Evanced Games Review

Recently I was sent an email giving me codes to download a couple of iPad apps to review.

The first one was Froggy Phonics which is geared for children ages Pre-K to grade 2. The cost of the app is $4.99. Students have the frogs leap from lily pad to lily pad trying to locate the words with the sounds that are given. Clues may be beginning, ending, or middle sounds. It kind of reminded me of that old game Frogger only this was educational. The graphics and sound effects were engaging and I can see young children really enjoying this. The directions were clear and easy to understand. Once the frog leaps on the correct lily pad, the word also said aloud. If the frog tries to leap to the wrong pad, the frog won’t leap. This is a great way to help students self-correct. I think this would be a great app for young students to work with.

The second app was Tic-Tac Bananas which is geared for children from K-grade 2 and costs $1.99. This is a two person game and would be a fun game to use for word recognition reinforcement. Students look at the pictures and the part of a word that is shown. They are given letters to complete the word that describes the picture. Each person takes a turn by choosing a square to figure out the word and if they get it right, an X (made of bananas) or an O (made of a coconut) is put in the square. If they get it wrong, the picture changes in the square and they lose a turn. The graphics and sound effects are fun and amusing but I would turn down the volume if used in the classroom because it might disturb the other students. I think this would be great to use as a reward for students who complete their work early. I think the price is great for this app too.

The last app was That’s Baloney which is a trivia quiz game for students in grades 2-6. The great thing about this app is that it is free! I really enjoyed this game and I think students would have fun also. You start by giving your name and then you choose the mode where sandwich is 20 random questions or snack mode where you can choose a category. Then you choose a grade level that you want to start with. You have to decide if each statement given is true or baloney. If you get it wrong, you lose a pickle and if you lose 4 pickles, you lose the game. At the end of the game, they also review the answers. I would totally recommend this for teachers who are looking for a free educational app to try with their students. (I have to admit, that this was a lot of fun for me too!)

iPads - More than Angry Birds!

Another session that I attended shared info about Ipads and some apps. The official write up in the program states,

“Come learn how to integrate iPads into your instruction. Learn ways to use iPads to increase fluency in reading, writing, and math, build comprehension and create project-based learning. Make your life eeasier by using iPads to collect data, conduct IEP meetings, teach and reinforce lessons, and accommodate student’s individual academic needs.”

Here is the handout that she shared with us:

Blackburn’s Favorite Apps List

	Showme Free Recordable whiteboard – you can record while writing. Great for prerecording review lessons.		Explain Everything $2.99 Similar to “Show Me” but allows you to import photos and documents.
	Puffin $2.99 Web Browser that allows Adobe Flash		Puppet Pal Free/$2.99 Full Version Create your own puppet show. Very student friendly and great for story retelling and summarizing practice.
	Doc As Free/$2.99 The best way to organize annotated documents. I use this app for student data collection		SayHi $2.99 Translation App
	Socrative Free Student response system for assessments		DropBox Free Document storage, allows you to access files from anywhere.
	Talking John Free Repeats what you say! Great for Spelling Practice		Talking Roby Free Repeats what you say! Great for Spelling Practice
	Place Value Free Visual Representation of Place Value		Counting to 10 Free Basic 10 Frame
	Splash Math Free/$9.99 Full Version Math Practice that correlates to Common Core and emails students’ Progress Reports		Virtual Manipulative Free Visual for fractions, decimals, and percentages. Can even prerecord lessons in advance.
	Toontastic Free/$9.99 Full Version Guides students through creating their own cartoon		Videolicious Free Easy student friendly app for creating movies on iPad.
	Chalk Board Free Simply a Chalk Board, but a student favorite		Jumbled Sentence Free Students arrange words to form correct sentences. Even reads the word to students.
	iTalk Free Basic Recorder – Great for students to practice reading fluency and conduct self-assessments.		Dragon Dictate Free Speech to Text App I use this app with struggling writers to help them get their ideas down on paper.
	GeoBoard Free Basic GeoBoard practice without rubber bands!!		Learning A-Z Free (but must have Reading A-Z and Raz Kids) Allows a student to access Raz-Kids On Your Own Books and Quizzes on iPads.
	Book Retriever $0.99 Classroom library manager - Allows you to track books checked in and out of classroom library.		Class Dojo Free Classroom Management Tool
	Sentence Builder Free Students practice building sentences out of mixed words		AppTutor Free - $4.99 Math apps that reviews concepts and has guided practice for students
	Dictionary Free Can be used as traditional dictionary, however, students can also say the word into speaker to find it.		First Grade $2.99 General practice of basic math and reading skills. Also Kindergarten version available.
	Doceri Free Desktop control app		I Like Books Free Several difference apps, but all are basic books with real pictures.
	Going Places Free Video Social Stories about going different places in the community. Great for students with Autism!		Tap To Talk Free Communication board with pictures and sound. Several albums preloaded but can design more on website.