Shanda Crittendon
Nearpod
Nearpod is a free educational app for teachers and students to utilize to make the use of technology easier. Teachers can create lessons for students and link them to Google Classroom. Nearpod can support students in grades K-12 . Nearpod is accessible on ipads, tablets, or computer devices. The educational app is an interactive slideshow tool that engages students and promotes collaboration skills. After reviewing ratings on Nearpod, I believe that the app is an excellent source for teachers to find lessons that include standards that need to be taught throughout the school year.
Ratings: https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/nearpod
Standard: 9. Observe, record, and share findings of local weather patterns over a period of time. ( I have used many science lessons from Nearpod to help my studnents learn how to predict and record the weather)
Redbird Mathematics
Redbird Mathematics fits well with blended or flipped classrooms. Redbird provides differentiated instruction and helps students build confidence in their abilities to learn. In either case, students will mostly have an easy time self-pacing through Redbird, but the teacher will need to be available to pull students for targeted instruction and to provide intellectual pushes. Users can purchase three months of independent study math curriculum or ELA curriculum for $60, or at a combined rate of $90 for both subjects. The tutor-supported version of the curriculum is $495 per quarter for a single subject, or $890 a quarter for both math and ELA. The site offers a ten percent discount for subscribers that take advantage of the auto-renew feature. Research reveals that Redbird is an effective tool for teachers to assist K-7 students with learning and mastering standards across the curriculum. I truly recommend this app and the ratings support my belief.
Review:https://www.edsurge.com/product-reviews/redbird-advanced-learning-courses
The standard that I would use with Redbird Mathematics:
CCSS.Math.Content. K.OA.A2-Solve addition and subtraction word problems, and add and subtract within 10,e.g., by using objects or drawings to represent the problem. (I would create an assignment with the assistance of Redbird and review student reponses to check for understanding on addition and subraction.)
Khan Academy
Khan Academy is one of the best educational apps used to introduce, practice, and review content by classroom teachers and other educators. Khan Academy teaches skills in math, science, history, and economics. The app assists teachers in boosting student learning while meeting the needs of students at the same time. The math modules are organized by course and grade level so it's easy to target students' instruction for a particular level and skill. Khan Academy is easy to set up and is compatible with Google Classroom, which is very beneficial during virtual learning. There is no cost to download the app and it is recommended for K-12 students. The review site is a credible source because it lists pros and cons of the app. It also allows users to rate after they have used the software to inform others that may want to consider using the app. I believe reviewing the ratings website will help new users understand how the app works and the benefits of the program.
Ratings: https://www.commonsense.org/education/how-we-rate-and-review
Standard: 3. Distinguish between living and nonliving things and verify what living things need to survive. (I would choose a lesson on Khan academy to teach students about living and nonliving things and review their completed assignments in order to determine if standards are met.)
If I had to select one of the above educational apps, I would choose Nearpod. As a former classroom teacher, I have used Nearpod to search for multiple lessons for my students. The lessons on Nearpod are engaging and the lessons cover many standards. Theapp also includes videos to coincide with each lesson. After utilizing the app, my students were able to complete lessons on Nearpod that I linked through Google Classroom. It is an amazing resource and I recommend this app to teachers and other educators to use with their students to teach standards in each grade level.
As a mathematics educator, I am very fond of Khan Academy for supplementation. Although, I have noticed that at times, the instructor for the videos sometimes uses vocabulary that is not quite appropriate for the age of my students. Terms such as "principle of superposition" when discussing rigid motions in Geometry when we are simply covering the basics. I admit that I am intrigued by the Redbird Mathematics application, especially considering the year we are in. My school specifically is hybrid with half of the students attending one day and the other half the other days. It seems as though it would be especially useful for homeschooled children. I would be interested to learn more about it based on the link for the reviews.
ReplyDeleteI have first hand used each of these applications, not as a teacher, but as a student. I agree that Nearpod is helps make lessons more engaging. My favorite app from this list would have to be Khan Academy. Without it, I would have never made it through high school or college math. Being able to pause and rewind a math lesson is super helpful to learners like me. I wish my teachers would have shown me Khan Academy way earlier in high school. I think that all math teachers should explore the Khan Academy website with their students at the beginning of the semester. It would even be helpful to link a Khan Academy video to each section they are teaching.
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