1. Explain Everything App -
This app records the speech, graphics, and thought process of the user. This is a great tool for both the teacher and the student. As a teacher, I have used this to create a mini-lesson for my students but I have also used this app for my students to share with me their thoughts. It allows me to "see" what they are thinking. They have a 5-star rating on the commonsense website.
The cost is free to try and there is a paid version with more features.
The age range is from 3 grade -university.
The device platform is Apple for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, Android, and Chrome.
Commonsense is a non-profit company dedicated to helping improve the lives of families and kids by providing information and education you can trust in the 21st century.
2. Plickers -
This app is used by the teacher rather than the student. The students use either a card or a sticker with a printed QR code. The teacher uses an iPhone, iPad, or Android device with a camera to scan the "plicker" cards to record the student answers. This is a cheaper version of student response system commonly called clickers.
Originally, when I used this tool/app it was free. The only cost associated was the making of the cards or plickers. From the most current reviews, it seems like there is a cost associated with the program. I could not find that information on the website to be true.
The age range claims to be 3rd grade - university. I am sure if taught correctly a 2nd grader could easily use the plicker.
The device platform is Apple for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and android with a camera.
Commonsense is a non-profit company dedicated to helping improve the lives of families and kids by providing information and education you can trust in the 21st century.
3. Remind -
The remind app is a great to communicate with parents and students outside of school without having to exchange personal information. I can send information to the group and receive direct messages from a parent through the remind app. All of this can occur without personal numbers being exchanged. Parents feel better about being able to communicate with the teachers and teachers feel better about having an open line of communication with both students and parents. This is used for school assignments and extra curricular activities as well.
The app is free to use and join.
The age range can be for pre-k to university students. The Pre-K students will not be using the app but the parents will.
The device platform any cell phone that receives text messages, website, android, apple.
Commonsense is a non-profit company dedicated to helping improve the lives of families and kids by providing information and education you can trust in the 21st century.
Of the three apps, I feel that Explain Everything would work best with the common core standard CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.1. In this standard you are citing textual evidence to support your claim. You can do this in this app by drawing reference lines back to your evidence, talking about evidence, or writing it out in text form. When you are finished, you can share your video creation with your class or teacher.
This is my first time learning about the app Explain Everything. I would agree that this app will benefit students learning because they are able to learn technology skills to improve there learning. It also teaches them to become independent and vocalize what they are thinking when completing a lesson. Overall, this app appears to be very useful for teachers and students.
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ReplyDeleteLike Whitney, this is my first time hearing about Explain Everything! It's actually very neat. It reminds me of a Google Jamboard with many more features. I really liked it, and I actually made an account to hopefully implement it in my classroom soon. I loved that you can add files, screenshots, clipart, and audio to the collaborative whiteboard, something that Google Jamboard - what I use - doesn't offer. There is one question I would have about it: does Explain Everything allow you to track who has made edits on a collaborative board? That is one feature I really wish Google Jamboard had. If it does, I'm sold and I am switching indefinitely! Thank you for such a great app review.
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