Learning Resources for iPads to promote student learning
by Debbie
The apps/games that I use regularly with the prep children in my class are Playful mind 5-8 year olds, Eggy Words, Visual Timer, Playschool Art Maker, Cake Doodle, Sock Puppets, rEd Writing, as well as a range of Story books. Other resources that I have used and are suited to older grades are: Sonic Pics, My Story, Explain Everything, Puppet Pals, Hyperblast.
Eggy Words: Cost: Free for Eggy 100, $2.99 for Eggy 250. This app is part of the Reading Eggs series of educational games, produced by Blake eLearning. The free version has 3 levels with 25 challenges to complete per stage and allows you to choose the speed of the eggs. It starts off with easy words and some help but as you continue to play the support drops off. For each challenge you have a word and have to find as many eggs with the word on it. Other objects are flung in your way (like frying pans, pigs and rotton eggs) as well as stray words, these all gradually speed up the more you collect. You can also collect bonus puzzle pieces and extra life. The game repeats the word every time you tap the correct egg, which makes this a fun game that supports the children as they are learning sight words.
My Story: Cost: $1.99. This app allows students to create their own stories using pictures from the camera roll, take a new picture, create an illustration or draw over a current picture using the inbuilt art tool. It is easy to insert pages and move between pages of the book to edit as they work. The users can then record their story orally or type in the text. When the story is complete, it can be shared via email or opened in iBooks. This app has been used by many teachers in the school and the children and teachers have been very impressed with the ease of creating their projects. One limitation when using this tool within a shared bank of iPads and the user does not finish in the allotted timeframe, then they have to use the same iPad to complete the task.