Featured 7-2-2014: Peekaboo Studios

 

Peekaboo Studios is an educational app developer focused on building apps aligned with Common Core State Standards for PreK-12.

 

Peekaboo Studios has created over 140 apps that teach early concepts, critical thinking, vocabulary, math, music exploration, and more. A few of the available titles are Best Books for Tweens, Ultimate Trivia: The Fault in our Stars, Learn the Colors, Math 7 Testing Prep, Learn the Alphabet, and Reading 5.

 

There are apps available for iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, Google Play Android devices, Barnes & Noble's Nook, and Amazon's Kindle devices. For a full list of apps:

• iPad/iPhone/iPod: Apple apps
• Nook apps: Nook apps
• Apps for Kindle: Kindle apps
• Android apps: Google Play apps

You can contact Peekaboo Studios for a free promo code to try out one of their iOS apps (only Apple provides promotional codes).

 

 

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Featured 6-9-2014: Visme

 

Create interactive presentations, infographics & other interactive content from numerous templates and presets or a blank canvas with Visme.

 

Visme promises the ability to customize every object to fit your specific content needs using attractive fonts supported in a range of languages, millions of free images from Flikr, and thousands of free vector images.

 

 

Transform data into engaging visuals with custom built infograph widgets,charts and graphs to quickly visualize your data to engrossing content.

 

Visme is built on HTML 5 so it's light, quick, easy-to-use, and supported on every device mobile.

 

 Watch Animating with Visme

Visme Basic is free and includes up to three projects, 100 MB of storage, publish or download as jpg, and public projects. Paid options offering more projects and storage as well as additional features start at $4.50 (US) per month.

 

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Featured 5-12-2014: EverySlide

 

EverySlide involves students by making it possible to integrate open-ended questions and polls in the same slides you are already using.

 

A free EverySlide educator license can make your classroom more interactive:

• Re-use existing slides
• More engaged students
• Know what students are thinking
• Generate class reports
• Instant polls and word clouds
• Students use their own devices

Upload a presentation created in PowerPoint or Keynote to EverySlide and press ‘present'. A unique registration link will be generated that your class can use to join your slideshow using any device they happen to have.

 

 

Ask a question or run an instant poll. After the presentation, you can review students’ interactions online or download their details and answers as a spreadsheet. You can leave a copy of your slides on participants’ devices.

 

 Watch an overview of EverySlide

 

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Featured 5-8-2014: Booktrack Classroom

 

 

Used in the teaching of English and Language Arts, Booktrack Classroom is a new, free technology that enables students to read stories and texts accompanied by a movie-style soundtrack.

 

Integrated with Common Core standards, the easy-to-use Booktrack Classroom technology can improve student reading and writing abilities. New York University and The University of Auckland have conducted studies which show that Booktrack increases reading comprehension scores and student engagement.

 

Booktrack can be used on both an individual basis as well as in group learning exercises. Here are some examples of ways it can be used:

• Narrative Writing – Students can add music and audio to their original stories.
• Informative and Explanatory Writing – Students write essays and articles selecting suitable audio to clarify their text.
• Literature Study – Students can gain insight and increased understanding of the text by creating their own soundtracks for novels, stories, and plays.
• Read-Alouds – Teacher and student led read-alouds are enhanced through the addition of sound and music to the chapter or act being presented.

Booktrack Classroom can foster digital literacy and creative thinking among students while developing multiple learning objectives. 

 

 

 View a short intro to Booktrack Classroom

 

Booktrack Classroom also hosts a library of free lesson plans for K-12 students, covering a variety of subjects and learning outcomes. All lesson plans have been created by professional teachers.

 

 There are free Booktrack mobile apps for both Android and iOS devices.

  

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Featured 4-28-2014: Scrawlar

 

Scrawlar offers schools free cloud-based collaborative word processing that works on any smartphone, tablet, or computer.

 

Use Scrawlar to create, edit, share, and save documents on any web-connected device. No app, installation, or plugin is needed.

 

 

After creating and saving a document, students have the option to share with any classmates. They can also choose whether other people can edit or just view the original document.

 

As a teacher, create an account for any class. Add your students to your network, each student is assigned a password. Students login using the class code you provide and their unique passwords. No student signup or email is required.

 

Teachers can leave feedback right on documents, and parents can follow along in real-time from anywhere.

 

 

Scrawlar also offers an easy-to-use whiteboard interface that includes basic drawing tools and text.

 

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Extra 4-11-2014: ReferenceMe

ReferenceME is a free mobile app that makes managing and organizing research simple.

 

Use the ReferenceME app to scan book or journal barcodes to create and manage references for your essay or research report. You can alternatively enter the ISBN, ISSN, DOI, or website URL into the ReferenceME search field and the reference will be created.

 

ReferenceME creates references in Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, MHRA, MLA, Oxford, APA, and Turabian formats. You can request custom styles at the online platform.

 

 

ReferenceME syncs with the ReferenceME web platform or you can save your references to Evernote to organise your research.

 

ReferenceME for iOS is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and requires iOS 7.0 or later. The Android app requires Android 4.0 and up.

 

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Featured: 12-5-2013 Newsy

Newsy is a multisource video news service that highlights nuances in reporting from multiple media outlets around the world.

 

Newsy can enhance your understanding of a news story by allowing users to compare video news sources from around the world to see how a story unfolds.

 

Newsy conveniently brings you a broader view of news, in a concise format - when, how, and where you want it.

 

 Watch Introducing the All-New Newsy App for iPhone

 

 

In addition to the website, there are free Newsy apps for iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows 8, and more.

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Featured: 11-25-2013 Kahoot!

Kahoot! delivers educational content through asking meaningful questions in real-time, resulting in a social, fun, and game-like environment.

Build quizzes, called Kahoots!, on any device using a simple drag-and-drop tool. Include embedded images and video.

Project the quiz onto a screen or interactive whiteboard to engage and focus students who quickly join through their personal device, seeing their name appear (without needing an account).

Students play against each other, answering questions in real-time through an easy-to-use interface, while you facilitate and discuss the content.

Kahoot! allows learners to both respond and create with any device that has a web browser and works over wifi or 3G/4G. Students can share their knowledge by playing their Kahoot back to classmates. You can assess the quality of student questions, while the other students answer the questions.

 Watch a video demonstrating the basics of the Kahoot! website for the K-12 classroom.

Formatively assess individual knowledge and adapt learning. Kahoot! data provides you with a ‘snapshot’ of each learner's current understanding and tracks longer term progress.

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Featured: 11-14-2013 Classroom Quiz Master

Classroom Quiz Master is a universal iOS app that allows a teacher to take on the role of a quiz question master or game show host, with the students taking on the role of the contestants.

Students are divided into two teams and are presented with quizzes and questions that the teacher has already entered into the Classroom Quiz Master app. The teams compete against each other. A quiz can consist of up to 10 questions and quizzes can be added or deleted at any time (the lite version of the app is limited to 3 quizzes).

The contestants scores are recorded graphically on the scoreboard in the app. Background music, sound effects, and animation all enhance the game show atmosphere.

Classroom Quiz Master Pro is $1.99 (US) and the lite version is free. Both versions are compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch running iOS 5.0 or later.

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Featured: 8-13-2013 Flowboard

Flowboard is a free iPad app that lets you create side-scrolling presentations with text, images, video, and links.

 

 

 

Create each screen of a Flowboard using simple touch gestures. Add buttons, videos, and galleries for interactivity. Present your Flowboard and let others explore, using the interactive features, on your iPad, online, or offline.

 

Create Flowboards with content on your iPad or from the cloud. Add photos and videos from Dropbox, Google Drive, SkyDrive; pictures from Facebook or Instagram; and use Google Image Search, as well.

 

Flowboard automatically saves your presentations locally as you make changes, and you can save drafts to the cloud, so your presentation is always safe.

 

 

Present straight from your iPad, connect to a projector, or mirror using AirPlay. You can share your Flowboard to other iPad users and the web by a URL that can be posted anywhere.

 

 Watch a Flowboarddemo from TechCrunch

 

Flowboard is free to download and use (Requires iOS 6.0 or later). Premium increases your monthly upload quota to 1GB, with bigger file upload sizes, and the ability to upload PDF files. Currently, a subscription for Flowboard Premium is $5(USD) per month. 

 

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Featured: 7-11-2013 WISE

WISE (Wireless Interactive Scanning Examinations) is an iOS application that grades and stores multiple-choice quizzes, tests, and exams, on your device.

WISE puts a mass of information and processing technology into your hand. Originally, WISE was the idea of two colorado public high school teachers, it has been created and tested by teachers for teachers.

Teachers can print bubble sheets directly from the app straight to a supported printer and be ready to go. Use a pencil or blue/black ink. As long as the bubbles are filled in the WISE app can recognize it.

WISE is fast and accurate. Scan quizzes, tests, and exams of up to 100 questions with 99% accuracy in seconds. Results are automatically organized by course, class, and student.

Other key features of WISE:

• Immediate Feedback: Teachers can instantly grade assessments and provide feedback to students.
• Mobile: Grade at any time from any location. Keys and scores are securely stored on your mobile device to be accessed from anywhere.
• Data Analysis: Data is immediately analyzed through score reporting.

 View the WISE App Video

WISE is free to download and use for up to 100 scans. After that, it is available on a monthly subscription basis at $1.99 (USD) or $19.99 for a year of service.

WISE is compatible with iPhone 3GS or newer, iPod touch (3rd generation or newer), and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later.

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Featured: 6-5-2013 The AnswerPad

The Answer Pad is a browser-based student response system with two main components: Go Interactive and The Answer Sheets, and the option to use mobile devices.

Go Interactive engages and connects with students in the classroom for formative assessment that can be used to drive instruction.

Go Interactive provides seven different ways to take a snapshot of student understanding in the classroom. The Draw feature allows students to draw their answer or annotate on a customizable template such as an axis or graph paper. Teachers can upload their own custom graphics, too.  Having just been released in May 2013, Go Interactive Template Gallery offers a collection of different backgrounds that can be sent out to the students.

The Answer Sheets let teachers set up an online electronic answer sheet for paper tests using any of the eight different question types. The Answer Pad scores the tests and quizzes for you.  Students can also use a scratch pad to show their work. You can then view the scratch pad

The Answer Pad offers reports by skill, by class, and by student using a built-in, robust reporting system for item analysis. School and district implementations are available for aggregate reporting.

The Answer Pad is browser-based for teachers. Students may use a free iPad app, TAPit Free, or a browser. Teachers wishing to use the TAPit Free app with students must register for free.

 Watch an overview of The AnswerPad

The Answer Pad is free for one teacher to use in one class of up to 36 students. For multiple classes, more students, and other features, you must upgrade to AnswerPad+ ($10 annually per teacher).

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Featured: 5-29-2013 Mobile PDF Apps [Tools]

 

Investintech.com offers a number of tools for working with PDF documents including three free apps for iOS and Android mobile phones and tablets.

Able2Extract Mobile is a free, lightweight, easy-to-use app for creating and converting PDF documents. Users can create PDF documents from MS Office documents and convert PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more.

Able2Doc Mobile converts PDFs to Word documents. This uncomplicated app promises to deliver high quality conversions on the go from your smartphone or tablet.

Sonic PDF Creator Mobile easily converts MS Office documents attached to emails or stored on your device to PDFs, right on your Android or iOS device.

Investintech.com also offers a full range of desktop tools for managing PDF documents.

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Featured: 4-30-2013 InfuseLearning [Student Response]

InfuseLearning provides a platform by which teachers can easily engage every student in real-time on almost any device.

Teachers can make informed decisions in the classroom with live, right now, student feedback using the InfuseLearning free virtual learner response system.

You can start using InfuseLearning right away with little to no training or installation. InfuseLearning has dedicated itself to developing powerful educational tools that are that are simple and easy to use.

Create many types of questions including True/False, Multiple choice, Open ended text, Numeric, Likert scale, even Drawn responses. Share questions with students using a unique room ID number.

Students anywhere can participate at the same time from any location through the Internet.

Watch: Infuse Learning Student Response System

The InfuseLearning Professional Learning Series offers on-site workshops and presentations, blended cohort sessions, technology infusion series, and keynotes and conference presentations.

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