App Review- Stephane Stegen

Standard- 2.NBT.5- Fluently add and subtract within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.

Prodigy Math

https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/prodigy

Prodigy is a math fantasy game that is highly engaging for students in grades 1-8. Students create characters that move through a world solving math problems to create spells against enemies. As students learn new concepts they can use create new spells. When students face new and harder challenges in the game, they are given hints to help them if they are not successful. When playing the game students can also engage other students within the game. Prodigy is a website and an app that is supported by iOS and Android. The educational content is free, but parents can purchase a subscription for $8.95 a month or $59.88 per year for additional, exclusive content. This review is from the commonsense.org website that reviews many educational content and allows teachers to review content as well. This is a website that will give you the pros and cons of the platform and how it can be used in the classroom, as well as at home.

Motion Math

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-10-23-motion-math-the-definitive-review

Motion Math is a website and a collection of games/apps that help reinforce math concepts for grades K-7 that have already been taught. Students can use the apps to help practice skills as the games get progressively more challenging. Due to the variety of apps, student have many choices. There are basic addition/subtraction facts, practice on a number line, fractions and multiplication. Teachers can use the dashboard to see where students are progressing or need additional instruction. Motion Math is offered for a free trial and can be purchased for the price ranging from $14-$6 per student. This program is a website and apps that can be supported by iOS. The above review is one that gives details about each app. It breaks down each game and reviews the pros/cons for them. This review would be a good one for teachers to read before deciding which one to use in the classroom.

Splash Math

https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/splash-math

Splash Math is a website and app that allows students to practice concepts already taught in the classroom. It provides instant feedback, so students can see the mistakes they are making. It provides multiple themes and rewards that students will find engaging and fun. Splash Math has several different apps that can be broken down by grade level. While it is designed for students K-5, some older children may get bored by the repetitive nature of the programs. Teachers can see where students need extra practice and assign it to specific students. Splash Math is free with limited content. This app is supported by iOS. This review is from the commonsense.org website that reviews many educational content and allows teachers to review content as well. This is a website that will give you the pros and cons of the platform and how it can be used in the classroom, as well as at home.

I have used these three apps in my classroom at one time or another. I find I like Prodigy the most. The students are most engaged by this game and love playing it. I get emails about progress of the students and the usage time at home also. It starts the students out with a diagnostic math assessment and begins the game on the level they need. As a teacher, I will get feedback on each student and can place them in a specific skill to get extra practice. It is always nice to have students beg to work on something and know that it is helpful to them. 

APP Review- Chase Brisendine

Standard: Alabama Course of Study: Geography Standard 1. Describe the world in spatial terms using maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies.

App Review #1- Google Earth 

https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/google-earth

Google Earth provides students with an interactive way they can see the whole world. Teachers can use the Voyager part of google earth to create educational virtual field trips and explorations. Students can use this app to collect data, observe locations, and describe the world in spatial terms using this app. The Google Maps app is free making it great for classrooms. I could see this app being used across all different grade levels from k-12. The teacher must correctly use this supplement for the grade leveling using it. Another great thing about this app is that it is available on so many platforms. It is offered on Android and Apple (Ipad,Itouch, and Iphone) devices. The review site I that I used is credible because it provides an in depth review of the app, and provides many other reviews for educational apps. 

App Review#2- National Geographic Education

https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/national-geographic-education

National Geography has been a long standing resource for geography and social science teachers everywhere. With today's technology National Geographic even offers teacher move resources and activities for the classroom. This app offers video, articles, interactive maps along with much more that can be used in the classroom. This app is offered for free, making it a great tool for the classroom. This app can be used in every grade level from k-12. The National Geographic app is also available   on Android and Apple (Ipad,Itouch, and Iphone) devices. The review site I that I used is credible because it provides an in depth review of the app, and provides many other reviews for educational apps. 

App Review #3- Seterra Geography 

https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/seterra-geography

Seterra is a great app for teaching students the geographic location of different places. The website offers students resources such as printables and games that they can practice their knowledge of geographic locations. The website also offers teachers quizzes for students. This app offers a basic free version, but cost $1.99 for the full version. I have used this app many times for my students and it is well worth the money. This app can be used in any middle school and high school classroom that is teaching location of countries. The app is offered on Android and Apple (Ipad,Itouch, and Iphone) devices. The review site I that I used is credible because it provides an in depth review of the app, and provides many other reviews for educational apps. 

The app that I feel like is the best is Google Earth. I have used google earth many times in my classroom to create or have students create virtual field trips around the world. The app also offers its own version of this under the Voyager tab. This app is very interactive for students because they have access to view and interact with the whole world.Students can research a a location that is being studied and through this app research the location and its surroundings. Many of our students today have never travelled out of the country and Google Earth provides students with an opportunity to explore all over the world.  Any activity I have ever taught on this app has had great student engagement. 

mes in my classroom to create or have students create virtual field trips around the world. The app also offers its own version of this under the Voyager tab. This app is very interactive for students because they have access to view and interact with the whole world.Students can research a a location that is being studied and through this app research the location and its surroundings. Many of our students today have never travelled out of the country and Google Earth provides students with an opportunity to explore all over the world.  Any activity I have ever taught on this app has had great student engagement. 

App Review-Jonathan Skinner

Standard: CCRS:
Alabama Reading Standards 9th-10th.
Standard:10 [RI. 9-10.3].  Standards:14-15 [RI. 9-10.6].  Standards: 18-19 [RI. 9-12.9]
Alabama Writing Standards 9th-10th.
Standard: 10a-10f [W. 9-10.2f]



Google Classroom
https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/google-classroom
-Google Classroom is a tool to help with communication and assignments for the teacher and students.  It is a free app that can be accessed as an app on your phone, tablet, or computer.  It could be used in the elementary setting, but more suitable for grade levels 6-12.  Teachers can ask discussion questions, post polls, videos, worksheets, and many other activities.  It is a great tool to use for differentiated instruction as well.  Teachers can post journals and documents with document-based questions to assess students reading comprehension.  Assignments can be graded on a 0-100 point grading scale, and teachers can look at each students' work, comment on, and make corrections and send back to the student.  Quizzes and tests can even be assigned on Google Classroom through Google Forms and the teacher can get an automatically generated response sheet by the students to quickly see most missed questions. I feel that Google Classroom is a huge asset in the classroom because of its' flexibility and organization. Also, I feel that it really helps students that struggle in classroom discussions because they can respond to questions on Google Classroom and provide more in-depth responses.



Nearpod
https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/nearpod
-Nearpod is an interactive presentation tool for teachers to use to get immediate responses in class.  It is essentially an interactive power-point that teachers can post poll questions, open-ended discussion questions that students can respond to during the lesson.  Teachers can put maps or questions up that students can draw on, and teachers can put time limits on each question or assessment method they use.  This is a free app (some of the premade presentations do have a small cost to them) and is compatible with all devices and could be used in the K-12 setting.  I have only played with the app a few times and have not actually used it in class, but I work with a few teachers who use it and absolutely love it.  I have also seen demonstrations of Nearpod being used and it looks very good. I can see how it can make just general presentations much more engaging and helpful for students in the classroom!


Math and English IXL
https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/ixl-math-and-english
-IXL is a great way to break away from the traditional pencil and paper approach to Math or English from the K-12 grade levels. It can also be used as a tool for Science and Social Studies up to the 8th-grade level.  It can be accessed by subscription to the website or an app.  Teachers can load questions or worksheets that can provide feedback, prizes, and progress goals for the students.  I have not personally used this app because my subject and grade level does not compare with IXL, but I have heard many teachers give high praise to this app.  Many teachers love the fact that as the student progresses and the closer he or she gets to completing the assignment, students really buckle down.  If a student starts missing questions after a certain percentage completed it will take the students back near the start of the assignment.  I feel that is a great way to keep the students focused and paying attention to detail.


Personal Choice
-My personal choice between the three apps that I reviewed would have to be Google Classroom.  Yes, it is the app that I have a great deal of experience with, but its wide array of different capabilities is amazing! I the fact that I can post multiple-choice questions or quizzes/tests on there.  I can also put PDF documents and primary sources for students to read and answer all while being able to put reminders like what we did the previous day in class or post the notes from previous days on the home page.  I can put Edpuzzle videos that have questions that relate to the video that students can answer. It is just a great tool with soo many options in the classroom!  

App Review

App Review by Ashlee Elliott

Standard 

1 ) Interpret products of whole numbers, e.g., interpret 5 x 7 as the total number of objects in 5 groups of 7 objects each. [3-OA1]

Example: Describe a context in which a total number of objects can be expressed as 5 x 7.

XtraMath

XtraMath is an app and website that allows students to practice their fact fluency. The app costs a one time price of $4.99 per device. The app can be set to addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. Because any of these mathematical operations can be practiced, this app can be used for students as young as Kindergarten up to sixth grade. This app can be used on iOS devices, Chromebooks, Android devices, Kindle Fire, or a computer.  The following journal article was a great review of XtraMath and how the app collects data that can be helpful for teachers and parents to pinpoint areas of struggle. This article was written in 2014 so it only discusses the website, but since then the app has been created. https://thejournal.com/Articles/2015/04/01/Big-Data-Is-Not-Bad-Data.aspx?Page=1 

SeeSaw

SeeSaw is an app and website that allows students, teachers, co-teachers, and parents to communicate. This app is FREE, which makes it an even better option for education! It is designed to be used for any school aged children. In addition to the communication tool, the app has recently added activities that teachers can assign to individual students or a group of students. There are many math related activities that can be assigned to students, including multiplication fact practice activities. Another incredible feature that has been added to the app is the ability to add a co-teacher to a SeeSaw classroom. Being in a departmentalized classroom can make communication a little more challenging, but this feature has made it so much easier for the team teachers to communicate with all parents. This app can be used on iOS devices, Chromebooks, Android devices, Kindle Fire, or a computer. The review I was able to find was very credible in my opinion due to the fact it was a review from an educator who has used it in his own classroom. He also gave specific examples of why the app was beneficial to his learners. https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/seesaw-the-learning-journal-teacher-review/4671865

Prodigy Math Game

Prodigy is an app and website created to engage students in a fantasy world game, while requiring them to solve math problems to achieve points to cast spells. This app allows the teacher or parent to select a grade level of 1st-8th grade (ages 6-13). The questions are designed to support math skills on the selected grade level. Supported platforms are as follows: Androids 5.0 and higher and Apple iOS 9.0 and higher. There are two Android devices that are not supportive of this app and those are Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 and Tab E. I found a professional review on this app that I loved reading because it discussed how the teacher used the article and her thoughts on it. It is credible due to the website it was found on. It is also a review from an educator who has used it and provided specific feedback. https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/prodigy-teacher-review/5034748

All of the following apps are incredible, but I would have to say the app I would suggest the most is SeeSaw. It provides so many features that allow students to be more successful at school. One of the first steps in students being successful at school is communication with their family, which is made possible through SeeSaw. I use this app each and every day in my classroom. Students get excited about their learning, because they know they get to share their work with their family and I! The fact that it is a free app is also another reason I would say this is my favorite!