Category Archives: App Reviews

App Review: Podcasts

Apple released a new app this week from their stable.  Podcasts is Apple’s means now for people to access Podcasts on their iPad without the need for iTunes.  The interface is easily navigated and they’ve worked hard on the visual presentation aspect.

I have found it to be quite slow, and it has often crashed.  However, I think that the interface works reasonably well and I’ve found it to be quite intuitive, especially for those already familiar with Apple store fronts such as iTunes.  I’m hoping that Apple release an update to alleviate the crashes and general lag.

Features:

• Enjoy all of your audio and video podcasts in a single app
• Explore hundreds of thousands of podcasts including shows in over 40 languages
• Try the innovative new Top Stations feature to find new podcast series in a variety of topics, including arts, business, comedy, music, news, sports, and more.
• Browse by audio or video podcasts, or see what’s most popular in Top Charts
• Tap Subscribe for your favorites and automatically receive new episodes for free as they become available
• Stream episodes or download to listen while offline
• Skip forward and back using simple playback controls
• Turn on Sleep Timer to automatically stop playing a podcast while listening in bed
• Share your favorite episodes with friends using Twitter, Messages, and Mail
• Optionally sync your favorite episodes from iTunes on your Mac or PC
• Sync your episode playback for seamless transition between devices

Application for Education: Podcasts is a potentially an invaluable tool for the student and teacher alike.  Listen and subscribe to the lastest on the run, without the need for a computer running iTunes.  It allows students to quickly access content from their 1:1 device instantly.

Developer: Apple.com

iTunes:Link

Cost: Free

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21 Essential Everyday Apps

 

Mac vs PC 43/365

Mac vs PC 43/365 (Photo credit: Louish Pixel)

Techradar has sat down and thought long and hard about the apps that we should be utilising each day to enhance our productivity while using our computers or personal devices.

We’ve taken our average day at work and home and analysed each and every moment we spend online, be it in front of a computer or fiddling on a smartphone.

From here we’ve rounded up the most useful apps we’ve found ourselves using on a daily basis, from toothbrush timers to gaming services to traffic apps – and everything else in between.

It’s a great read and one that just might help make your day a little more productive, and you might find a few treasures along the way.  Find the article here.

App Review: Number Sense from Punflay

When launched Apple had their eye on this application placing it in the New and Noteworthy directory, and rightly so.  I downloaded this shortly after release and my then 4 year-old boy loved playing this one; it helped his number counting and general number concepts.  I can honestly say when he played this, he didn’t feel he was learning, but simply playing a game.  We adults know better.

Available now on both the iPhone and the iPad, this is a full functioning and in-depth application and will keep your early learner engaged as they explore the world of number.  There is in the description of the app on iTunes a mention of ‘in app purchases’ but I am unable to find how to purchase them.  Nevertheless, this is an excellent program on its own, and should not be discounted because of the absence of these enhancements.

The application comes with 5 different games, concentrating on five different focuses.  The developers write of them;

BOOSTER BALLS
Helps your kids learn counting from 1 to 30 by feeding some monsters. Don’t worry, the monsters don’t bite but the game will definitely keep your kids occupied.

DO THE DOTTY
A simple but engaging connect-the-dots game that will help your kids recognize and memorize numbers in the right order. Oh, and don’t be surprised if they show you a moon that they have just colored blue!

NUMBERELLA
A super hero donkey (Drizzle is his name) is all you need to get kids to compare numbers, without objects, from 1 to 10. And yeah, Drizzle can be tickled too!

FISHOONKA
This deceptively simple game uses a school of fish to demonstrate the concepts of greater than, less than and equal to! Your kids are gonna love the interactive environment.

TOOT TOOT TRAIN
From Chocolateville to Licorice Lane runs a train that relies on addition and subtraction. Curious? You will simply have to play the game!

The games are fun, filled with music and sound effects and each have rewards that the user can collect and put on their ‘My Stuff’ shelf.

Application For Education: If you have Kinders or Early Years students who are struggling with their general counting or number facts, then this is a great revision tool.  You could sit 1-to-1 and watch them, assessing their progress and making note of their ability.  Alternatively, if you’re a parent, just having this on your device would be a good headstart for your child’s learning.  Teacher’s feel free to recommend this application to your parents.  It’s well worth the price.

Developer: PunFlay.com

Itunes: Link

Cost: Free

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App Review: Earth Flags

Earth Flags is a well presented and slick application and can be an invaluable application for your students.  This is available on both the iPhone and iPad, however the bigger screen of the iPad would enhance the value of this one.  Essentially, this is an interactive atlas that provides accurate details for countries around the world.  While it concentrates on flags, it also provides the user with other data. For instance, clear (you have a choice of Google’s standard, satellite and hybrid) maps provide users with data about countries and capital cities, currencies.  Users can also hear the national anthems of each country too.

Application for Education: Earth Flags is what the iPad is about for the classroom.  On (or in) hand, paperless and up to date.  This app could be used for any link in with world events, both political or sporting.  As one example, teacher’s could design a game where students have to navigate their way around the world, collecting data and answering questions about the countries they are passing through.

Developer: www.earthflagshd.com (NB:Tracking down this developer seems to be an illusive exercise. Not sure how well that bodes for future updates and support) UPDATE: http://www.ordwiz.com/ 

iTunes:Link

Cost: A$1.99

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iPad App; There’s a Wocket in My Pocket

Dr Seuss’ There’s a Wocket in My Pocket was released last August for the iPad and iPhone.  This timeless classic explores the imagination of one boy and the fantastical creatures that are in his house, through the use of clever rhymes.

OceanHouse Media have once again delivered a faithful, yet engaging book.  The original illustrations from the book come to life in the panning and zooming of each page.  Each word is highlighted as it is read by a professional narrator.  Additionally, the words can be selected individually to reinforce pronunciation.  This also extends to the objects in the room.  For example, you can click on a brush, and the narrator will announce that it is a ‘brush’.  A good tool for teaching object recognition.  For more advanced readers, there is the ability to read by themselves, and a simple gesture of the finger turns the page.  Music also gives the app some character.

Application for Education: What junior classroom isn’t complete without a Dr Seuss story?  You could get the kids reading along in a literacy group, or use it as a catalyst for their own ‘Wocket in My Pocket’ rhyming and rewrite activity.  Using another app such as ComicLife or ArtRage, students can further utilise the iPad to complete their own stories.  With its ability to allow students to be read to or to read themselves, the app allows individual reading even at a young age.  On a slightly more mathematical bent, students could classify the items in each room.  By using the ‘touch and sound’ function students can see and hear that there is an umbrella or a brush.  For example classification could be alphabetical, or by the number of items in the room.

Developer: Ocean House Media

iTunes: Link

Cost: $5.49 (AU)

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Teacher Reviews Educational Apps for 2012

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The site We Are Teachers has done some of the hard work for you.  They have listed Education Apps that teachers in 2012 are using.  Not only are they listed, they have actually short reviews.  These reviews are written by educators who are in the trenches, using these apps in classroom settings.

There are 8 categories, with multiple listing in each.

You yourself can review an app and contribute your thoughts to something you’re using in the classroom.  There is a simple submission form embedded on the site to assist.

I recommend you take some time to see these listings and read about some ways that real teachers are using these apps in real ways.

Link: http://www.weareteachers.com/educational-app-reviews