If you go to iTunes U (which is a free app), and click on the “For Educators” icon, you will find lots of free resources for teachers to use. This collection, “Using Apps in the Classroom,” has 18 different courses to choose from that each talk about a specific app and how to use it in the classroom. These are all written by teachers and each guide includes a collection of activities that span age ranges and subjects for teachers of every level to use. They are meant to encourage students to think in new ways and help to provide a creative approach to learning.
Below I have listed three of these courses that I find interesting and then I will take a look at one of these more in depth:
From these three courses, I decided to download and take a look at the first one, Scoodle Jam Lesson Ideas. This book honestly provided me with some really cool ideas for how to use the app, Scoodle Jam, in the classroom so that it is also aligned to Common Core. It gives ideas for ages 5-14+ so you can look into the ages that you specifically teach or are interested in. This book included activities for Literacy, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, and Art.
I really like that this app allows students to share canvases and collaborate on a project whether they are sitting right beside each other or are far away. It also has lots of built in manipulatives (such as for money) and graphic organizers (like venn-diagrams) to help students demonstrate and apply their ideas. This app seems to make it easy for students to connect with others, for example they showed in the book how to use the app for students to have e-pals. They could have an e-pal with different students within the school, or it could be someone from another state or country. I know that I always enjoyed when I had a pen pal in grade school, and I think this would be an awesome way for them to connect with others and bring this idea (a bit modernized) back into the classroom as a writing and literacy ongoing assignment.
This app does cost money ($3.99), but for all of its uses I could definitely see myself using this in the classroom if the school is 1 to 1 iPads. I like the idea of using it to write letters, as well as using it for students to collaborate on filling out graphic organizers. These could be over books they are reading in their reading groups, comparing two historical figures, making a cause and effect organizer for history or science, there are multiple uses. This app definitely has its benefits that I will continue to explore and keep in mind for the future, so check out the free book on iTunes U (link above) if you want to get in on the action!