, these definitely will stay. I also see potential for using these community apps with students. I think it would be interesting to give them this list and see which of the apps appeals to them the most.
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