Apps can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or the App Store through an iPad or other tablet device.
I have been in classrooms where to school has a set of iPads that the classroom teacher can rent out for an extend period of time. I have used iPads with the entire class to help with student differentiation and even generate math word problems for a group to work through and solve collaboratively.
There are tons of great apps out there for students to use such as Science 360, 123, Interactive Telling Time, FlipCards, but I want to talk about the iXL Math app. With the iXL Math app you can have students find the app, and then it is very quick to select categories of math for them. This really does help differentiate a lesson. I have used it and it is very quick to maneuver through. In about 2 minutes you can get each and EVERY student at the level they should be on and it is discrete, so no one knows where the other is and can’t compare themselves to others. What else I did was pair and group students together and have them work together on one iPad. What this let me do:
- Have a class of students working at their own paces on math concepts (we used it a lot with money).
- Work together and individually
- Use media, having fun, and not a worksheet
- The students also could work around the room and bring their iPad to me or show me as I came around if they had questions or wanted to share a concept.
- I could also extend off of the problems presented in this app for deeper thinking, and move the students to higher or lower levels depending if additional support was needed or not.
The iPads and apps are also great because countless subjects have apps available for download in the app store. Also many apps are free with others very reasonable in price.
Assessment & Review:
Apps can be used for assessment, review, or as a part of a lesson activity. There are thousands of apps for download and for any content area and lesson. Just search your app store or Google Play storeand find some great apps!