App Review - Ashley Thompson

 

Alabama State Standard: 

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics 9.Create and use a model to explain the transfer of matter and energy between the environment and organisms within it. Examples: producers, consumers, scavengers, decomposers

Learning Apps: 

Brain Pop : https://www.brainpop.com/discover/ 

Review: https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/brainpop 

BrainPOP is a digital learning platform that offers animated videos combined with interactive activities like quizzes, games, and more. It's designed to teach concepts such as surface area, volume, earth and space and more. The content is delivered in a narrative format featuring characters Tim and Moby, who guide students through the material while explaining key ideas in a simple, clear manner. Unlike some free tools, BrainPOP requires a paid subscription. BrainPOP typically cost between $13 and $18 per student annually, which I believe is fairly reasonable. It's geared towards students in grade 3-8 and is compatible with iOS, Android, and most major browsers, though it performs best on newer devices.  I used Common Sense Education as my review website because it consistently offers trustworthy, in-depth app reviews. What sets this site apart is that it also looks at how tools support learning objectives, student motivation, and even addresses privacy concerns and digital safety. 

Mystery Science: https://mysteryscience.com/lessons?query=proucers+consumers+decomposers 

Review: https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/mystery-science

Mystery Science is a science digital learning platform that is designed for elementary school students grades K-5. It offers ready to use lessons that include engaging videos, hands on activities, discussion questions and a step by step guide for teachers. This app is compatible with all iOS, Android and most major browsers. Mystery Science is a paid subscription only, however, I believe it is well worth the cost. The cost for the app varies with what kind of subscription you are looking for, school districts can purchase a yearly pass for $1,999 per school year, this includes every classroom teacher receiving a subscription. If you would like to purchase it for homeschooling reasons it would cost $69 per year for full access to K-5 lessons. Individual classroom teachers can purchase a subscription on their own for $99 per year for one classroom. I personally use this app frequently when teaching science because of the hands on/interactive lessons it provides teachers with. I chose Common Sense Education as my review website because it consistently gives honest, trustworthy app reviews. 

Nearpod : https://nearpod.com/

Review: https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/nearpod 

Nearpod is another digital learning platform that transforms traditional lessons into interactive and engaging experiences. Nearpod uses interactive slide presentations to grasp students attention. Teachers can import powerpoints, google slides, PDF's, create a slide show from scratch or use one that is already there. The slideshows will often have quizzes, polls, open-ended questions, draw it activities, timing challenges and more. Nearpod is more engaging because it offers more than one way to present the material. You can present in front of the class, live participation (where each students has their computers on and following along with the slide show on their own computers), or student paced where the students work independently through the slide show. The app is compatible with iOS, Android and all major browsers. The pricing varies for different school districts, depending on how many students the school has, you can reach out to nearpod to receive a quote. Typically price can range from $159 - $397 annually. I chose Common Sense Education as my app review because they consistently offer trustworthy app reviews with multiple different resources.

I believe Nearpod is the best app out of the three I reviewed. Mystery Science is a close second but Nearpod takes the cake. Nearpod offers a wide range of teaching strategies one can use to engage students in learning. It is so much more than just another digital learning app, it emerges students into learning and allows them to explore topics on their own. One of my favorite features from the app is the virtual tours it offers. When teaching my standard on producers, consumers and decomposers, Nearpod will pull up pictures of live animals and plants in their habitat and the students can virtually explore that habitat, gaining a better understanding of where that plant/animal comes from. If you can I highly suggest checking out this app!