App it up

App It UpIowa Small Libraries Online ConferenceJanuary 2014

Follow us on Twitter today at #ISLOC14.

By Lisa MulvennaHead of Youth ServicesClinton-Macomb Public LibraryClinton Township, MI

• Why use apps and tablets in your programs?

• What to look for in a quality app?

• How to use apps in story time?

• Where to go for more information?

Why use apps and tablets in your programs?

• Your customers want apps!*

• They are cost effective.

• The technology is available to everyone, regardless of their income or special needs.

• Customers can test the apps before buying.

*”Libraries in the Digital Age” by Pew Research Center. January 22, 2013. http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/01/22/part-4-what-people-want-from-their-libraries/

Kids’ apps are important.• The number of children reading digitally has

doubled over the past 2 years-a faster pace of growth than seen with adults.

• 75% of parents surveyed reported that they want help finding apps and ebooks for their children.

”Kids and Family Reading Report, 4th Edition” by Scholastic. 2013. http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/files/kfrr2013-wappendix.pdf/

Should we be using tablets with young children?

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning recommend:• Avoid “passive” screen time with young children.  Instead

use shared tech time as an interactive experience between caregiver and child.

• The report highly recommends the use of “interactive media” that encourages creativity in children.

• Access to technology for children at day cares, schools and libraries is an important key in improving their digital literacy.

• Limits should be in place for children of all ages, and special considerations are given in working with infants and toddlers.

Appropriate Uses of Technology with Children from Birth through Age 8 from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning.  Position Statement, adopted January, 2012http://www.naeyc.org/content/technology-and-young-children

iPad vs. Android-Which should I get?• Mobile users download around 14 billion tablet apps during

the year, 75% of which are running on an iPad. Android tablet apps account for around 17% of the market.

• 375,000 apps in the Apple App store designed with iPad users in mind vs. in the low tens of thousands available through Google Play.

“Android Will Account for 58% of Smartphone App Downloads in 2013, with iOS Commanding a Market Share of 75% in Tablet Apps” by ABI Research. March 4, 2013. http://www.abiresearch.com/press/android-will-account-for-58-of-smartphone-app-down“Half of Top iPad Apps Either Unavailable or Not Optimized on Android” by Canalys. August 14, 2013. http://www.canalys.com/newsroom/half-top-ipad-apps-either-unavailable-or-not-optimized-android

Check out your schools!• Are your schools using tablets in the classrooms? • Which are they using? • Are there plans to add tablets for in-school use?

According to School Library Journal’s 2013 Technology Survey (November 2013 issue), 34% of the respondents have tablets in the schools. Another 11% plan to add them over the next year.

Of the 155 million iPads sold since the beginning, 10 million (or 6%) were in the schools as of June 2013.*

*“The iPad Goes to School” by Devin Leonard. Bloomberg Business Week. October 24, 2013.http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-10-24/the-ipad-goes-to-school-the-rise-of-educational-tablets

Tablets and Common Core

• Many states are planning on beginning online testing this spring.

• Reading online is a skill, similar to reading fiction or nonfiction books. It needs to be practiced.

• Libraries who use tablets in their programs or as mounted stations are giving their users a chance to build their online skills.

What should I look for in a quality app for kids?

Here are some of the things that I look for:• Interactivity-it’s no fun to stare at a screen that does

nothing.

• If it is a digital book, I make sure that it translates well from paper to digital. Some are done okay and some have bells and whistles. (Sandra Boynton’s books are a good example of bells and whistles.)

• Can it make my life easier while adding something special to a program? For example, Felt Board allows you to set up a flannelboard rhyme rather quickly. I compare that with the time it would take me to buy felt and cut out shapes.

• Can it provide some sort of story time extension? My favorite example is Musical Flash Cards-Animals (see next slide).

Here are some of my favorites…

Musical Flash Cards-Animals has a bunch of animal buttons. When you push the button, you will hear what noise each animal makes.

This app pairs well with Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin, Jr. After we read the story, we talk about what sounds each animal might make. I have the kids demonstrate their ideas, then we push the button to hear the real sound.

Musical Flash Cards-Animals

This app was not available in December through iTunes in the U.S. I am hoping that they bring it back.

Credit goes to Anna Haase Krueger aka Future Librarian Superhero for the original ideas!

Old MacDonald• Play the animal noise first

and have the kids guess what animal will “pop” out of the door.

House Guessing Game• Play an animal noise and

have the kids guess the animal.

• Then guess which color window that the animal will pop out of.

Barnyard Dance

This is a digital book app that translates well to a tablet. Here’s why:• You can read or the narrator

can read the story.

• Words are highlighted as they are read (or at a reading pace if you are reading aloud). This is great for early literacy!

• Almost every illustration does something special. You can read this app many times and find new things every time.

Available on iTunes and Google Play.Created by Loud Crow Interactive.

Go Away, Big Green Monster!

Kids love this app. Here are some great things about this app:

• While you can read the story yourself, the narration is done by Ed Emberley.

• The monster’s face is interactive.

• The controls for turning the pages (arrows in the corners) and getting back to the home screen (home button in top left) are some of the easiest I have seen. This makes it a great app for beginners.Available on iTunes and Google Play.

Created by Night & Day Studios, Inc.

Trains

Why?

• The illustrations match the words. Plus, the trains actually move as the story is read.

• The words are highlighted as they are read. This is great for early literacy!

• With its simple lines and vibrant colors, kids are really attracted to this app.

• Check out Byron Barton’s other book apps-Boats, Planes, and Trucks. All of them are great!

Available on iTunes.Created by Oceanhouse Media.

Wee Sing and Learn ABC

Why?

• Not only can you sing your ABC’s with this app, but it highlights each letter of the alphabet in story form.

• As you can see, the designers are also reinforcing the “b” sound with pictures of a bear, a butterfly, a book, and a balloon.

Available on iTunes.Created by zukka incorporated.

Flip Flap Farm

Why?

• 121 possible combinations of animal tops and bottoms.

• It is silly! Kids love silly.

• By mixing up the animal names, you are also modeling for parents and kids. You are playing with phonological awareness (early literacy skill).

• Pairs well with a farm story time.

Available on iTunes.Created by Nosy Crow.

Felt BoardWhy?

• You can preset your board to have all of the pieces on the screen, especially if you have kids who like to take them all off.

• Works well with “count down” rhymes where you take something away.

• Saves time-you don’t have to cut out all of the pieces!

Available on iTunes.Created by Software Smooothie.

Five Little Monkeys

Five Little Snowflakes Mary Wore a Red

Dress

Five Big Boats

Felt Board-Mother Goose on the Loose

Available on iTunes.Created by Software Smoothie.

In addition to belonging to the Felt Board family, this app also:

• Was free at my last check in December 2013.

• Supports the Mother Goose on the Loose program.

Make a Scene-Farmyard

Available on iTunes and Google Play.Created by Innivo Ltd.

Why?

• It works just like a flannelboard-you move your “stickers” around to make a scene.

• I like this one for singing Old MacDonald Had a Farm, but you could also use it for any “5 Little” rhymes.

• Saves time-you don’t have to cut out all of the pieces!

• At this time there are 12 different Make a Scene apps. There is definitely something for most programs!

Sock PuppetsWhy?• This is a fun and different

way to present songs and rhymes. You can also use it to introduce a letter of the day.

• Create your own sock puppet characters and record what you want them to say.

• This would also be a fun creation app for bigger kids. You could make a whole program out of it where they design their characters, come up with a script, and put on the show for others.

Available on iTunes.Created by Smith Microsoftware Inc.

Bunny Fun: Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes

Why?• This is a fun and different

way to present songs and rhymes.

• You can listen to the song in four languages-English, French, Spanish, and Japanese.

• Words are printed as the bunny points to a body part while the words are sung. This is an excellent way to work on decoding and comprehension (words have meaning), in addition to letter knowledge.

• Works especially well if you are reading a Max & Ruby book.

Available on iTunes.Created by Auryn Inc.

The Wheels on the Bus

Why?• Bright colors, decent music,

& early literacy-what more can you want?

• You can sing along with the app.

• The verses are written out. This is great for preschoolers and kindergartners as they work on early literacy.

• Actions reflect the words

Available on iTunes and Google Play.Created by Duck Duck Moose

Fingerpaint with SoundsWhy?• Do you introduce a

“Letter of the Day” in story time? If so, then this app is a great addition to your program. Instead of just seeing the shape of a letter (like with a magnet), kids can watch the letter formation as your finger moves.

• For children with special needs, this app is a good introduction to using a touch screen. Wherever you touch, paint appears.

Available on iTunes and Google Play.Created by Inclusive Technology Ltd.

My A-Z

Why?• This set of flash cards

matches letters to the pictures. This is a great way to reinforce early literacy skills.

• For extra fun, you can add your own pictures and change the text. To the left is a train in the CMPL Children’s Department.

Available on iTunes.Created by Night & Day Studios.

Peekaboo Barn

Why?• Early literacy! You see the

dog, you hear its noise (woof!), then you see the spelling of “dog”.

• Just like the name implies, you play peekaboo with the barn doors and the animals hiding behind them. This makes a fun guessing game.

• If you like this app, there is also Peekaboo Forest, Peekaboo Wild, Peekaboo People, Peekaboo Trick or Treat, and Peekaboo Sesame Street. Available on iTunes and Google Play.

Created by Night & Day Studios.

Eric Carle’s My Very First App

Available on iTunes and Google Play.Created by Night & Day Studios.

Why?• This app is great for

reinforcing early concepts-colors, numbers, and shapes.

• I use it like memory. We try to match the concepts. For examples, in the picture to the left, is the lemon purple?

Next Up: The technical portion

What you definitely need:• iPad-Keep in mind that you don’t need the newest one

on the market. Keep in mind:• Does it have to be new? Honestly, no. There are

some great refurbished iPads out there and they work just as good.

• What you need is something that will run apps. The retina display and air features are bells & whistles that aren’t necessary to story time.

• If you will be working with a group, an iPad will be easily visible by 10-15 kids. If you purchase the mini, your visibility factor radically drops.

• Case for iPad-My favorite case is the iGuy by Speck ($39.99 through most retailers).

If you have a larger group, you will want a way to project the apps.

Option #1

Projector VGA Adaptor Screen

This will allow you to project your apps onto a large screen. Unfortunately, I don’t have a large screen (or room for one) in my program room.

Option #2

Apple TV HD TV with HDMI port

HDMI cable

This will allow you to project your apps onto a TV screen. For my group of 20 or so kids, this is plenty. Plus, it is portable!

All about apps• In order to purchase apps, you will need an iTunes

account.

• Legally you are allowed to transfer 1 app to 10 devices with the same iTunes id for one purchase price. This can work for anything in the Apple family, including iPods, iPads, and iPhones.

• If you will be using an app on more than 10 devices, go through Apple Education. While there is a lot of paperwork involved, you will save up to half off of each app.

Do you want more info?

Companies that design apps are similar to book publishers in the library world. There are good ones that we tend to follow for our collections. The same is true for apps. Once you find some that you like, you will go back for more of their apps. Here are some of my favorites:

• Duck Duck Moose (Songs, games, and more)

• Loud Crow Interactive (Books)

• Night & Day Studios (Books, games, and more)

• Nosy Crow (Books)

• Oceanhouse Media (Books)

• Software Smoothie (Felt Board)

Do apps have reviews?Definitely, yes! This is turning into the “next big thing” in review journals. Here are some mainstream journals and other sites that offer reviews:

• Children’s Technology Review (subscription required for full access)

• Common Sense Media• Digital Storytime• The Horn Book (web site offers an App of the Week)• Kirkus• Little eLit (Plus, follow them on Pinterest!)• Parent’s Choice• Publisher’s Weekly• School Library Journal

For more information:

Contact me online at:• Blog-www.lisaslibraryland.blogspot.com• Email-lmmulvenna@gmail.com• Twitter-@lmulvenna