Just the other day I noted in a reply that a simple example of AR can be found on most computers now. PC and Mac have applications like Photo Booth (Mac) that can add AR to your pictures. My kids love taking pictures of themselves and distorting their face. I took this pictures just now […]
Continue reading Photo Booth & Action Movie Posted in: Week 07:
Just in case it provides an inspiration or vehicle for your emergent A3 ideas (yes, I know, you haven’t completed A1 yet!!) I’m pleased to append details of a UBC-wide contest I launched today to propose new mobile apps for dramatically enhancing the UBC experience. The contest closes January 15, 2013 – after ETEC522 completes […]
Continue reading UBC Mobile App Design Contest Posted in: Announcements
Since my kids are preschool age (2 and 4) I thought I’d do a review of some of my favourite educational pre-K apps: • Monkey Math School – my kids both love this app. I wonder if my 2 year old is actually learning anything or if he is just playing (at this point I […]
Continue reading Pre-K app review Posted in: Week 05:
For those who are interested in making apps without programming, one of the first and most powerful options is GameSalad (http://gamesalad.com/) It uses the same sort of drag-and-drop into a flowchart that you have seen in other applications. It is huge. 60 of the top 100 apps in the app store we built with GameSalad, […]
Continue reading some other tools for creating apps you should see Posted in: Week 05:
These tools certainly puts creativity into the hands of the non-programmer and in the world of education the potential is limitless.
Thanks for posting
Many excellent resources and comments – thank you.
I look forward noodling around with GameSalad this afternoon, while the smell of turkey drifts into the office!
Hi All, There is a site called Common Sense Media that provides information about the current issues in the media if you sign up and subscribe to their emails. There is a section that is devoted to learning ratings on “Apps for Learning”. This might be useful for some of you. The site is: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/ Lisa
Continue reading Common Sense Media – Apps for Learning included Posted in: Week 05:
Thanks for sharing Lisa. I checked it and it is a great resource. – Jen
I forgot to mention that I loved the features. You can search by age of the child, skill set you’re looking for, subject, genre and/or topic.
I thought I would share this app that I have used in the past to develop a visual and media arts course. I was lucky enough earlier this year to attend a workshop on iTunesU at the appple campus in richmond, B.C. I have since been experimenting with its inner workings and find it to be […]
Continue reading iTunesU Posted in: Week 05:
Hi Manny,
This is great, thanks for sharing. I was just on the itunesu website, is this only accessible through an ipad?
Catherine
Hi Catherine – you can also access it through the iTunes store on your computer via iTunes software if you have it installed.
Hi Catherine,
Unfortunately, the actual course can only be viewed via an ipad, ipod, or iphone. The course manager that allows you to set things up is online and can be completed on any desktop. The lack of cross platform applications that Apple has integrated into their products is definitely a downside. I am starting to wonder how much time and energy I want to expend on this as not every student has a mobile device.
Very cool! Thank you for sharing this.
Rather than typing a comment to discuss and review a few of my favourite apps, I thought I’d post a short screen recording and chat about them: http://youtu.be/yoiaoihTPrw?hd=1 The apps discussed are: Thicket – A free interactive gesture based audio creation app. 123D Sculpt – A free 3D sculpting app. Leafsnap – A free interactive field […]
Continue reading iOS Edu Apps Worth Checking Out Posted in: Week 05:
Nice list. The Autodesk 123D apps are great. There are desktop version for some of those too, but it’s nice to see some good content creation tools finally coming to these handheld devices to challenge the notion that they are only really consumption devices. I only just read about move the turtle this morning from the Geekdad blog on Wired. I wish I had an iPad to try it on (still waiting for my budget stuff to get processed:(
Here’s a list of IOS apps for education that another tech guy in my school sent around a couple weeks ago. There are some good things on it:
I’m a big fan of the Geekdad blog as well, along with Wired in general, for tech news. Flipboard and Zite are my picks for Apps that aggregate news feeds, to try and keep up on these rapidly changing topics. Truth be told however, my teenage students are my best resource – I learn so much from them!
Just bought Move the Turtle and I’m loving it! I’ll have to spend more time on it– might bring it into the iPads at school 🙂 I like the programs that teacher basics of computer programming. Teaches so many different concepts while trying to learn to program. Scratch is a good example of this for sure.
Thanks for the list.
This is great! Thank you for sharing. I think that the tree id app is great. When I was little my Dad asked if I could name the trees we saw while driving….”Of course I can, ” I replied. “Bob, Mark, Jessie, ….” He got a good laugh over that. I wasn’t trying to be funny i didn’t know what they were. Maybe this will help. 🙂
Love the list. I will be purchasing “Move the Turtle”. Let’s see what my kids and I can come up with.
Great format/video for posting your thoughts thanks Scott!
Scott,
Great idea to use a YouTube video as your response. Very original and awesome use of technology!
To add to Scott’s comments, I will review a couple more of the apps that were suggested this week by the Apps OER team.
Periodic Table App – At first I thought this app was too simplistic, but then I thought about what it supposed to do. It is to teach it’s users about the periodic table. There were some great features such as a quiz on naming elements, abbreviations of elements, and atomic #s. As well, there was a description of each element as well as a sound byte of each element name. There was a video chemistry section that explained more information than what would be found on the periodic table. What I would like to see as a link or add on that helps learners in naming compounds and formulas. Maybe I should make an app for that…
RealCalc – I really liked this calculator app. Student’s don’t need to go out and buy another instrument (ie. calculator) since they can use this on their IPhones, IPads, Androids, etc… I guess the next question is if teachers will allow them to be in the classrooms. I have had many debates with colleagues about students being allowed to bring mobile devices into the classroom. This is at the middle school level.
Lisa
Scott, i really liked the short and snappy review of the educational apps you showed in the video. I am planning on using some of these for my 8 yr old to supplement classroom education. i am going to try LeafSnap today as that is an excellent example of how you can use something like google goggles to learn nature. finally, thanks for sharing the ipad apps list as it seems to be invaluable resource as well.
Thanks for your positive feedback Ranvir!
Thank you App OER for leading the way…i’ve already shared some resources with colleagues that have helped them immensely. I wanted to share the applicaiton ‘ShowME’ as it has made life a little easier, and allowed my students to ShowMe their work/thinking. ShowMe is a powerful application which basically turns your iPad into an interactive […]
Continue reading ShowMe Posted in: Week 05:
Hi Kent,
I have primarily been using screen chomp to conduct the activities that you have described. A colleague of mine introduced me to Show Me last year and I was impressed with the additional features it has. When using screenchomp, a student records their narrative on a subject area and then uploads or emails it to me for viewing and assessment. This app allows students to share their screenchomp with others via facebook and is great for collaboration. However, I found that Show me takes this collaboration to another level. There is a database of lessons that have been created by teachers and students on almost any topic taught from K-12. This app can be used as a reference for students when they are struggling on a specific topic. Research indicates that students learn best from each other and this app provides the platform for this to happen. A truly innovative and powerful application!
Manny
ShowMe, or Kent’s alternate Explain Everything, would have such great potential for student assessment as you suggested Manny. What a great tool for allowing students to create a portfolio. Easy to capture narrated demonstrations of their work – the process, their thinking – not just a static final product. Very powerful indeed!
Peggy
Explain Everything is another similar application which i’m trying. It is linked to Evernote, Dropbox, Box and YouTube. Really, it’s all about choice for my students. Some of them are still comfortable using paper and pencil, so that’s they way they do things…although my hunch is that its their parents holding on to some of the more traditional ways of completing homework.
We have talked a little about this in the course, but have any issues arisen of kids/parents that can’t afford an iPad? how do you deal with that? also, do you see these apps eventually being available for iPhones?
I think you touched on an important point Mike. What do we do with those kids who can’t afford these devices? Unfortunately, in this day and age, that puts them at a disadvantage if we choose to pursue these emerging technologies. From my experience though, there are two ways that we can approach this dilemma. The first is that we don’t integrate them into our practice because it is not fair to those students who don’t have the hardware to participate. In this scenario, we really end up putting all the students at a disadvantage from a global collaborative perspective. This approach is more of an excuse based approach in which I don’t see districts finding the need to supply the hardware/software required. However, if you this is the avenue you wish to take and are sincere in your approach, a good administrator acknowledges the effort and can usually make things happen.
I do agree with you in the cross compatibility issue that Apple has – lets face it – they want to corner the marketplace! Usually, apps developed for iphone will work on the ipad but not always vice versa. Couple this with other cross compatibility issues and the logistics of everything gets confusing. It seems as though they have fixed some of these nuances with their latest iOS6 update but their are always improvements to be made. What is encouraging though is that App developers usually make product updates based on reviews and feedback. This is an area where we need to take more initiative as we do have a say in what we consume.
As I’m reading through all of the posts this week – so many good ideas, apps, etc. This isn’t a new revelation for me, but it keeps re-surfacing – how is the average teacher able to manage all of this constant information, such as good apps for this and that? I know there are twitter, blogs,website, etc. and maybe existing apps that give recommendations about good stuff for specific uses.
My point being – where is the “THING” that will help with information overload?
Peggy
Hi Peggy,
I agree this is definitely one of the issues with apps that there is currently no easy way to find the all the good apps that are appropriate for your needs, nor keep on top of all the apps being created and released on a daily basis. There is no systematic way to rate, review or catalog them. I hope in the future their might be some type of “librarian/virtual assistant” or library cataloging system or more finely grained & professional classification of apps we can refer too.
they keep updating it, and i believe this is the most current to date, but this helps me, as i find a theme based approach to looking for apps quite helpful. http://teachwithyouripad.wikispaces.com/Blooms+Taxonomy+with+Apps
I was wondering if anyone has used this app to create or facilitate a flipped classroom learning environment? It was great to hear about the collaborative nature of this app…
In terms of the have and have nots… Recent research is showing that due to the constant decrease in tech prices, that the new have and have nots, will be those students that have teachers teaching with technology, and those that do not…
Thoughts?
Hi Tom,
because of the cross compatibility issues with apple products and the fact that not all kids have mobile devices as Mike mentioned earlier in the thread, to facilitate a flipped classroom I think youtube would be the best option. YouTube can be viewed from any device with an Internet connection and just makes flipped learning more accommodating.
Thanks for sharing this Kent. It seems like a great tool for students to be able to use this. As Mike mentioned having the devices available is a concern. Most schools don’t have them at all or only a few if they do. Some students may have them on their own. I know that I have an iPad but by kids aren’t at the age where they would be doing work on it…yet. I think that there will be a continued stream of these types of apps as it does allow for the user to capture their ideas as they work through problems/situations. Thanks again!
Great information in this discussion. ShowMe sounds like a must check out!. Peggy, I need that “THING”!
Kent, just curious about a few things if you don’t mind. What grade do you teach, how many of your students have an ipad. The idea of posting an assignment and then students having the ability to work on it interactively and sending it back to you sounds amazing, especially for those students that struggle in Math.
Catherine
i teach grade 4, but in a private school it is a little different. i am definitely surrounded by the ‘haves’. Each grade 3 to 6 student has an ipad this year and its been amazing to see it flourish already. we’re just learning about what really works in the classroom and its often the students that will find the really useful applications. i’m also the tech coordinator for the junior school and am also looking for that THING. trying to stay current isn’t issue, however. its being able to honestly say that the technology you use in your classroom is genuinely making the learning better. is it a tool? or could paper and pencil serve just as well.
Kent, cant thank you enough for sharing this fantastic app. i just installed it and viewed a video on teaching basic algebra – how to create input, output tables; generate a rule and finally an equation. i am definitely going to use these videos to teach my kids…
in addition, i concur with the discussion that it is going to be challenging task to have a level field for all kids. My kids go to a private school and one can appreciate the difference in teaching as compared to public schools.
William (Bill) Hamilton is the president and CEO of TechSmith ventures. Upon first glance, this name probably does not ring a bell but his staff is responsible for producing video capturing software apps such as Screenchomp for the iPad. This App has received rave reviews amongst the learning technologies community and allows students to […]
Continue reading Introducing William Hamilton…….. Posted in: Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp
Hi,
You were right! I did not recognize the name at first, but I have used some of the products that he has helped develop! This was particularly interesting for me to read because I find it very interesting the long path that he has taken since 1987. In my lifetime, I look back and think about all of the advances in technology and can only imagine what he has seen, experienced, and learned from.
Jhodi
What an interesting app. I agree that this will be a great tool for education. I am sure that this will help students and teachers create some great learning materials.
Ken
New Media Consortium 2012 Horizon Report 1. How, and how much, is it useful and valuable to the broader community of educators, as well as learning technologies specialists and venturers? Upon opening the forty two-page New Media Consortium 2012 Horizon Report, I was immediately engaged and spent a great deal of time reading […]
Continue reading New Media Consortium 2012 Horizon Report Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
I recently downloaded NMC’s HZ app. Great info and links to articles and journals, updates, etc. Some links were broken, but a great resource nonetheless. (2.99)
I was also drawn in immediately when reading and “couldn’t put it down”. It certainly is a resource that could be used by anyone with any interest in this field!
Hi Eva – Thanks for your very thorough review. I printed and read the K-12 version and thought it was highly credible and valuable. Something I find interesting and controversial is one of the challenges they mention. On page 5 in the K-12 version, they discuss “Critical Challenges” and write that “despite the widespread agreement agreement on its importance, training in digital literacy skills and techniques is rare in teacher education. As a Faculty Advisor in UBC’s newly designed Bachelor of Education program I was surprised and disappointed that the teacher candidates do not have to take a course in digital media literacy. When I inquired about this I was told that it was infused throughout other literacy courses and curriculum classes but I wonder perhaps if it merits its own course. Thoughts anyone? David, do you know if anyone from MET was involved in the creation of the new B.Ed program?
The NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition aims to provide an overview of the top trends of today and predict what will be coming on the ‘horizon”. The report was completed with the help of the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative and the EDUCAUSE Program. The use of the report is granted under a Creative Commons […]
Continue reading The NMC 2012 Horizon Report Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
I find the comment you made in your final paragraph, regarding the speed at which some of these technologies are adopted by districts to be very powerful. For myself, districts are both an educational, political, and legal entity, all of which sometimes bogs down the system creating a delay in the large scale implementation of these services. Conversely, teachers within those districts could implement change more quickly, but might run the risk of creating controversy with either fellow teachers or the district itself, if they adopt unsanctioned technology.
Furthermore, the speed of implementation in some cases is so great, that by the time the technology is adopted, it is usually out of date, which creates further implementation issues for other technology initiatives.
Thoughts?
Great point. It seems that while the advancements in hardware and software may be increasing according to Moore’s law, our educational infrastructure is having a hard time meeting demands. It seems to all come down to funding… Or perhaps it might be the fact that Moore’s law has been turned into More law by the corporate giants through a design for the dumps approach to satisfy consumer demands. Take a look at this video to find out how: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW_7i6T_H78
James
I thought that this report gave a great overview of several technologies and broad technological ideas for implementation in education. it also gave excellent examples of the educational use and purposes of such technologies and provided great specific examples of technologies that are in current use or are being developed. I very much agree with you that this was an easy read that provided a lot of information and in the future can be used by educators such as myself to get quick access to ideas in time for the technology to be relevant.
I greatly appreciated your review of the NMC Report. I also reviewed it, and felt it was eye-opening. Like you, I started to follow links and started to download apps. Are there any things that you are already using or know that others are using? I’m trying to find a good way to keep track of all the links that I pursue in readings and even categories for new apps. Perhaps there is an app for doing that? I sympathize with your last comments, since many public high schools will likely not adopt many of these things. The same goes for higher ed. However, I do believe that there are elements of this report that can be implemented in small-scale ways, (especially apps).
Thanks Eva,
I have used Delicious as one way to track links that I like. I have even created a Google doc for my own use where I copy & paste links and ideas. There are other ways to find similar links as well. You can use Twitter and follow other educators that you know have similar interests or concerns. This may help you as you build your list of resources to check out. The problem is that there is always something new, that is why I think this report and others like it are so important.
Very good review. I agree that many of us tend to rely on other teachers and ed. tech. specialist for information on the ed. tech. market. This is only natural; other teachers and ed. tech. professionals in our circles are great resources. However, as you have pointed out, reports like this make the search for information easier. It also provides us with additional credible ammunition. As a decision maker, a valid concern in this technologically dynamic environment is purchasing technology now that will become obsolete within the next second. While this report does not solve this concern and this maybe nothing will, it is provides decision makers with a tool that they can consult. Great that it is under a Creative Commons License.
Thanks Sophiabb, I think that the investment and length of time the technology will be in use is a major concern for the purchasers in education. The course ETEC 520 is a great course (if you haven’t already taken it) to help one deal with how these decisions are made.
After reading your post, I took a closer look at the NMC Report and had to agree that this was an easy-to-read report that could come in very handy for future technological requests. I also thought it was useful how they had created a “Relevance for Teaching, Learning, or Creative Inquiry”section that helped relate the projected technologies to these ideas. I found when reading through some of the research reports or market projections many of the technologies were interesting but I couldn’t always think of a way I could use them in my teaching.
You stated in your last paragraph that many school districts were behind in technology movements. Sometimes, even within a school district you will see a big discrepancy. My middle school is 4 years old and we have a lot of new technology within the building. We have also asked for certain things and have gotten them. A colleague of mine recently moved to a high school within the district and she couldn’t believe how many devices they didn’t have. I guess there are different priorities and use of funds at various schools.
Thanks Lisa,
We have the same issue in our district where some schools have and some do not. We also have the problem where we have some schools that have allowed certain products (Apple computers as an example) and other schools being told that they won’t be supported by the same centralized IT department. Very frustrating.
I agree that the “Relevance for Teaching, …” section was a nice feature.
I reviewed the New Media Consortium 2012 Horizon Report for Higher Education. At first glance of the website, I was impressed as they have the report not only in English but also in four other languages: Catalan, German, Japanese and Spanish. Also, they have two shorter documents: The Project Preview and The Project Short List. […]
Continue reading Opportunity Horizon: Perhaps the Horizon reports are overly optimistic ….. Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
Hi Doug,
You’ve done a very thorough job, and it was a great idea to go back to previous reports to see if their predictions come about. They do actually say it is “not a predictive tool”, but rather it is meant to “highlight emerging technologies” (p.7). However, when I read predictions thrashing the Kindle Fire and writing wonder of Ipads, I knew there was something more. I checked them out, and though the NMC is a non for profit organization, it was nevertheless founded by Adobe, Apple, Macromedia and Sony, because the realized that “realized that the ultimate success of their multimedia-capable products depended upon their widespread acceptance by the higher education community ” (NMC.org). They concluded “that a community of innovators embedded in leading colleges and universities would amplify the impact of their tools in a wide range of disciplines” (NMC.org).h They went on to identify institutions and schools where their investment could “bear fruit”. So are these predictions of what the market or educators will need or what they hope they will buy? Either way, there is some truth in what they write. Like the OECD, they recognize a changing world of work and roles. People work anywhere and collaboratively, opening way for the need for clouds and collaborative communication tools. And I think the other thing they may be right with is the growth in tablet computing and Apps. We’ll have to wait and see.
Adriana
I was also interested to see that they were a bit optimistic in their reports about what would be in use down the road. I think that the report is helpful in looking at what might be a resource to watch for. I also don’t blame them if their predictions were a little off. The technologies have been in place for say Mobile Apps long enough to have been “adopted”. Adoption though is up to the institutions and policy makers. I’m sure that the learners and many educators have been waiting for some of these tools to be adopted.
I also found that the timelines to adoption may be a little ambitious, but I focused more on the ideas than the time to adoption. The technologies and ideas provided are get at inspiring thoughts about future technologies and potential technologies to follow and keep an eye on. Several of these technologies have popped up here and there over the years, but have yet to become a staple in every institution. ‘Adoption’ is hard to pinpoint, but it is interesting to observe the examples and see which institutions have adopted various technologies with success and failure.
While tablet and smart phone manufacturers are churning forward at a breakneck pace, making a fortune on humanity’s device-lust, the compelling back-story is what these devices can do – the proliferation of Apps. And while addiction and burn-out on the distracting nature of most apps is already big news, there is also a rapid emergence […]
Continue reading Apps Posted in: Emerging Markets Poll
A well designed app can provide easy to find up-to-date information on the go.
Apps have a lot of potential but I believe they are still in the growth stage with future apps being less of a gimmick and providing more useful learning functions.
Apps allow students anytime, anywhere learning experiences that can be engaging, yet extremely informative.
This is an area with unlimited potential. Well designed Apps in education (games, reference, course material) have a huge market. Since they are at times hard to come by it would be interesting to try to develop one.
Apps are a part of what I consider to be the most significant technology today that is mobile technology. Even as the field is evolving much can still be done in terms of everyday activities.Apps for basic communication such as chatting,e-mail, youtube and social networking are already mature enough to be used in the educational field. This means we do not need to wait for the next big educational app before we start to exploit the power of apps in our teaching. As a matter of fact no is the best time to jump into the apps world follow Jen’s example (https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec522sept12/2012/09/05/nice-to-meet-you/). Get a mobile device and make yourself comfortable…….
I am a big fan of apps and believe they have great potential in education, especially media education. I believe there is room for many more useful apps in the context of media education. I am constantly searching for apps that can fulfill niche needs in film production, for example. I am interested in what it takes to design and develop an app, as well as, how to pitch and market an app.
I love apps. But I find it’s too difficult to find the good ones. Even when they are reviewed there needs to be something to help great apps rise to the top. If I was a developer that created a great app, getting traction for it would be difficult. The App Store is cluttered with a lot of useless apps. But with that being said, there is a lot of potential — and finding them needs to be easier for teachers.
Apps could allow learners to access knowledge when the moment strikes them; best time to learn anything is when you want to.
The phenomenon of Apps has taken the mobile marketplace by storm. I believe earlier this year the 25 billionth App was downloaded. Unfortunately, it seems as this marketplace is so saturated that it is tough to find a good educational App. There should be a free trial period for a certain amount of time as of right now you must purchase the App to experiment with it. Great marketing from a venture standpoint.
Apps used to create, collaborate and communicate are great. But apps (and there are a ton of the out there) that are simply skill and drill have no place in today’s classroom. Many teachers are proud of using these apps in their classrooms and tote that they are 21st Century teachers. I would argue that they have simply taken the old, spruced it up and made it new. Using these types of apps does not even come close to what I define as 21st Century Learning.
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visramn 9:13 pm on October 19, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Great example of how we use AR and do not even realize it. Although, your kids are just playing around they are still gaining a skill. Just as you mentioned your students can use what they create and incorporate it into their projects. Therefore, it may not be a direct tool for learning but it can definitely used as an assisting tool.
Nureen
Peggy Lawson 7:47 pm on October 20, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Your picture Ken really reminds me of blue screen, a technique used for quite some time in TV/Movies – the weatherman, for example, where it’s now realitively easy to put a second scene, or video, into the background. The actor stands in front of a green or blue screen – a very distincitve blue or green colour – and the computer is able to mat that colour and lay a second video layer that shows through. I’ve had my high school students create such videos with relative ease. Perhaps that what AR primarily is (but on a more high-tech level)?
Peggy
jenbarker 4:29 pm on October 21, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I think there is a place for AR in our schools. The potential to use AR in projects where they can bring to life places and people from the past and future is amazing. The use of AR promotes many of the 21st Century skills students need such as creativity and innovation, collaboration, communication, media literacy and ICT skills.