App Reviews

App Reviews

EIM 505

ISTE Standard

1.6. Creative Communicator Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals. Students:

1.6.b. Create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations. 

My Story School eBook Maker  

The My Story School eBook Maker app allows students to easily write and illustrate their own stories. It is designed to be an intuitive interface that is simple enough for even kindergarteners to use. Students can choose from premade stickers, add photos, add and create text, add drawings, and record voice overs to make their own books. The app is ideal for special education integration with the ability to create spoken text instead of text only and large, easy to see, icons and sound for visually impaired students. 

Another nice feature is that the app is designed to be a collaborative tool. Students can work together on a story or have input and changes made by a teacher.  This makes the app very versatile. Students can easily share their creations with the option for printable PDFs, YouTube export, or download as a MP4. 

The cost for My Story School eBook Maker is a one time purchase fee of $4.99.  This is a very cost effective option. Teachers can purchase several copies for use in small group settings. The cost of $4.99 for every student may be on the higher end for a classroom set unless purchased by the district. There are no additional in app purchases required which is ideal for a classroom setting. 

The app is listed as being suited for grades kindergarten through fifth-grade. One reviewer pointed out that the app is ideal for special education students in highschool. My Story School eBook Maker App is compatible with iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touch.

Reviews:

The reviews reflect teacher and parent reviews of the application. Common Sense is a trusted nonprofit source for independent reviews that reflect age appropriate use. 

https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/4084361/teacher-reviews

https://search.bridgingapps.org/apps/my-story-school-ebook-maker

https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/my-story-school-ebook-maker#:~:text=Pros%3A%20Offers%20kids%20creative%20flexibility,wraparound%20lessons%20on%20story%20structure.

https://my-story-school-ebook-maker.en.softonic.com/iphone

Shadow Puppet EDU 

Shadow Puppet EDU allows students to create a video slideshow to illustrate and share their stories. They can search and use images from the app, their camera roll, the Library of Congress, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NASA, the British Library, and NOAA. They can add text or a voice over to the slideshow and videos can be up to 30 minutes long. The app is a useful tool to use in the classroom and is simple and easy to use but the app is outdated. It was last updated in 2015. 

The app is free which is definitely a positive. It is available for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.  Projects created on Shadow Puppet EDU can be shared on social media including Seesaw. Projects can also be shared as a direct link. Shadow Puppet EDU is suggested for second through twelfth-grade. This app might be a great starting place for younger students. Older students may find the simplicity frustrating and limiting in creative expression. 

Reviews:

Common Sense is a trusted nonprofit source for independent reviews that reflect age appropriate use. Common Sense reviews reflect teacher and parent reviews of the application. The Apptopia and Journey with Technology reviews had thorough specific information but were not from the perspective of an educator or parent. 

https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/shadow-puppet-edu

https://www.journeywithtechnology.com/use-shadow-puppet-edu-classroom/

https://apptopia.com/ios/app/888504640/about

Anchor 

Anchor is an app that lets students easily create and edit their own podcasts. Podcasts are popular with students and allow for a longer format to share more in depth information. Students can create a series and include multiple people in collaborative projects. 

Anchor is listed as being appropriate for grades seventh through twelfth. My fourth grade students enjoy the serialized atmospheric aspect of podcasts. I think that using Anchor to create podcasts would be within their ability. It would facilitate students collaborating and teaching and sharing what they have researched and learned in class. 

Anchor is free and available for Android, iPhone, and iPod Touch. One of the reasons the app is so easy to use and versatile is because it easily allows students to start a project on one device then pick up and edit or publish on another device. This also facilitates collaboration. 

Reviews:

Common Sense is a trusted nonprofit source for independent reviews that reflect age appropriate use. Common Sense reviews reflect teacher and parent reviews of the application. The Podcast Host review had thorough specific information about the benefits of the app and how to use it but was not from the perspective of an educator or parent. 

https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/anchor

https://www.thepodcasthost.com/planning/using-anchor-to-make-a-podcast/

I had a hard time choosing between the Anchor app and the My Story School eBook Maker app. Both apps would be appropriate and engaging for my 4th-grade language arts class. The My Story School eBook Maker app is ultimately a more verstatil and engaging creative tool. I like the ease of use and multiple ways to share the student projects. The app allows students to visually illustrate their stories and to add text and narration. This engages multiple learning styles. I also like that the app allows for multiple skill levels. The ease of use and simple sticker features are inclusive to special education students but the app has enough options to be engaging for my advanced students. I can see this app being used by my students to write and illustrate stories or to create projects to share what they have learned about a standard taught in class.