123 Tracer Lite Review

I reviewed "123 Tracer Lite," an app geared toward young children.

Cost: Free

Pros: This app could be especially useful as an educational supplement. I could see a parent lending his or her child the iPad to play with this app on a car ride or on a rainy summer day. The tracing portion of this app would be a great way to practice skills outside of the classroom, especially since a lot of young children need extra work on their motor skills. Another positive aspect of this app is that the addition & subtraction portion would be a fun way for a class to review their math facts. Teachers could reward children with playing this game and facilitate learning along the way. Lastly, the counting portion of this app almost doubles as a matching game. This could be a fun way for children to categorize similar items while counting them. Also, it's a free app, so teachers could recommend it to parents without having to worry about the cost. There's also a full version for $1.99 that appears to have greater depth to it and a family of "Tracer" apps available for purchase.

Cons: This application seems to be best used as a supplement to a basic lesson. While it is a fun way for students to practice some of their skills, it is geared more toward individuals. (I'm sure teachers could work around this or use it as a center.) I found it difficult to navigate back to the main menu without completely quitting the app as well. Another negative aspect of this app is that it lacks depth. By this, I mean that students can only add and subtract on it and will outgrow it. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though. This could almost serve as a formative assessment, a way for teachers to chart a child's progress along the way. Lastly, on a more superficial note, this app was slightly boring. Young children might appreciate the farm animal theme, but I found the repetition to be unfulfilling.

Classroom Use: I believe an application like this would be best used as a game, serving as part of the class's hidden curriculum. By this, I mean that this app could almost disguise learning as a game, a kind of game that the students beg to play and enables them to enjoy math. I wouldn't use it during the height of my lesson but as a reinforcement to the main lesson because it focuses on tracing numbers, counting, and basic addition and subtraction. These concepts are fundamental and students should practice them all the time, not just during a lesson.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/123-tracer-more-lite-free/id343243254?mt=8

Molecule is a must

The app I found is called "molecule" and it is a really cool app for chemistry and science. It is a free app found here:
itunes.apple.com/us/app/molecules/id284943090?mt=8

From what I could see there were a lot of pros. You can look up any molecule and it would bring up a list to choose from. From that you can move around the composition of whatever you choose to get a visual of what it looks like. It would be really applicable to use in a chemistry classroom. It also shows the number of atoms when you click to extend the description of whatever molecule you chose. I would definitely have my students in a chemistry class use this app so they can have a more in-depth look rather than a picture or a slide to look at. The cons? I couldn't really see any because it is a free version so I do not expect a lot from free apps.

Math Ninja

In a seemingly infinite realm of math apps, I decided to narrow my search for the one I would review by using a few test subjects I had at my disposal. I downloaded several math apps that I have played with and handed my iPad to the kids I baby-sit for. They opted to experience the Math Ninja HD Free app because "Ninjas are epic." Math Ninja HD Free is a defense game with basic math skills entwined throughout as defense strategy. The app begins in story mode; a ninja (protaganist) has irritated an evil tomato (villian) who apparently dislikes math and people who are good at math, and wants to defeat the ninja by sending evil animal robots to destroy the ninja's tree house. Side-note: this game and its storyline seemed to make a lot more sense to the kids than to me.

Hyperlink: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-ninja-hd-free!/id373814902?mt=8

Cost: Free

Pros: The name and the theme of this app immediately caught the attention of the second and fifth grade boys I sit for. App users have the option of choosing which and how many math categories they will be tested in. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are all available with the option of choosing just one or all to study. Money is also used throughout the game; users earn dollars by successful math problem completion and game play and may spend the money to upgrade weapons and more efficiently fight the evil robots that hate math. The game has a story that accompanies it, encouraging reading and comprehension, and there are small portions of game play where there is no math used, providing a break, sustaining interest, and providing added incentive to app users.

Cons: The math skills are very basic and too simple for the reading level of the story; primary grades would be the math audience but may have a difficult time reading/understanding the story. There is some simulated violence, which not all parents or schools will condone, even if the violence is against robots and evil vegetables.

Classroom Use: I would designate this app as a free-time activity to be done in pairs. The different levels of reading comprehension and math skills would make the app a great activity for multi-grade "buddies" or pairs within the classroom. The students could trade off between trials; one student solves the math problems while the other plays the manual dexterity portion of the game and vice-versa.

Math Tutor Lite 2

Name: Math Tutor Lite 2

Hyperlink: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-tutor-2-lite/id376272010?mt=8

Cost: Free

Pros: Free and includes interactive ways to study addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions. Has practice mode and test mode. Ranges from grades 1-6. Has four different categories including balloon popping, basketball shooting, car racing, and rainfall that provide a visual stimulation for the students and makes it more fun. Tracks your progress in each mathematical category. Has a well organized and useful Help section.

Cons: Not the clearest resolution when fully zoomed in, ads on the bottom of the screen, sound can be irritating and counterproductive, especially in the instruction sections. The tutorial moves way too fast and doesn’t allow appropriate time to read and absorb material being taught.

Classroom Use: Could be very useful in practicing basic math operations. For example, if there is a multiplication quiz that day, the students could be allowed five minutes on this app beforehand in order to practice their multiplication. Also, taking a test on this app could be required every week and since it tracks progress, the students can compare their results to previous weeks. Since it is fun and stimulating, it could also be used as extrinsic motivation for students who behave well in class or meet other classroom expectations.

NASA Viz

The application I review is NASA Viz.

Cost: Free

Pros: NASA Viz shows actual pictures of earth taken from outer space.  The application shows different regions of the world and gives interesting and detailed information about the region.  Additionally the pictures that are seen on application are very detailed and catch the viewers attention.  This application is viewable to all ages.  Even though the information given may be difficult to read, the pictures given allow younger students to study the pictures and make their own conclusions.

Cons:  The only concept I do not like with the application is there is no choice.  The viewer cannot decided what they want to look up and read about.  There is only certain amount of pictures and information given at one time.  Eventually other stuff is added, but the viewer cannot chose what is added to the application.

Classroom:  I would like to use this in the classroom with a science unit dealing with geography and the earth.  Additionally I would like to have to student connect some of the information into math using basic methods and concepts about are and geometry.  Lastly I have not tried or seen other applications like it so I am still getting learning the application as well.


Anyone know how to send the copy the link of the app from the app store?

Autism App

The app I reviewed is called Autism Apps. This is a free app, yet not...

Pros- This is not the typical one stop app. I would describe it as a mini iTunes store neatly categorized. Autism app finds some of the top apps for children with disabilities, arranged in 30 different categories. Looking through the Itunes store I sometimes get overwhelmed by all the possible options I could chose. It takes a lot of time to look for the best one, which is why I like this app. Even though it is designed for the needs of children with special needs most of the apps can be great to use with the whole classroom.

Cons- The biggest downfall I had with this app is that you still have to buy apps once you are in it. Since its like a mini store there is a hand full of free ones that they support while many range from $.99 to $49.99. Granted some apps you can buy are worth the money I like when they are free. Another downfall is found in the uniqueness of this app, being that is a mini store. It would be great if there were apps ready to go in each category rather then an explanation and details about the app.

Uses- As a teacher I would use this app in a special education classroom as well as a regular education classroom. An app that I was able to find quickly was an app called, choice-making board. This app allows you to quickly make just that. Having this as an app you can either take a picture of the child's real life object or even a picture from online, or just words depending on the ability level. Before, these could take hours to make or quite a few dollars to spend. With this app I was able to make on within a minute depending on the current situation. Overall, the choice board was my favorite app that I had time to find. This app also features new apps regularly. As a teacher this will allow me to see new top rated apps quicker then looking through the whole itunes store. With 30 catergories ranging from math to social skills to IEP help and just plain fun, is it so quick and easy to find an app that you need for your classroom and students.

Math Matrix

Math Matrix is an app that costs $1.99 in the full version and is free in the lite version. The game works a lot like bejeweled where you have to match up different jewels to get a solution. On the top of the screen is a number you have to reach that number by finding a pair of numbers that can be added, subtracted, multiplied, or divided to reach that number. Each level is timed and a point value is attached to each number. At the end of each level there is a speed bonus that varies depending on how fast you completed the level.

Pro's: This is an app that works well for all ages. It is great practice for the younger students while it can be a fun speed challenge for the older students.

Con's: The lite app is VERY limited in how long the game lasts. I think it only wasted for 4 levels and that only took me about 3 minutes to complete. Second it would be nice if you could decide which forms of math you would like to use based on the level of the student using the app. So just addition and subtraction for the younger students but add Multiplication and division for the older studnets.

Overall this would be a fun app to use for many different age groups and could be used as an icebreaker in the beginning of the year. You could also use it for some students for when they finish their normal assigned work to use as added practice. As they say practice doesn't make perfect it makes permanent.