Erasing the “Stigma” of Apps

During our most recent Parent Twitter Chat (#FHMchat) the question pertaining to the “relevance of Apps” in the classroom setting was asked. At first I thought it would be a simple question to address. However, I had to think about this (as we are in our first year as a BYOD school) since we are just now getting our feet wet with the use of personal devices and Apps. Well, thanks to my PLN, colleagues, @2GuysShow, and their blog site www.twoguysandsomeipads.com, I’ve been able to muster up additional information and resources to further explain the need for using Apps in the classroom setting.

I must admit that when I scroll through the Apps store listing I do see quite a few items that are truly meant for fun and games. However, there are a myriad of other Apps that can help our students excel in the classroom setting (and beyond). Last night Drew and Brad, during their Two Guys Show #9: Game Changing Apps, shared quite a bit of information on Augmented Reality Apps. First, what is Augmented Reality (AR)?  Augmented reality is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. Augmented Reality bring the learning experience into a new dimension (3D and 4D).

So we can now use apps to take a virtual look at the Milky Way (and explore the planets from a very close perspective), dabble in architectural engineering with legos, or bring music to life, or even look a little closer at the writing process. TracLabsAtlas allows students the ability to program a virtual robot and DAQRI allows learners to visual elements and projects in 4D.

More traditional functions of Apps in the classroom include flashcards, Evernote, Notegraphy (where you turn your own quotes or saying into poster-like artifacts), Grafio (students can create their own Infographics) or Tellagami (students can create an avatar then build a mini movie).

So the world of education continues to transform and we have the world of Apps to thank as we move into the next phase of technology integration into the “school house”. Let me know what new Apps you discover. I would love to share them with my teachers, students and parents!