Ever wanted to learn a language…Here’s how!!

Arabic

  • Arabic Language Lessons – iTunes Free
    • The US Peace Corps serves up 10 free lessons that will teach you the Arabic spoken in Jordan. The web site includes a useful transcript.
  • ArabicPod iTunes Free
    • Includes mp3s and PDF transcripts.
  • Foreign Service Institute Basic Course
  • Survival Phrases Arabic – iTunes Free
    • Provides the essentials you’ll need to get around.

Bulgarian

Catalan

  • One Minute Catalan iTunes Free – Feed
    • A good way to get going with a language still spoken by some 12 million people, many living in Northeast Spain.

Chinese

    • Real Chinese – Web Site
      • Presented by the BBC. A lively introduction to Mandarin Chinese in 10 short parts with video clips from the Real Chinese TV series.
    • Beginner’s Chinese iTunes Free
      • Introductory audio lessons provided by the Open University.
    • Chinese Learn Online iTunes Free – Feed
      • A dialogue-based introduction to Mandarin Chinese. Load the lessons on your mp3 player and get up the Chinese curve.
    • Chinese Lessons with Serge Melnyk iTunes Free –Feed
      • Weekly lessons in Mandarin that get very strong reviews from iTunes users..
    • Chinesepod.com iTunes Free –Feed
      • A series of well-reviewed lessons that will let you learn Mandarin on your own terms.
  • CSLPod iTunes Free –Feed
    • Here, native Mandarin speakers teach you Chinese as a second language. Audio and transcripts are available on the website. The lessons also place an emphasis on understanding Chinese culture.
  • iMandarinPod.com iTunes Free –Feed
    • This series of lessons teaches Chinese by talking about Chinese culture or what is happening today in China. More advanced than others.
  • Mandarin Chinese Feed – Web Site
    • 10 Lessons by the US Peace Corps. Make sure you visit the site and download the pdf that accompanies the lessons.
  • Mandarin Chinese Characters iTunes Free
    • Created by Emory University, this series of video lessons will help you draw several characters and numbers.
  • Mandarin in China Web Site
    • Lessons courtesy of the US Peace Corps
  • News in Slow Chinese iTunes Free – Web Site
    • Designed for intermediate Mandarin speakers. Improve your language skills by listening to world news delivered in slowly spoken words.
  • Numbers and Radicals iTunes Free
    • Emory University teaches you the proper form for writing numbers and radicals. In Video.
  • One Minute Mandarin iTunes Free – Feed
    • A quick way to cover the very basics…
  • Popup Chinese iTunes Free – Feed
    • Offers lessons for beginners and also students at intermediate and advanced levels. In addition to language lessons, Popup Chinese provides annotated short stories, HSK test prep materials and a variety of speaking and listening exercises. They broadcast out of Beijing, and all voice actors speak the standard northern dialect.
  • Survival Chinese iTunes Free – Feed
    • Learn the phrases you need to get by while traveling in China.
  • World Learner Chinese iTunes Free – Feed
    • Another in the mix of possibilities.

 

Danish

  • Dare to Danish iTunes Free
    • This is not your usual series of language lessons. Here, a “dirty Dane” teaches you “stupid phrases and more.”
  • One Minute Danish iTunes Free – Feed
    • We get a lot of requests (believe it or not) for Danish. So here’s another useful primer created by the One Minute series.

Dutch

  • Laura Speaks Dutch iTunes Free
    • Lessons that will help you travel to Holland. It’s worth checking out the accompanying web site.
  • Learn Dutch iTunes Free
    • Culturally relevant lessons that are easy to listen to.

English

  • Connect with English – Web
    • Featuring the story of Rebecca, an aspiring singer on a journey across America, Connect With English offers 50 fifteen-minute video programs that will teach English as a second language to high school students, college students and adult learners. Produced by WGBH Boston.
  • The English We Speak – iTunes Free – Web Site
    • Each week, the BBC looks at phrases used in the English language.
  • American English Speech – Web
    •  The OLI American English Dialect course from Carnegie Mellon supplies the necessary reinforcement of dialectical structure, audio, production technique and phonetic representation for each sound.
  • 6 Minute English iTunes Free – Downloads – Web Site
    • Learn and practice useful English with the BBC.
  • Better @ English iTunes Free – Feed
    • Focuses on conversational English, with an emphasis on idioms and slang.
  • Business English iTunes Free
    • Learn the English you will need to function effectively in an American business environment.
  • Effortless English iTunes Free Feed
    • It gets solid reviews.
  • English as a Second Language iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • A very well liked collection of ESL lessons. Over 100 episodes in the collection.
  • English in the Real World – iTunes Free
    • The focus here is on the business world and things financial.
  • English for Spanish Speakers (’Por Fin Aprende Ingles’) iTunes Free Feed
    • Si usted haya asistido al menos a un curso de ingles, y usted necesita la oportunidad de escuchar al ingles y hablar el ingles, entonces ‘Por Fin Aprende Ingles’ es el podcast perfecto para usted. Presentado por Carla Staufert-Sauvier, una profesora de Mexico, y Jade Lindquist, una profesora de los EE UU.
  • ESL Business News iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • A weekly wrap of international business news read in slow, clear English. Listen to the broadcast and follow along in the accompanying script.
  • Grammar Girl iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • Grammar Girl provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing. Whether English is your first language or your second language, these grammar, punctuation, style, and business tips will make you a better and more successful writer.
  • Speaking English iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • 100+ lessons focusing on English pronunciation and vocabulary.
  • Tu Ingles! iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • “Tu Ingles” is designed to help Spanish-speakers improve their ear for English. The weekly program features drills of verb conjugation, interviews, advice about idioms, and excerpts of speeches and other recorded spoken material from famous English speakers.

Esperanto

  • Esperanto-Lecionoj Feed Web Site
    • These lessons will help you become familiar with Esperanto, a purely international language.

Finnish

  • Special Finnish Feed Web Site
    • For listeners with some command of Finnish YLE Radio Finland offers daily broadcasts in “Special Finnish”. The five minute broadcasts cover items of current interest. To ease understanding, we simplify the language and slow down the delivery. Some grammatical forms are not used at all. The level of Finnish used is planned to match the expected ability to understand Finnish shown by persons in Level Two Language Command (ofFinnish) as defined by the Council of Europe.”

French

  • French in Action Free Web Site
    • Produced by Yale University, these video lessons uses the storyline of an American student and a young Frenchwoman’s adventures in Paris to teach the language.
  • French 1 & French 2 from Carnegie Mellon – Web Site
    • The French courses are introductory, interactive video-based courses intended for use by university students and independent learners on the Internet. 
  • Ma France Web Site
    • The BBC offers 24 video lessons that will teach you French.
  • Easy French Poetry iTunes Free
    • A French as a second language program, using poetry as a topic for discussion using everyday conversational French.
  • French for Beginners iTunes Free Feed
    • Fun, effective lessons for beginners. Provided by the French Ecole.
  • FrenchPod.com iTunes Free Feed
    • A series of well-reviewed lessons that will let you learn French on your own terms. Lessons are accompanied by text expansion exercises and other tutoring aids.
  • Le Journal en français facile iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • Nightly news from RFI presented in slowly spoken French to assist you with your comprehension.
  • Learn French iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • A well-reviewed series of lessons for beginners and those who want to brush up on their French.
  • Learn French with Coffee Break French iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • The producers of the very popular Coffee Break Spanish now offer a program that will teach you French.
  • Learn French with Daily Lessons iTunes Free Feed
    • These lessons are brought to you by French teachers from Paris. They are best suited for those who already have some beginning French under their belts.
  • Mali French Feed Web Site
    • The Peace Corps teaches you some of the French spoken in Mali.
  • Native French Speech Podcast iTunes Web Site
    • Listen to interesting conversations between Native French speakers and learn about everyday life in France and cultural French topics
  • News in Slow French iTunes Free Web Site
    • Program discusses the Weekly News, French grammar, and French expressions in simplified French at a slow pace.
  • Talk French Web Site
    • A lively introduction to French presented by the BBC.
  • The French Pod Class iTunes Free
    • A very popular collection that teaches students the French language and different facets of French culture.
  • University of Texas: Francais interactif iTunes Free – Web Site
    • UT provides a series of interactive vocabulary lessons. Media can be downloaded from the site.

Gaelic

  • One Minute Gaelic – iTunes Free – Feed
    • Get a quick grounding in the basics…

German

  • Deutsch – warum nicht?
  • Slowly Spoken News Feed
    • Deutsche Welle provides a nightly news broadcast in German that’s spoken slowly so that you can work on your comprehension.
  • Talk German – Web Site
    • A lively introduction to German by the BBC. Presented in ten short parts.
  • Deutsch – Lernen – Text
    • 10 German lessons for total beginners and 24 German grammar lessons. No audio; text only.
  • GermanPod 101 iTunes Free – Feed
    • Offers materials for beginners, intermediate and advanced.
  • German Podcast.de iTunes Free – Web Site
  • GerGermanGrammar iTunes Free – Feed – Web Site
    • German grammar lessons aimed at American students.
  • Lernen Wir Deutsch iTunes Free – Feed – Web Site
    • Presented in video, these “vodcasts” get high marks for being not only educational but also very entertaining.
  • MyDailyPhrase.com iTunes Free – Feed
    • Learn German phrase by phrase over a course of 20 weeks. Lessons cover all the language you need to know to get by on a visit to a German-speaking country. This series is put together by the same people created the popular series “Coffee Break Spanish.”
  • One Minute German iTunes Free – Feed
    • Presented by the Radio Lingua Network
  • Slow German iTunes Free – Feed – Web Site
    • Annik Rubens reads slowly and clearly from parts of her popular program, Sleepless in Munich (Schaflos in Munchen).

Greek

  • Learning Greek iTunes Free Web Site
    • From the Hellenic American Union, these lessons will teach students Modern Greek. For those who already have some foundation in the language.

Hebrew

Hindi

  • HindiPod 101 – iTunes Web Site
    • Learn Hindi with fun, interesting and culturally relevant lessons that are easy to listen to.
  • I Speak Hindi iTunes – Feed Web Site
    • Coversessential words and phrases that you need for your trip to India. There are also Beginner Hindi lessons for those that want to seriously start to learn the language.
  • Learn Hindi from Bollywood Movies iTunes Free Feed
    • This looks like a fun approach to learning a language.
  • Namaste Dosti – Learn Hindi iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • There are few options when it comes to learning Hindi so the author decided to fill the void.

Hungarian

Icelandic

  • Icelandic Online – Web Site
    • Created by University of Iceland. The lessons use various media – text, flashcards, videos and so on. Lets you track your progress. Available up to expert level. (Requires registration.)

Indonesian

  • Learning Indonesian iTunes Free Feed
    • A complete online Indonesian course geared towards developing conversational fluency in the Indonesian Language.

Irish

Italian

  • Talk Italian – Web Site
    • A lively introduction to Italian presented by the BBC.
  • ItalianPod.com iTunes Free Feed
    • A series of well-reviewed lessons that will let you learn Italian on your own terms.
  • LearnItalianPod.com iTunes Free Feed
    • A series of Italian language lessons that will get you up and running. I have personally used them and found them effective.
  • Let’s Speak Italian iTunes Free Feed
    • This collection will help you learn Italian in small, manageable 5-minute bites.
  • MyDailyPhrase.com iTunes Free
    • Learn Italian step by step over a course of 20 weeks. Lessons cover all the language you need to know to get by on a visit to a Italian-speaking country. Created by the same people who put together the popular series “Coffee Break Spanish.”
  • World Languages Podcasting – Italian iTunes Free Feed
    • It’s admittedly a bit of an untraditional way to learn Italian. Lets you listen to conversations about Australian culture in Italian.

Japanese

  • Japanese Class (Video) iTunes Free
    • These videocasts from the Kyoto Japanese Language School get strong reviews. They use video effectively to demonstrate how to write in Japanese.
  • JapanesePod101.com iTunes Free Feed
    • Over 100 quality lessons aimed at the beginner. Users give it high marks.
  • Kanji Characters iTunes Free
    • Learn the proper form and stroke for several important Kanji characters. From Emory University.
  • Learn Japanese iTunes Free Feed
    • Japancast teaches Japanese using lessons from anime and everyday conversation.
  • Learn Japanese Symbols iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • These lessons teach students how to work with Japanese symbols, such as Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana.
  • Survival Phrases iTunes Free Feed
    • Learn the must-know phrases for traveling in Japan.

Korean

  • KoreanClass101 – iTunes Free
    • Features daily audio lessons, video lessons, word of the day, etc.
  • Korean Langauge Adventure – Web Site
    • These lessons have been developed in the theme of travel and adventure, allowing learners to take a virtual journey to Seoul and its nearby popular tourist destinations.
  • Korean Learning for Correction Pronunciation – Web Site
  • Online Intermediate College Korean – Web Site
  • Pathway to Korean: Beginning Spoken Korean from Zero –Web Site
    • Created by the National East Asian Languages Resource Center at The Ohio State University.
  • Survival Phrases iTunes Free Feed
    • Gets the phrases that will get you by.
  • Talk to Me in Korean – iTunes Free – Web Site
    • Korean learning made simple and easy.

Latin

  • Nightly News in Latin Web Site
    • “Nuntii Latini – News in Latin – is a weekly review of world news in Classical Latin, the only international broadcast of its kind in the world, produced by YLE, the Finnish Broadcasting Company.
  • Latinum iTunes Free
    • The Latin Language Learning program from London.

Lithuanian

Luxembourgish

  • One Minute Luxembourgish iTunes Free Feed
    • Another niche language covered by the Radio Lingua Network.

Maori

  • Toku Reo Web Site
    • Learn Maori, the language of New Zealand’s indigenous people. Although these lessons accompany a television programme that is currently running, the essential bits of the episodes are available to be watched right here on this site. The course starts at square 1. Site includes video lessons. Another useful site for learning the grammar can be found here.

Norwegian

  • One Minute Norwegian iTunes Free Feed
    • Learn Norwegian in minutes with the Radio Lingua Network.
  • Easy-to-Read Newspaper Text
    • This is not audio, but it’s useful nonetheless. A newspaper that helps you learn Norwegian by using large fonts and basic language.

Polish

  • One Minute Polish iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • Another helpful audio series provided by the Radio Lingua Network.

Portuguese

  • Brazilian PodClass iTunes Free Feed Web Site
  • Brazilian Portuguese 101 – iTunes Video Free
    • 45 lessons by Semantica.
  • Brazilian Portuguese Pronunciation – iTunes Free
    • Emory University presents audio & video for learning the Brazilian Portuguese alphabet.
  • Ta Falado: Brazilian Portuguese Pronunciation for Spanish Speakers iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • Created by the Texas Language Technology Center in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at UT-Austin.
  • Talk Portuguese Web Site
    • A video introduction to the language in 11 short parts with audio clips for key phrases.

Romanian

  • One Minute Romanian iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • Quick lessons by the creators of the One Minute language series.

Russian

  • A Spoonful of Russian iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • Recommended by our readers.
  • A Taste of Russian iTunes Free Web Site
    • This “isn’t a boring Grammar course, it is a real chat on different topics which can be heard in everyday life. It is a chance to listen to the native speakers talking at home, at work, at the shop, at the party, etc.”
  • Business Russian iTunes Free Web Site
    • Presented by the UCLA Center for World Languages, this series teaches students the essentials of Russian business communication.
  • Everyday Russian iTunes Free
    • Everyday practice for Russian language learners of all levels.
  • Russian (Kazahk) Feed Web Site
    • No Borat jokes. Learn some Kazahk style Russian from the Peace Corps. Be sure to download the accompanying PDF file.
  • Russian Literature iTunes Free Web Site
    • Also presented by UCLA, the lessons help users improve their comprehension and vocabulary by listening to excerpts from Tolstoy, Gogol, Chekhov and other Russian literary greats.
  • One Minute Russian iTunes Free Feed Web Site
  • RussianPod101 iTunes Free Web Site
    • Helps you learn Russian and Russian culture at your convenience.

Sign Language

  • American Sign Language – Web Site
    • Lessons that will get you started with the sign language prevalent in North America.

Spanish

  • Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish Web Site
    • This telenovela, or Spanish soap opera, immerses students in everyday situations and teaches speaking, listening, and comprehension skills in Spanish.
  • Mi Vida Loca Web Site
    • An immersive video mystery set in Spain to help you learn simple Spanish. Created by the BBC.
  • Cody’s Cuentos iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • A Spanish-language series of lessons focuses of classic fairy tales and legends. The fact that you probably already know the story in English will aid your comprehension of understanding the tale in Spanish.
  • Coffee Break Spanish iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • Learn Spanish in a low-key, effective way. Currently the #2 overall favorite on iTunes Free.
  • Finally Learn Spanish – Beyond the Basics iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • If you’ve had some Spanish classes and you need experience listening to and speaking the language, then Finally Learn Spanish has lessons for you.
  • Insta Spanish Lessons iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • Weekly comprehension and grammar exercises for students of all levels. One of the more popular programs on iTunes.
  • Learn Spanish at SpanishPod101 iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • Created by teams from 5 Spanish speaking countries.
  • Learn Spanish Survival Guide iTunes Free Feed
    • If you’re planning a trip to a Spanish speaking country, and if you don’t know the language, this will help get you up to speed.
  • Learn to Speak Spanish iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • Learn to speak Spanish in just 15 minutes per day.
  • LingusTV iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • A unique entry into the instructional language lessons arena. It’s an educational video series done in the form of a television sit-com (situation comedy), laugh track included. While the actors speak solely in Spanish, Spanish subtitles are provided and explanations of vocabulary and grammar points are provided on the web site.
  • Medical Spanish for Healthcare Providers – Web Site
    • This site is presented as a free medical Spanish immersion, with vocabulary including greetings, history, examination, and everyday speech, all with translation and audio. It is designed to be helpful for a variety of medical personnel. Created by a general surgeon turned Spanish teacher.
  • Notes in Spanish iTunes Free – Feed – Web Site
    • Produced by Ben Curtis and Marina Diez, a husband-and-wife team out of Madrid, Spain. Ben is British and Marina is Spanish and they too have built quite a large following for their conversational Spanish lessons, (for beginners, intermediates and advanced students), which promise to teach listeners “real Spanish” the way it is actually spoken every day in Spain.
  • One Minute Spanish iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • Covers the absolute basics of Spanish, focusing on the pronunciation used in most parts of Spain.
  • One Minute Latin American Spanish iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • Same as above but focuses on the Spanish spoked across South America.
  • Rojas Spanish Language iTunes Free Feed
    • “No English is spoken here. These lessons are for the Intermediate and Advanced Spanish Speaker who would like to sharpen their Spanish skills. The fine points of the language will be presented and explored through a variety of topics to include; music, history, culture, food.”
  • SpanishPod iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • A series of well-reviewed lessons that will let you learn Spanish on your own terms.
  • SpanishPod101 iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • Distinguishes itself from other currently available programs by providing lessons that feature different accents from around the Spanish-speaking world. Dialogues are repeated multiple times and an English translation is provided, to further aid learning.
  • Spanish Lessons for Beginners iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • Lessons recorded by native Spanish speakers with clear explanations in English.
  • Voices en Español iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • Geared toward more advanced students, this series features an interview in Spanish with a native speaker from Spain, Latin America or the U.S. It’s also accompanied by a bilingual blog that includes weekly Spanish grammar tips.

Swahili

  • Mwana Simba – Web  Site
    • This multimedia site features, among other things, 55 chapters of grammar lessons. All lessons are geared toward beginners.

Swedish

  • Foreign Service Institute Basic Course Web Site
    • Offers 16 units of audio, each introducing you to basic dialogue and sentences.
  • Klartext Feed Web site
    • News in easy-to-understand Swedish.
  • Learn Swedish with SwedishLingQ iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • Our readers have been waiting for Swedish lessons to come along. Here it finally is.
  • Swedish Survival Phrases iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • From the makers of the Survival Phrases series.

Tagalog

  • Viloria.com Pinoy iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • Learn to speak Tagalog to give you the advantage when you travel to the Philippines.

Thai

  • Thai Web Site
    • Lessons from the US Peace Corps
  • Learn Thai: Free English Thai Audiolearning Course iTunes Video  Web Site
    • Apparently the lessons are good, but they’ve been having some technical problems and not all lessons are always available.
  • Thai Alphabet – iTunes Free
    • Emory University presents flashcards for recognizing letters in the Thai alphabet.
  • Thai Survival Phrases – iTunes – Feed
    • Covers the basics.

Turkish

  • One Minute Turkish – iTunes
    • A quick primer.

Ukrainian

  • Ukrainian Web Site
    • More lessons from the US Peace Corps.

Urdu

  • Introduction to Urdu Alphabet – iTunes Free
    • Emory University offers a quick primer on the Urdu alphabet and pronunciation.

Vietnamese

  • Survival Phrases iTunes Free Feed Web Site
    • You get the gist from the title. Learn here some phrases that will help you survive in Vietnam.

Welsh

Yiddish



Study says “Art Students Perform Better on Standardized Exams”

West Virginia high school students who take more than the required amount of arts classes scored better on math and reading portions of the Westest than students who did not, according to a study scheduled for release today.

“Students who earn 2 or more arts credits during high school were about 1.3 to 1.6 times more likely to score at proficient levels for mathematics and reading/language arts,” the study states.

Conducted by the Office of Research within the state Department of Education, the study includes information from 14,653 public high school students between 2007 and 2010. Researchers considered any music, visual or performance arts courses for the study.

The study also found students with more arts credits performed better on the ACT PLAN exam, a preparatory test before students take the actual ACT.

Researchers couldn’t say why the correlation exists. State education officials, however, are confident the arts are linked with better academic performance.

“The WVDE believes that a broad curriculum that is arts-rich (as well as having foreign language, movement, etc.), does lead directly to higher student achievement, as indicated by measures such as the Westest2,” Superintendent Jorea Marple said in an emailed statement.

The department is releasing the study as Marple visits several arts programs across the state. She is scheduled to be at an art class at Magnolia High School in New Martinsville today. More stops in Wetzel, Marshall and Ohio counties are scheduled for the week.

The study focuses on high school students, but officials believe the same results would be found at any age.

“The research data indicate that arts participation is positively associated with academic outcomes, meaning as participation increases, so does achievement,” Marple said in the statement.

“We do not contend that participation in arts causes those outcomes, but we know they are related in a positive way and that the relationship is statistically significant.”

West Virginia high school students are required to take one arts credit to graduate. Elementary school students must take music and general art classes every year.

Both chorus and band must be offered starting in sixth grade, and middle school students must take a cumulative of 18 weeks of music and art classes before going to high school.

The study looked at high school students who took two or more credits, and examined Westest and demographic differences.

For reading, the relationship between arts and higher test scores was consistent across all study groups, researchers found. The trend held true in math only for students not from low-income families and without disabilities or students only from low-income families. Overall though, the study states any student’s odds of scoring “above mastery” or “distinguished” on the Westest go up somewhat if they earn additional arts credits.

All studies have limitations: Researchers measured arts credits for the student group into the 12th grade, although the Westest is not taken beyond 11th grade. There’s a similar limitation for the ACT PLAN test, which is given in 10th grade.

The study also assumed a correlation between arts and improved test scores exists. Several national studies are also referenced, but researchers noted most focus on slightly different aspects.

(c)2012 the Charleston Daily Mail (Charleston, W.Va.). Visit the Charleston Daily Mail (Charleston, W.Va.) at www.dailymail.com. Distributed by MCT Information Services.

Links

Mapping the Future of Educational Technology

If it’s true that 65% of today’s grade school students will work in jobs that don’t exist yet, then we better get ready for some drastically different learning environments.

Add this massive infographic to the recent discussion of futuristic dorms and what education will look like in 2020–and beyond. Designed by Michell Zappa’s Envisioning Technology (which also created that fantastic interactive infographic mapping the future of technology), this chart maps innovations in education technology for the next few decades.

It illustrates a shift from a classroom-centered approach toward an increasingly virtual set of learning environments. Of course the most eye-popping statistic is the idea that 65% of today’s grade-school children will end up at jobs that haven’t been invented yet. Hence the need for looking forward to try to anticipate how technologies might evolve and how we should expect to incorporate them into our schools.

“Despite its inherently speculative nature,” the graphic’s creators write, “the driving trends behind the technologies can already be observed, meaning it’s a matter of time before these scenarios start panning out in learning environments around the world.”

The 50 Best Videos For Teachers Interested In Gamification

Image by Sezzles via Flickr Creative Commons

Gaming in education is a really big deal, and a very fun way to get students more involved and interested in education.

Board games, video games, even active outdoor games all have an important place in education, and these videos share more about their role in learning.

Check out our list of 50 awesome videos for gaming teachers to discover what experts, teachers, and even students have to say about using games for education.

Gabe Zichermann: How games make kids smarter:
Check out Gabe Zichermann’s TED talk to find out how video games can actually make kids smarter and better problem solvers.

Johnny Lee demos Wii Remote hacks:
Check out this video to see how you can turn a cheap Wii Remote into a sophisticated educational tool.
Professor Henry Jenkins on games-based learning at SxSWi 2009:
MIT professor Henry Jenkins discusses why he thinks games are great learning tools in this video from SxSWi 2009.
Game-based Learning:
This video offers an excellent introduction into the idea of game-based learning, exploring how digital games can share enriched learning experiences.
Games and Education Scholar James Paul Gee on Video Games, Learning, and Literacy:
Learn about game learning from expert James Paul Gee, who explains the idea of situated and embodied learning, and how to helps students learn about problem solving.
Katie Salen on Game Design and Learning:
Quest2Learn’s Katie Salen explains the philosophy of using game design for learning in the classroom in this video.

John Hunter: Teaching with the World Peace Game:
John Hunter explains how he puts all of the world’s problems on a plywood board and uses the “World Peace Game” to encourage his 4th graders to solve them all, engaging them in learning and teaching complex lessons.
Game for Good Design Camp:
Gaming in education comes full circle in this video from Generation Cures Game for Good Design Camp. Students learn about science, technology, engineering, and math while they design video games that help others learn.
Immersive learning: it’s game on!:
Find out how immersive gaming environments can be useful for students and educators.
Stuart Brown: Play is more than fun:Dr. Stuart Brown discusses his research on play, explaining that gaming and play are important to healthy childhood development into adulthood.
What is Game Based Learning:
Check out this video to find a brief introduction to game-based learning.

Game On! How Playful Learning Works:
MIT’s video explains how playful learning works in an anywhere/everywhere state of play.
Teaching with Games: GLPC Case Study: Joel:
This video case study explores Joel Levin’s work as a school technology integrator, following him as he shares MinecraftEDU with second graders in New York City.
Game-Based Learning:
This video explains the application of game-based learning with video presentation and resources.
Classroom Game Design: Paul Andersen at TEDxBozeman:
Paul Andersen’s classroom is a video game, and you can learn how he puts video games to work in AP biology.
Video Games and the Future of Learning:
Jan Plass and Bruce Horner lecture in this video, explaining the research and science behind video games and their future in education.

Game Based Learning in Special Education:
Andre Chercka discusses his experience with game-based learning and how it can be applied to special education in this talk.
Steve Keil: A manifesto for play, for Bulgaria and beyond:
View this talk to find out why Bulgarian Steve Keil thinks play is so important to education and society, and how we can reinvent learning to better share a sense of play.
Mission Impossible Physical Education Game:
Check out this fun physical education game to see how kids can come together to think critically and work as a team.
The Gaming of Education:
In this video, you’ll see how gaming can help kids learn and engage more deeply, and enjoy “The Great Brain Debate” as experts question whether gaming in education negatively contributes to digital information overload.
Brenda Brathwaite: Gaming for understanding:
Game designer Brenda Brathwaite discusses how she created a game to help her daughter better understand the concept of slavery.
EdmodoCon 2011: Game Based Learning:
Watch this video to see how high school teacher Hyle Daley integrates educational gaming into curriculum.
Integrating Games-based Learning: A Conversation with Tim Rylands:
In this video, you’ll learn how to integrate games-based learning in your classroom.

Tim Brown: Tales of creativity and play:
Designer Tim Brown explains how important play is to creative thinking, offering great ideas for bringing play into our lives and classrooms.
Teaching with Games: GLPC Case Study: Lisa:
Check out this video with 4th grade teacher Lisa Parisi as she uses freely available games from BrainPOP and Manga High to challenge them in math and science content.
Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world:
Jane McGonigal’s talk explains how we can harness the power of gaming to solve real-world problems.
Nolan Bushnell Talks About Making Learning a Game:
View this video from Atari founder Nolan Bushnell as he talks about changing the way kids learn in and out of school with gaming.
Game-based learning: what do e-learning designers need to know?:
What makes educational games different? This video takes a look at what e-learning designers have to do differently when it comes to learning games.
Dawn Hallybone, Teacher, Learning Without Frontiers, London:
In this video, British teacher Dawn Hallybone shares her strategies for bringing commercial video game technology to learning in order to motivate her students and improve educational outcomes.
Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution!:
Sir Ken Robinson shares his ideas for a radical shift in learning, bringing personalization and creativity to education, and allowing kids’ natural talents to grow.
Games and Learning in the Classroom with Teacher Prantika Das:
Follow this Microsoft Most Innovative Teachers Forum winner as she explains how she uses games to stimulate learning in her classroom.

Net Gen Ed: Game-based Learning:This video from Net Gen Ed explains the fundamentals of game-based learning and how to use games for educational purposes.
A Vision for 21st Century Learning:
Check out this presentation on game based learning to better understand the ideas behind immersive learning environments.
Ali Carr-Chellman: Gaming to re-engage boys in learning:
How do you get boys interested in learning? Encourage them to play video games. Ali Carr-Chellman’s talk explains a great plan to engage boys in the classroom by bringing video games in.
Gaming in Libraries Class:
See what Paul Waelchli has to say about teaching through game learning in this Gaming in Libraries course.
Ian Bogost on Serious Games:
Get gaming expert Ian Bogost view on what serious games can do for education and beyond.

School Mods: Gaming the Education System:
Jonathan Schneker’s talk is all about how video games can actually help us learn.
Education & business find uses for Serious Games:
This piece from Euronews explains how computer games are breaking beyond entertainment and moving into the education and business world.
Game based Learning-How computer games and their design can be used in schools:
Watch this video from the Festival of Education explaining why computer games are an essential part of 21st century curriculum.
James Paul Gee on Learning with Video Games:
Gaming expert James Paul Gee shares his insight into why video games make great learning tools.
Tom Chatfield: 7 ways games reward the brain:
Watch Tom Chatfield’s TED talk to find out how games engage and reward our brains to keep us going for more.
Consolarium on BBC News: Gaming in Education:
Scottish educators explain how the Nintendo DS is making a difference in engagement and educational attainment for Scottish students.
Dr. Paul Howard-Jones – Neuroscience, Games & Learning:
Dr. Paul Howard-Jones discusses the science of game-based learning as he explains how gaming engages the brain in education.
Welcome to the Digital Generation:
This series of videos from Edutopia explains great ideas for teaching today’s digital generation

The Money Game:
In this financial education game, students learn basic money management and wealth creation principles, making personal finance education fun and easy.
Brenda Laurel:
Brenda Laurel’s talk on games for girls offers interesting ideas for getting female students more engaged in game learning.
Game-Based Learning in Higher Education:
Game-based learning isn’t just for kids. Watch this talk from the USC Center for Excellence in Teaching to find out why and how game-based learning can be used for higher education.
James Paul Gee on Grading with Games:
Game-based learning expert James Paul Gee explains how kids can learn, and be graded, with games.
Teaching with Games: GLPC Video Case Study: Steve:
Technology instructor Steve Isaacs discusses how he uses video game design and development in 7th grade curriculum, developing 21st century skills and helping to motivate students.
Douglas Thomas on Video Game Learning: Interacting with Media:
Watch this video from the MacArthur Foundation to find out how video games can serve as powerful learning tools for students.

Designing a classroom for the 21st century

It’s not enough to take a traditional K-12 classroom and fill it with technology. The smart classroom requires a more methodic approach that factors in the design of the basic shell, the teacher’s space, and the students’ independent and collaborative work areas.

Schools that ignore this step, said Issac Herskowitz, director of New York-based Touro College’s instructional technology program, will wind up with smart classrooms that fall short of their goals. “Designing classrooms for today’s learners requires a different approach than what’s been traditionally employed in K-12 settings,” said Herskowitz.

Here are six design elements that should be incorporated into the 21st Century classroom.

1. Desks and furniture that support collaboration. The days of the single desk and chair are gone, according to Herskowitz. He said he envisions a time when all K-12 classrooms are developed around the concept of collaboration–between student and teacher and among the students themselves.

“You want students to be able to do discovery learning and to work together on projects and problem-solving,” said Herskowitz.

To support that concept, he said, furniture should be able to accommodate multiple learners and then be repositioned for independent learning (such as testing). “When you start with this foundation,” said Herskowitz, “the collaboration comes naturally.”

2. Ample electrical outlets. Not all students will come to class with their iPads and laptops charged up and ready to go. To make sure 21st Century learners have the power they need to engage in classroom activities, Amber Golden Raskin said her school uses a combination of electrical outlets, some of which are integrated into the classroom furniture, and power strips that are distributed through the classroom.

3. A “smart” teacher lectern. Teaching in a smart classroom requires a “smart” lectern, said Herskowitz, who advised schools to put time and money into the structures that teachers will use as their home bases. USB ports that allow for easy document camera connections, interactive whiteboard equipment controls, and other features should be incorporated into the fixtures.
“You really want to make everything accessible for the teachers that are using the technology,” said Herskowitz. “If instructors are comfortable in the space and able to use all of the tools that you put in front of them, half the battle is won.”

4. Lighting that’s easy to control. With audiovisual technology becoming more advanced and even more useful in the K-12 classroom, the need for lighting that’s easy to dim or enhance is imperative. The student sitting furthest away from the projection screen, for example, must be able to see the workspace clearly and without interference from shadows.

“Factor in the natural lighting, the fixtures, and the controls,” said Herskowitz, “and focus on accessible lighting controls that allow the teachers to adjust quickly.”

5. Physical space that goes beyond the single classroom. Who says the 21st Century classroom has to be a single room? At SVCi, a four-year-old charter school, Raskin said holes were intentionally punched in classroom walls to help create a collaborative environment that expands beyond a single room. “Students and teachers can go in and out of the openings, which are covered by curtains when not in use,” said Raskin.

The strategy works particularly well when teachers collaborate on interdisciplinary projects. “Being able to share across classrooms is a big deal here,” said Raskin, “and something that we strived for when designing our learning spaces.”

6. Fewer expansive gathering areas. The traditional, campus-wide auditorium didn’t have a place at SVCi. Instead there are several mid-sized gathering areas designed to accommodate three or four classrooms full of students who need to come together to share, collaborate, or watch a live presentation.

“We went with smaller common areas rather than just one big assembly room,” said Raskin. “Our goal was to get students exercising the ‘expression’ muscles in smaller groups that lend themselves to more participation and collaboration.”

At its core, Raskin said, the modern-day classroom’s design should revolve around the idea that students should no longer be sitting alone at desks “spitting out answers” to a teacher who stands behind a podium. “In the last century we were a factory-driven society and schools were designed around that concept,” said Raskin. “Today we must create spaces where students can collaborate and participate in real-life environments where they can learn how to work on teams; that’s what they’ll be doing in the work world.”

Gamification in Education

Scenario

Kendra is a sophomore taking an introductory course in forestry. Professor Sievert divides the class into teams of six students each and hands out a list of 100 plants found in the nearby national forest. Each team is responsible for finding photos and information about these plants, familiarizing themselves with them, and ensuring that they can identify them on location. The teams have two weeks to collect all the information they can and to quiz one another on plant recognition.

Then, two weeks from Friday, Sievert explains, teams will compete in a contest in a specified area of the nearby national forest to see which team can provide the most and best identifications in a two-hour window. Teams will win “identification points,” and the team with the most points will win tokens allowing each every member to turn in any one paper up to 48 hours late during the term.

Kendra and her team gather with their cell phones in hand half an hour early on the day of the contest. This gives them a few minutes to look over the rule sheets as Sievert distributes them. Rules are fairly straightforward. “Correct identification” consists of a photo of the plant with a team member standing beside it, sent by cell phone to a designated dropbox. These photos must arrive with a message giving the name of the plant and appropriate metadata. A standard plant on the list is worth 10 points; one marked “rare” is worth 25. There are also 5-point bonuses for a plant photographed in bloom, one correctly identified as suitable for human food, or one identified as toxic. Any misidentifications will subtract the number of points from the team total they would have added had they been correct.

Kendra’s team decides to separate into three groups of two each. When the starting whistle blows, Kendra and Jacob set out as partners to find, photograph, and identify. The cell phones are busy snapping pictures, receiving images from other team members for confirmation, and submitting photos to the dropbox. There are also several calls to coordinate team progress. At the end of two hours, the teams meet back at the gathering place. The unofficial tabulation suggests Kendra’s team has won by 5 points. She’s glad to learn that her team will be competing in similar contests throughout the term.

1. What is it?

Gamification is the application of game elements in non-gaming situations, often to motivate or influence behavior. In business contexts, gamification is used to create an engaging dynamic—such as the points system created by Weight Watchers— and to build brand loyalty. It also has wide currency in organizations where it may be used to encourage member or employee interest in projects or organizational efforts. In academe, gamification typically employs elements such as points, badges, or progress bars to engage or motivate students in the learning process. Whereas building a full-scale game requires the design and construction of a holistic, systematic environment to house the project, successful gamification can involve no more than the employment of a few feedback or reward elements. That said, the practice is most effective as a pedagogical tool where it forms part of a well-planned strategy to encourage research, inspire creativity, teach basic principles, or hone problem-solving skill.

2. How does it work?
Many instructors implement gamification because they

believe the rewards or the spirit of competition will spur students’ concentration and interest and lead to more effective learning. On the surface, these rewards may include items such as physical tokens, badges, or points toward a long-term goal. Students may strive to “win” recognition among their peers or the larger community or engage for personal satisfaction or a simple sense of accomplishment. But beneath these game-like prizes lies another level of reward that may include relevant feedback, learning reinforcement, and a lively and collaborative class environment. While technology is not essential to gamification, it can make management simpler. Many faculty use technology to track accomplishments, total points, and aggregate results. In addition, gamification elements can happen both inside and outside the classroom.

3. Who’s doing it?
The use of gamification is wide ranging in higher education, whether adapted from publicly available applications, designed by individual instructors, or created by departmental staff. Students at Pepperdine University’s business school, for example, are currently piloting a free web-based gamification tool called Veri. The product invites participants to test themselves on course topics using questions the instructor has entered. Game-like overtones include immediate humorous feedback and a running scoreboard for students to track their success. As they progress through various levels, a leader board sparks competition by showing who has the highest scores. In an economics course at Penn State, an instructor-designed example that ties content to play asks “So You Want to Be a Millionaire?” The syllabus notifies students that grades are for sale and explains that the primary way to acquire capital is by answering multiple-choice questions correctly, in this case on the course exams.

Not every use of gamification in academe is tied to coursework. Metadata Games at Dartmouth College arose from a critical need in the college archives. Vast photo repositories were being left unused by researchers because they lacked metadata necessary for effective searches. In response, a Dartmouth design team built a game-style interface that invited students to tag archived images either as a solo activity or in two-player game-like scenarios. The pilot phase alone netted over 6,000 image tags from players, suggesting that this kind of implementation may have intriguing potential for archivists and curators.

4. Why is it significant?
Adding game components to a course can result in several real benefits. Simulations can help students sharpen an ability or work out a novel solution, while a game-style patina may present coursework more as a challenge than a chore. But perhaps the most commonly cited benefit of gamification is that it fosters student engagement, often cited by the National Survey of Student Engagement as a key to increasing student retention. Where it functions well, gamification facilitates the formation of learning communities, giving new opportunities online or during course discussions to socialize or work as teams. In this sense, gamification has the potential to help build connections among members of the academic community, drawing in shy students, supporting collaboration, and engendering interest in course content that students might not have otherwise explored.

5. What are the downsides?

Some stakeholders feel any introduction of game elements trivializes learning content. At the same time, students may see game elements as condescending or feel disappointed and frustrated when their application is not successful or does not yield the kind of satisfaction from winning that they expect. The competitive element that intrigues some students may discourage others, particularly those who have trouble with course content. They may feel the competition introduces another level of complexity or that it will reveal their difficulties in understanding the content to the rest of the class.

Gamification can be deceptively difficult to employ effectively, and examples of failed efforts are not hard to find. For example, awarding points to students whose blog entries garner the most responses might encourage some bloggers to enlist their friends to comment, without regard to quality, their drive being the extrinsic rewards rather than the quality of the work they submit. In addition, careful thought must be given to the administrative details of gamification lest instructors be overwhelmed by the workload of tracking student progress through points, tokens, badges, and other game elements.

6. Where is it going?
The use of technology in gamificaiton has given rise to several grants from sources such as Next Generation Learning Challenges and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Such support for gamification is likely to encourage more complex, technology- based, interactive scenarios that extend beyond individual classrooms. In fact, gamification is already moving toward institutional uses, in implementations such as “Just Press Play,” debuting at the Rochester Institute of Technology this fall. This university-wide instance of gamification is structured to involve students in all aspects of the student community experience. They earn badges for activities such as going to the gym for the first time or getting A’s during a term, but the awards are part of an integrated approach to engage them throughout the four-year program. Similar projects employed at a departmental or institutional level might serve many cross-disciplinary purposes to help students construct portfolios, build organizations, or derive artistic or business solutions that could bridge the space between the educational experience and career achievement.

7. What are the implications for teaching and learning?

While the term “gamification” is of fairly recent coinage, the use of game elements to teach is certainly not new. Instructors have long understood that interactive experiences engage student imaginations and increase motivation. Gamification offers instructors numerous creative opportunities to enliven their instruction with contests, leader boards, or badges that give students opportunities for recognition and a positive attitude toward their work. These elements of play take advantage of the human desire to compete and socialize, as well as to measure progress toward clear goals, allowing individuals to compete against themselves. Where they are employed thoughtfully and effectively, game elements can engage and motivate students, encourage exploration, foster independent effort, and generate unexpected solutions to the problems posed by course content.

 

 

E School News Top 10 Android Apps

Last year we presented “Ten of the best Android apps for education,” which highlighted some of the best apps for Google Android-based mobile devices. Now, with recent upgrades in touch technology and HD features, we’ve come up with a new list of the best Droid-based education apps for 2012.

This year’s list includes some of the most highly rated apps, both by teachers and by students, and features a range that spans from an innovative and hyperlinked dictionary developed by the Cognitive Science Laboratory at Princeton University to an interactive whiteboard app for tablets.

For every app we’ve listed, we’ve included a brief description, software compatibility, suggested use, features, price, rating, and a link to a more in-depth summary with an option to purchase on Google.

Don’t see an Android app you love on this list? Be sure to let us know—or leave a suggestion in the comment section.

(Apps are listed in alphabetical order.)

1. Name: Advanced English & Thesaurus

What is it? Instead of following the standard dictionary format, the WordNet dictionary is organized with an innovative and convenient approach. Nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are grouped into sets of cognitive synonyms, interlinked by means of conceptual-semantic and lexical relations. In addition to the straightforward definition, the dictionary shows how each word is linked to other words in terms of synonyms, opposites, and similar words, but also hyponyms and hyperlinks within the group.

Best for: High school students, teachers; Android 2.0 & up

Price: Free

Rated: 4.3 out of 5

Features: Straightforward and precise definitions of over 140,000 words, with more than 250,000 linkss; synonyms, antonyms, similar and related words to help you make your writing and speech more interesting; hypernyms (more generic words), hyponyms (subordinate words), and meronyms (part names); examples illustrate how words are used and show typical constructions and collocations; transcriptions facilitating pronunciation; hyperlinks between different related words; history to see the last 50 words you have looked up; support for memory cards; filters to help you locate the word you are searching for.

Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mobisystems.msdict.embedded.wireless.wordnet&hl=en

2. Name: AnyMemo Free

What is it? An advanced, spaced-repetition flash card learning software with rich functions

Best for: High school students; Android 1.6 & up

Price: Free

Rated: 4.6 out of 5 stars

Features: Improved adaptive algorithm from Mnemosyne, Supermemo, Anki; simple and power saving interface with rich functions; no hidden internet connection, no ads; text-to-speech, MP3/OGG/WAV audio; download millions of flash card db to study Arabic, English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, German, French, and also Computer, Religion, and more from anymemo.org, flashcardexchange, Quizlet, or StudyStack; download and upload from/to Dropbox; import from StudyStack; import flash cards from Mnemosyne, SuperMemo PPC XML files, CSV, Tab-separated TXT, QA Text files; export to Mnemosyne XML, TXT, QA Text; small size, support APP2SD.

Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.liberty.android.fantastischmemo&hl=en

3. Name: HomeWork

What is it? Homework and time table app for students. Widgets for timetable and homework.

Best for: High school students; Android 1.6 & up

Price: Free

Rated: 4.6 out of 5 stars

Features: List with all homework assignments, sorted on date, with counters for the amount of homework not “done” yet; list with all exams, sorted on date; timetable for the current day; timetable for the current week; define your own subjects/lessons; define the start and end times of the lessons; define contact information for each subject.

Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=klwinkel.huiswerk&feature=related_apps

4. Name: Kids ABC Phonics

What is it? Through different games, kids will learn the alphabet letter sounds and the basics of blending

Best for: Ages 2-7

Price: $3.99

Rated: 4.5 out of 5

Features: Kids hold and turn a picture-filled letter block and hear the ABC phonics being pronounced; children have fun building phonics recognition skills by making their own ABC blocks; while putting puzzles together, kids learn the basics of phonics blending. These skills will be further exercised and expanded in the Kids Reading game. Every section is designed so children enjoy success time after time and receive positive reinforcement from the likable teacher, so they want to keep learning.

Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.intellijoy.android.phonics&hl=en

5. Name: Kids Numbers and Math

What is it? A fun way for kids to learn numbers and build basic math skills.

Best for: Preschoolers and math; phones and tablets

Price: Free version or $2.99

Rated: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Features: Numbers are spoken in kid-friendly English. The paid version enables the number ranges to be set, with numbers going up to 20. Games include learning number, choosing max/min number, addition, subtraction, find a match, and advanced exercises.

Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=zok.android.numbers

6. Name: Splashtop Whiteboard

What is it? Allows teachers and students to turn their Android tablet into an interactive whiteboard. Once connected to their computer over Wi-Fi, they can watch Flash media with fully synchronized video and audio, control PC and Mac applications, then annotate lesson content from an Android tablet. Splashtop Whiteboard offers users of existing interactive whiteboards—such as Mimeo, Mobi, Promethean, Polyvision, or SMART Technologies—a way to extend their investment by accessing their tools from anywhere in the class without using wireless slates.

Best for: Teachers or high school presentations; Android 3.1 & up

Price: $9.99

Rated: 4 out of 5 stars

Features: Have complete control over the applications, such as Keynote or PowerPoint on the classroom PC. Slowly reveal text or images to keep your audience focused using the Screen Shade tool, or use the Spotlight tool to keep the attention on just one part of the screen. Use gestures to draw, highlight, or write over any content. Take snapshots of the screen and save them to the gallery, then print or eMail the snapshots to students, parents, or colleagues. Use different colored and sized pens, stamps, highlighter, shapes, lines, and text tools over existing content or Flipchart backgrounds. Use the digital flipchart tool to create pages with different backgrounds. All video and audio are played in high definition on your Android tablet. Play Adobe Flash content, iTunes music, DVDs, CDs, etc.

Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.splashtop.remote.WHITEBOARD&hl=en

7. Name: Star Chart

What is it? This virtual star chart allows users to point an Android device at the sky to determine exactly what they are looking at. Using state-of-the-art GPS technology, an accurate 3D universe, and all of the latest high-tech functionality, Star Chart calculates—in real time—the current location of every star and planet visible from Earth and shows you precisely where they are, even in broad daylight.

Best for: Astronomy, STEM classes

Price: $2.99

Rated: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Features: Just point and view; look around the sky using finger gestures; allows you to view the night sky whilst holding your Android device at any angle; accurately depicts all the visible stars of the northern and southern hemispheres; displays all the planets of the solar system, plus the sun and the moon; displays all 88 constellations, with constellation imagery based on the artwork by 15th century astronomer Johannes Hevelius; includes entire Messier catalogue of exotic deep sky objects; tap on anything in the sky and get the facts on what you are looking at, including distance and brightness; installable on an SD card.

Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.escapistgames.starchart&hl=en

8. Name: Teacher Aide Pro

What is it? Take attendance and grades with easy eMail and text features. Winner for Best Android Teacher App for the 2011 Best App Ever Award.

Best for: K-12 teachers; Android 2.1 & up

Price: $5.99

Rated: 4.9 out of 5 stars

Features: Supports 90 students per class; import student names via CSV file; export data via CSV-generated file and send via eMail; one-click text to students and parents for tardy and absent students and for missing assignments; one-click Random student generator. Voice to text speaks student’s name; grading options use categories/weighting; bulk eMail and texting. Send messages to all students or parents with a few simple clicks; Student Photo gallery so you can learn their names quickly.

Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.glen.apps.TeacherAidePro

 

9. Name: United States History Free

What is it? Facts on U.S. history

Best for: Elementary to high school history classes; Android 1.5 & up

Price: Free

Rated: 4.6 out of 5

Features: Contains a large amount of historical information, including: Constitution (broken down by Article), Federalist Papers, Anti-Federalist Papers, Bill of Rights, Presidents, Important Documents, Flag Code, The Star Spangled Banner, The Pledge of Allegiance, Articles of Confederation, Random U.S. Facts, and The States.

Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.matt.android.adds.freeHistory&hl=en

 

10. Name: WolframAlpha

What is it? Get answers and access expert knowledge. Remember the Star Trek computer? It’s finally happening. Across thousands of domains–with more continually added–Wolfram|Alpha uses its vast collection of algorithms and data to compute answers and generate reports for you. Parts of Wolfram|Alpha are used in the Apple Siri Assistant; this app gives you access to the full power of the Wolfram|Alpha computational knowledge engine.

Best for: High school students; Android 2.1 & up

Price: $2.99

Rated: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Features: Domains include mathematics, statistics & data, physics, chemistry, materials, engineering, astronomy, earth science, life science, computational science, units & measures, dates & times, places & geography, people & history, culture & media, music, words & linguistics, sports & games, money & finance, and much more.

Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wolfram.android.alpha&hl=en

Links

E School News Top 10 Apps for Apple Devices

One app teaches young students about cyber bullying.

Last year we presented “10 of the best apps for education,” which highlighted some of the best apps for iPhones and iPods. However, with new upgrades in touch technology, HD and 3D features, and the debut of the iPad, we’ve come up with a new list of the best Apple-based education apps for 2012.

This year’s list includes some of the most highly rated apps, both by teachers and by Apple, and features a range that spans from simple math games to a revolutionary special-education app, and from 3D imaging of the elements included in the periodic table to secure file sharing for students and teachers.

For every app we’ve listed, we’ve included a brief description, device compatibility, suggested use, features, price, and a link to a more in-depth summary with an option to purchase on iTunes.

Don’t see an app you love on this list? Be sure to let us know—or leave a suggestion in the comment section.

 

Name: Edmodo

What is it? Edmodo makes it easy for teachers and students to stay connected and share information.

Best for: High school students; iPhone, iPod, iPad

Price: Free

Rated: 4+

Features: Send notes; submit assignments; post replies; check messages and upcoming events while away from the classroom; teachers can post last-minute alerts to their students, keep tabs on recent assignment submissions, and grade assignments; students can view and turn in assignments and check their latest grades.

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/edmodo/id378352300?mt=8

Name: Frog Dissection

What is it? This app is a greener alternative for teaching dissection in the classroom. It’s suitable for middle school students who are learning about organs and organ systems as part of their life science curriculum.

Best for: Science; Biology; iPad

Price: $3.99

Rated: 4+

Features: 3D imaging; step by step instructions with voice over; accurate simulation of the wet lab dissection procedure; content validation by subject matter experts; anatomical comparison of humans with frogs; comprehensive information on frogs’ organs; classification, lifecycle, and organ functions of frogs; interactive quiz on frogs; information on types of frogs.

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/frog-dissection/id377626675?mt=8

Name: Grammar Up HD

What is it? Improve grammar and vocabulary with this multiple-choice quiz system featuring more than 1,800 questions in 20 categories.

Best for: English/Language Arts; iPad

Price: $4.99

Rated: 4+

Features: More than 1,800 multiple-choice questions; choose number of questions you would like in each test; shows test results in HTML format; eMail yourself the test results and track your progress; “Progress Meter” keeps track of how you are performing in a particular topic; choose your own timer settings.

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/grammar-up-hd/id406782226?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Name: History: Maps of the World

What is it? Browse high-resolution maps of the world from various periods throughout history.

Best for: History, Geography; iPhone, iPod, iPad

Price: Free

Rated: 4+

Features: Wide variety of historical displays; support for Category/Era view; keyword search; displays the source about each map; zoom in/out (zoom in/out with pinch, zoom in with double tab, and zoom out with two-fingers tap); free screen rotation; does not require a network connection.

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/history-maps-of-world/id303282377?mt=8

Name: iStudiez Pro

What is it? Organize your class schedule, keep track of homework assignments, record your GPA, make to-do lists, and more with this app created for a busy student’s life.

Best for: High school students; iPhone, iPod, iPad

Price: $2.99

Rated: 4+

Features: Students are able to follow up with homework; summarizing schedules and assignments; tracking grades and GPA; push notifications; backup data options.

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/app/istudiez-pro/id310636441?ign-mpt=uo%3D4&mt=8

Name: Monster Anatomy

What is it? Explore 384 contiguous MR slices in the three anatomical planes with this interactive lower-limb radiology atlas.

Best for: Biology; iPhone, iPod, iPad

Price: $8.99

Rated: 4+

Features: Navigation with multiple shortcuts; display of images in the three anatomical planes; 3D image volume (VR) allows precise location of slice position; over 500 different labels in accordance with the “Terminologia Anatomica” and current literature references; more than 10,000 tags; the five different display modes available (bones, joints, muscles, blood vessels, and nerves) facilitate label visualization; high image quality with a zooming tool.

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/monster-anatomy-lower-limb/id358915264?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Name: Motion Math

What is it? Motion Math HD follows a star that has fallen from space and must bound back up, up, up to its home in the stars. Moving fractions to their correct place on the number line is the only way to return. By playing Motion Math, learners improve their ability to perceive and estimate fractions in multiple forms.

Best for: Math; iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad

Price: $1.99

Rated: 4+

Features: Problem hints; intro level, practice of improper fractions and negative decimals; beginner, medium, and expert modes; bonus levels.

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/motion-math/id392489333?mt=8

Name: Professor Garfield Cyberbullying

What is it? Teach kids anti-bullying messages and strategies for dealing with cyber bullies with the help of Garfield and friends.

Best for: Internet safety; elementary students; iPad

Price: Free

Rated: 4+

Features: Understand the meaning of cyber bully; learn to recognize different forms of cyber bullying; learn different strategies for dealing with a cyber bully; learn the importance of enlisting the help of a trusted adult when cyber bullied.

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/professor-garfield-cyberbullying/id369171501?mt=8

Name: Proloquo2go

What is it? This easy-to-use alternative communication solution offers an extensive library of symbols for those who have difficulty speaking. It provides natural sounding text-to-speech voices, high-res up-to-date symbols, automatic conjugations, a default vocabulary of more than 7,000 items, advanced word prediction, full expandability; and extreme ease of use. For anyone who cannot afford spending thousands of dollars on an AAC device and yet wants a solution that is just as good if not better. SLPs, teachers, and parents recommend it for children and adults with autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, developmental disabilities, apraxia, ALS, stroke, or traumatic brain injury.

Best for: Special education; iPhone, iPod, iPad

Price: $189.99

Rated: 4+

Features: Listed above; educational institutions can get a 50-percent discount on Proloquo2Go if they purchase 20 or more licenses through Apple’s Volume Licensing Program for Education.

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/app/proloquo2go/id308368164?ign-mpt=uo%3D4&mt=8

Name: The Elements: A Visual Exploration

What is it? Learn about the periodic table in a hands-on way. Choose any element—copper, for example—and see various copper objects: a Persian weave chain, a brass ring, a Chinese bronze … and then rotate them with your finger to get a 3D view.

Best for: Science; Chemistry; iPad

Price: $13.99

Rated: 4+

Features: Sharp HD images that can rotate (available in 3D); columns of facts and figures with each element; Wolfram Alpha computational knowledge engine.

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/elements-visual-exploration/id364147847?mt=8

BYOT Implementations are Literacy Projects

Are these your literacy standards?

From an educator’s perspective there are a few places that we can turn for a concrete look at the standards.  The best resources for modern literacy standards are the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Let’s start with NCTE.  The Definition of 21st Century Literacies listed below was adopted by NCTE in 2008. While you look at the list below,  think about how many educators in your community are comfortable in these areas.

  • Develop proficiency with the tools of technology
  • Build relationships with others to pose and solve problems collaboratively and cross-culturally
  • Design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of purposes
  • Manage, analyze and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information
  • Create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multi-media texts
  • Attend to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments

As educators, we need to be able to start to list concrete examples of how we meet each of these standards and then assist our students in doing the same.

What about the ISTE standards?

Like NCTE, ISTE also provides us clear standards to help schools better prepare students in the digital age. Unfortunately, the vast majority of educators look at the ISTE standards as technology standards when in reality they are learning standards. As the introduction to the standards states on the ISTE website, “Technology has forever changed not only what we need to learn, but the way we learn.”

Like the NCTE standards, ISTE’s contain six focal points:

  • Creativity and Innovation
  • Communication and Collaboration
  • Research and Information Fluency
  • Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
  • Digital Citizenship
  • Technology Operations and Concepts

As with the NCTE standards, I question how many of these our staff members are comfortable with at this point.

Is this even on our radar?

So as we look towards the new things on the agenda for schools throughout our country like common core implementation and new teacher evaluation methods, I am worried that the integration of technology is still looked upon as a detached task that will have to be kept on the back burner.  The reality of the situation, however, is that if we understand how to utilize the vast array of collaborative resources out there that we can accomplish our tasks more effectively. But we cannot even start down this road if we do not provide access.

There is a great quote about technology in Jim Collins’ book “Good to Great”: “Technology alone is not going to move an organization or an individual from Good to Great. However, technology that is thoughtfully deployed can help us move a bit faster. ”

In closing, I have to mention the seven survival skills that Tony  Wagner discusses in his book “The Global Achievement Gap,” skills that our students need whether they are going on to college or the workplace.

  1. Critical thinking/problem solving
  2. Collaboration/leading by influence
  3. Agility and adaptability
  4. Initiative and entrepreneurialism
  5. Effective oral and written communication
  6. Accessing and analyzing information
  7. Curiosity and imagination

We cannot get where we need to go, if we as educators do not model these skills and we cannot model these skills if we do not provide learning environments where staff and students have access to digital resources that allow them to experiment and discover the power of being a connected learner. We are at a point where we have to consider whether or not those who are learning in “disconnected” environments can be called literate by today’s standards.

So as you are thinking about whether or not a BYOT or one-to-one initiative is right for your school, you need to ask yourself the following question: Is it important that students in our school are literate?