iPad Literacy

For this class' assignment we were asked to review a few different types of apps, a Dictionary app, a Grammar or spelling app, a Drawing app, and a Story telling app.

I first looked at the dictionary app, Merriam-Webster, I have used the internet site for Webster before and I found the app to be similar in construction. I appreciate the way that they layout the words and explain them to help give people mastery of them. I also like the amount of background information that is given in a word that is not possible in an actual book format. I feel like if this were used in a classroom it would provide opportunities for curious students to explore more about words rather than simply retrieving a definition.

Second, I took a look at the app My Spelling Test. it provides some interesting features like being able to let children take a spelling test at their own pace. the teacher in the video also used a smart board in conjunction with the app to allow the student to move around and be out of their seat. I like the premise of this app, however unless there is a iPad for every student I do not see it as being practical in a classroom. However if a child has their own technology it could defiantly be used as a study tool.

The Next app I looked at was called Drawing Pad. This app is used to make pictures using different types of brushes, markers, pens, and backgrounds. I liked using this app, it had several different types of mediums to paint and draw with. one of the things that surprised me in this app what the assortment of different brushes to use even in the paint section. It had multiple widths and styles of brushes that all did different things when making a drawing. One of the ways that I see this working in a classroom is if there are centers set up, this could be a cool way to asses students by having them create a visual representation of whatever the subject is for that day.

Finally I looked at the app, Puppet Pals. Out of all the apps I looked at for this assignment i liked this one the most. it was a fun app that was very easy to use. This app is designed to create puppet shows with pre-loaded characters, and the user can input their voice to create the dialogue. there are several genres to choose from when creating a show, as well as several characters and backdrops in those genres. This app is very simple and intuitive allowing for people to grasp the concepts of using it very easily. I can see this app having an abundance of uses in history settings, by making the students retell the events in history through a puppet show.