MOBILE APPS IN EDUCATIONChrystalla Mouza, Ed.D.University of Delaware

Why Mobile Devices?

Portability• Thousands of documents, books and apps• Long battery life• Thin, light and durable• Cool• Cheaper than other options

Diverse forms of writing• From book reports to digital stories to social media

• Feedback• Audience• Real time responses

Visual information• Not just text

• Photos• Videos• interactive

Free Books & Reading Assistance Functions

• Build a classroom library of free eBooks: Project Guntenberg offers 33,000 free books• More than text• Assistance Functions

• Notes function• Highlight• Built-in dictionary• Copy and paste• Search function that extent onto Google or Wikipedia• Bookmarks

Technology Skills• More than computers

• Media savvy• “App gap”

• An "app gap,“ is developing between children of high-income and low-income families, the latter having limited access to mobile devices and the applications on them. Some statistics from the report:

• One in 10 lower-income children (that is, children from families earning less than $30,000) has a video iPod or similar device in the home, compared to one in 3 of upper-income children (those from families earning more than $75,000).

• Two percent of low- income children have an iPad or tablet in the home, versus 17 percent of higher income children.

• 38 percent of lower-income parents say they don't know what an app is, compared to just 3 percent of higher income parents.

• Fourteen percent of lower-income parents have downloaded apps for their children to use, compared to 47 percent of higher income parents.

Different Learning Styles• Audio• Pictures• Differentiation• Build in functions, hyperlinks, animation etc.• App differentiation and selection:

• supplemental educational apps can be used as practice and motivation

Let’s get started..

Collecting & Organizing Content• iTunes• App Store• Learning with iBooks• Taking Photos with Camera

• Saving Images• Screen shots

• Accessing Wikepedia with Wikipanion• Organizing Apps• Managing Files on the iPad with Good Reader & Dropbox

Productivity• Evernote• Penultimate• Notability• Dragon Dictation

Organizing Ideas with MindMaps• iCard Sort• Idea Sketch• Popplet• Inspiration

What are concept maps?Concept maps are graphical tools for organizing and representing knowledge. They include:• concepts (usually enclosed in circles or boxes of some

type)• Connecting lines that link two concepts and indicate

relationships between concepts • Linking words or phrases that specify the relationship

between the two concepts.

• Concept maps were developed in 1972 in the course of Novak’s research program at Cornell where he sought to follow and understand changes in children’s knowledge of science (Novak & Musonda, 1991).

Value of concept maps• Concept maps can facilitate meaningful learning by

• Identifying general concepts held by the learner prior to instruction• Helping learners link various concepts into a coherent conceptual

framework• Helping learners link new meanings into their prior knowledge,

rather than simply memorizing concept definitions out of context

Digital Storytelling• A way of telling stories using different types of media, such as photos, music, film footage, text, etc.

• Why is it important?• Provides a powerful way to personalize student learning• Helps students express themselves through multiple media• Prompts students to ask the right questions: Why am I telling

this story? What is the main point I want to make? Where am I in this story – how do I relate to it?

• Provide an alternative to the traditional writing assignment• Can motivate and engage students – particularly, ESL or

special education students who struggle with writing

Tools for Digital Storytelling• StoryBuddy• StoryKit• Puppet Pals• Voicethread• Sonoflex – turns symbols into speech• Comic Life• eBook Magic – creates books that can be read in iBooks,

ordered as printed books online and shared with friends• Stories2Learn – Promotes social messages for individuals

with autism; can be personalized with photos, text and audio messages.

Special Education• There have been a lot of stories in the news and about the

iPad and the amazing positive effects it's having for people with various disabilities. Children with autism are the subject of many of these stories.

• http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/disability_issues&id=8154146

Language/Communication• ABA Flash Cards• MyLifeSkills Box• Speakit• My Pictures Talk – helps you catalog, share, remember

and can teach skills to those with autism or developmental delays. It allows you to document trips, adventures, class trips or create your own stories

• iCommunicate – Lets you design visual schedules, storyboards, communication boards, routines, flash cards, speech cards etc. and customize it to your needs.

• Proloquo2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAr3CLxT-X0

Fine Motor• iWritewords• BuildandTeach• Dexteria along with LetterReflex and P.O.V. are part of a

trilogy of essential apps for OTs• Do as me• Touch trainer – cause and effect app

App Selection and Evaluation• See Rubric

Academic Apps• Reading:

• The three little pigs, WordUS2, Super WHY!-PBS kids, Singing Alphabet, Discovery, Bluster

• Math• Math Bingo, Slice it, Super 7, Finger count, iTooch

• Other• Geowalk – 3D world factbook, Geomaster, Stack the States,

President vs Aliens, Brushes for painting, Talking Tom and Talking Roby