Mobile Apps
At Clayfield College we have introduced a BYOT program from Years 1-12. Students who choose to bring their own technology are using a range of devices including very light and mobile iPads (and minis), Android and Microsoft tablets as well as laptops, notebooks and Macs.
There is a very basic set of requirements for our students' devices including a web browser and the Oracle VDI app (Virtual Desktop).
Teachers in Junior Schooling regularly communicate with parents relating to current projects and additional recommended apps for their class work. You will find some of our favourites below. We mostly use free apps at this stage however are exploring the use of some paid apps such as iMovie.
There are some fabulous lower level drill and skill type apps that help students develop and consolidate their core skills and concepts. More exciting, however, are the range of amazing creative and higher order apps available for mobile devices (and often on associated websites). These provide us with the digital tools to augment learning, modify tasks to incorporate 21st century learning skills and really redefine what learning looks like in the classroom.
There is a very basic set of requirements for our students' devices including a web browser and the Oracle VDI app (Virtual Desktop).
Teachers in Junior Schooling regularly communicate with parents relating to current projects and additional recommended apps for their class work. You will find some of our favourites below. We mostly use free apps at this stage however are exploring the use of some paid apps such as iMovie.
There are some fabulous lower level drill and skill type apps that help students develop and consolidate their core skills and concepts. More exciting, however, are the range of amazing creative and higher order apps available for mobile devices (and often on associated websites). These provide us with the digital tools to augment learning, modify tasks to incorporate 21st century learning skills and really redefine what learning looks like in the classroom.
iPad APPS

IPAD APPS
Finding apps to use on the iPads can be very overwhelming.
There are some ways to refine your search using keywords and filters.
It can also be really helpful to have a recommendation of key apps for your area of education.
This section provides tabs and overviews of some of the creative apps we have used in the classroom at our school.
Finding apps to use on the iPads can be very overwhelming.
There are some ways to refine your search using keywords and filters.
It can also be really helpful to have a recommendation of key apps for your area of education.
This section provides tabs and overviews of some of the creative apps we have used in the classroom at our school.
Web Links
There are also links to recommended apps by other educators.
The following site provides an excellent overview of how schools in Victoria are using iPads in their schools.
Apps for Subjects
Maths
Visual Creations
The following site provides an excellent overview of how schools in Victoria are using iPads in their schools.
Apps for Subjects
Maths
- BuzzMath - This app has over 2800 Common Core aligned math problems for middle school students. Includes classroom deployment features.
- Motion Math: Wings - If exercises aren't your thing, here is a math game aimed at primary school students. Teaches multiplication in a visual way.
Visual Creations
- 123D Creature - Give your students a good laugh as they create all kinds of wacky animals & aliens with this 3D modeling app.
- Pixie - And if 3D modeling isn't what you need, this app lets students paint and record their voice to publish interactive storybooks and videos.
There are some very useful sites that review and recommend ipad apps for education.
Try
Try
Creation Tools for the iPad
Creation Tools for the iPad written by Amanda Hartmann June 13, 2013
I made this Webinar a few months ago…. Creation Tools for the iPad… and today I wanted to share some of the apps and ideas around Creating “stuff” on the iPad. With the camera, it’s portability and some fabulous apps, it has never been easier for us to create our own resources on the iPad. And when I say “us”, I don’t just mean educators – teachers, therapists, parents and support staff, I also mean, our students as well. Anyone and everyone can harness the power and possibilities in the iPad to create some amazing things!
What can we create on the iPad? Pictures, Books, Stories, Photos, Videos/Movies, Music, Teaching Materials.
Then I started thinking of ideas…. Ideas for all the “stuff” I could create.
Here’s my list….
Create PICTURES:
Create pictures (which is really fun) and then use them to create literacy tasks. For example, maybe you make a picture of a Monster and then use it to write a Character Description.
SOME SUGGESTED APPS:
Draw and Tell HD
Make an Animal
Cupcakes XL!
Create-a-Car
Cookie Doodle
Monster Mix & Match
Toca Tailor
Toca Hair Salon 2
Create PHOTOS:
Play with the photos in your camera roll to create new ways with your images. A teacher in one of my schools used the Free Apple Photo Booth App (comes standard on all iPad) to make some crazy photos of the different staff around the school (think distorted faces!). The class then used the photos to write a story about “The Day Aliens Invaded our School”!
SOME SUGGESTED APPS:
Skitch
PicWall Plus
Strip Designer
Scene & Heard
Create BOOKS/STORIES: T
here are many book creation apps… but there are the few that are becoming firm team favourites. Adding photos/pictures/videos/sound/text into books means you can make a book about anything!
SOME SUGGESTED APPS:
Clicker Docs
Creative Book Builder
Book Creator
Pictello
Then, there are a few more specific apps that could be a fun way of creating some story telling and writing.
SOME SUGGESTED APPS:
Mad Libs
Super Duper StoryMaker
Kid’s Journal
Story Pals
Create TEACHING MATERIALS:
We often talk about using the website Wikipedia to gather information and in particular, the Simple English version of Wikipedia can be most helpful for some students with diverse learning needs. Exporting PDF files from Simple Wiki and opening in iBooks, is just too easy! We can also use other apps to create visually effective teaching materials that are tailored to the need of the students in our classroom.
StoryJumper StoryJumper is a place to create and discover stories for kids. Video for tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeYSCNbT--gToonDoo
ToonDoo is a cool, comic-creating tool from Jambav, a fun site for kids. Jambav is devoted to creating a unique array of free and customizable online games of educational value for children of all abilities. Video for tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgPTMP82-Hg
StoryBird Storybirds are short, art-inspired stories you make to share, read, and print.Read them like books, play them like games, and send them like greeting cards. They're curiously fun. Video for tutorial: http://vimeo.com/6178690
SOME SUGGESTED APPS:
Keynote
iBooks
Creative Book Builder
Popplet
Idea Sketch
Tools 4 Students
Corkulous Pro
Create VIDEOS/MOVIES:
It used to be so tricky and time consuming to make videos… but now with the iPad camera, shooting quick videos/photos and creating movies is achievable for many of us. Videos/Movies are effective ways to teach social skills via Video Modelling; to reinforce teaching lessons, or maybe even a way for a student to creatively demonstrate what they know.
SOME SUGGESTED APPS:
iMovie
pixntell
myCreate
PuppetPals HD
Toontastic
Explain Everything
Create MUSIC:
From easy, simple, play-based apps, to more complex apps, there are many apps that can be used with students to create music.
MUSICL SOME SUGGESTED APPS:
Toca Band
Sago Mini Sound Box
Virtuoso Piano Free 3
Songify
Garage Band
Please share your ideas and favourite apps in the comment section of this blog post. I am sure there are many many fabulous creation apps that I have missed!
So go ahead… Create something today!
I made this Webinar a few months ago…. Creation Tools for the iPad… and today I wanted to share some of the apps and ideas around Creating “stuff” on the iPad. With the camera, it’s portability and some fabulous apps, it has never been easier for us to create our own resources on the iPad. And when I say “us”, I don’t just mean educators – teachers, therapists, parents and support staff, I also mean, our students as well. Anyone and everyone can harness the power and possibilities in the iPad to create some amazing things!
What can we create on the iPad? Pictures, Books, Stories, Photos, Videos/Movies, Music, Teaching Materials.
Then I started thinking of ideas…. Ideas for all the “stuff” I could create.
Here’s my list….
- Supported writing
- Chat Books
- Social Stories
- Video Modelling
- Schedules
- Timetables
- Teaching Materials
- Visual tools
- Cartoons
- Narratives
- Recounts
- Quizzes
- Recipes
- Mind Maps
- All about me Books
- Brainstorming notes
- Reminders
- Journal entries
- Personal Histories
- Songs/Raps
- Job/Chore Charts
- Poems
- Music
- Fun Stuff
- Character Descriptions
- Personal dictionaries
- Information reports
- Conversation starters
- And lots more…..
- be easy to use (for us and for our students)
- be easy to share and publish (eg. onto Camera Roll, Email, .epubs etc.)
- be a multipurpose app…. one good app can create a broad range of activities, allowing those activities to be age appropriate and specific to the needs and goals of the student.
Create PICTURES:
Create pictures (which is really fun) and then use them to create literacy tasks. For example, maybe you make a picture of a Monster and then use it to write a Character Description.
SOME SUGGESTED APPS:
Draw and Tell HD
Make an Animal
Cupcakes XL!
Create-a-Car
Cookie Doodle
Monster Mix & Match
Toca Tailor
Toca Hair Salon 2
Create PHOTOS:
Play with the photos in your camera roll to create new ways with your images. A teacher in one of my schools used the Free Apple Photo Booth App (comes standard on all iPad) to make some crazy photos of the different staff around the school (think distorted faces!). The class then used the photos to write a story about “The Day Aliens Invaded our School”!
SOME SUGGESTED APPS:
Skitch
PicWall Plus
Strip Designer
Scene & Heard
Create BOOKS/STORIES: T
here are many book creation apps… but there are the few that are becoming firm team favourites. Adding photos/pictures/videos/sound/text into books means you can make a book about anything!
SOME SUGGESTED APPS:
Clicker Docs
Creative Book Builder
Book Creator
Pictello
Then, there are a few more specific apps that could be a fun way of creating some story telling and writing.
SOME SUGGESTED APPS:
Mad Libs
Super Duper StoryMaker
Kid’s Journal
Story Pals
Create TEACHING MATERIALS:
We often talk about using the website Wikipedia to gather information and in particular, the Simple English version of Wikipedia can be most helpful for some students with diverse learning needs. Exporting PDF files from Simple Wiki and opening in iBooks, is just too easy! We can also use other apps to create visually effective teaching materials that are tailored to the need of the students in our classroom.
StoryJumper StoryJumper is a place to create and discover stories for kids. Video for tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeYSCNbT--gToonDoo
ToonDoo is a cool, comic-creating tool from Jambav, a fun site for kids. Jambav is devoted to creating a unique array of free and customizable online games of educational value for children of all abilities. Video for tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgPTMP82-Hg
StoryBird Storybirds are short, art-inspired stories you make to share, read, and print.Read them like books, play them like games, and send them like greeting cards. They're curiously fun. Video for tutorial: http://vimeo.com/6178690
SOME SUGGESTED APPS:
Keynote
iBooks
Creative Book Builder
Popplet
Idea Sketch
Tools 4 Students
Corkulous Pro
Create VIDEOS/MOVIES:
It used to be so tricky and time consuming to make videos… but now with the iPad camera, shooting quick videos/photos and creating movies is achievable for many of us. Videos/Movies are effective ways to teach social skills via Video Modelling; to reinforce teaching lessons, or maybe even a way for a student to creatively demonstrate what they know.
SOME SUGGESTED APPS:
iMovie
pixntell
myCreate
PuppetPals HD
Toontastic
Explain Everything
Create MUSIC:
From easy, simple, play-based apps, to more complex apps, there are many apps that can be used with students to create music.
MUSICL SOME SUGGESTED APPS:
Toca Band
Sago Mini Sound Box
Virtuoso Piano Free 3
Songify
Garage Band
Please share your ideas and favourite apps in the comment section of this blog post. I am sure there are many many fabulous creation apps that I have missed!
So go ahead… Create something today!