Day Seven: Final app ratings

Today in class, my partner and I developed a curriculum package for the reading, “Time Travel”. Although I had been trained on using Kurzweil many years ago, I had not had a chance to practice what I had learned, and I was amazed at how easy it was to input sticky notes, add a voice memo, and create bubble notes. My students had only used the program to have text read to them, but I plan to demonstrate to teachers how simple the program is to use, and I hope some of them will now feel comfortable using the features to better adapt their coursework for their struggling readers. Also, I used my iPod in a couple of new ways today. First, I created a note in which I typed up a grocery list and brought this to the store with me. I also set the alarm, as I was staying at the family cottage alone, without a clock.

13. ACB Phonics: This app has three different options. I feel the most useful is the Animal Flashcards game. The setting starts with the letter "A" and shows a picture of an "ape", and displays the letters that make up the word: "a" "p" and "e". When you click on a letter, it tells you the name of the letter AND says the sound this letter makes. The only thing I don't like about this app is that the letters are already in the correct order. You can also play "Animal Match", which requires the user to select one of three words to match the picture on the screen. The final application is Balloon pop which has 8 letters on the screen. The voice instructs you to select a particular letter, for example, "touch the letter h as in horse". This app would be appropriate for improving ones phonological awareness, and would help users hone in on their listening skills.

14. Bob Books: This is one of my favourite books as it is very interactive and a great teaching tool. The books are interactive and animated, and require the user to spell certain words in order for the pictures to be coloured. When you click on a letter, the voice makes the sound associated with that letter, and once the letters have been place in the proper order, the word is read in its entirety. In level 1, gravity essentially helps the letters fall into the appropriate place, but in level two, you have to put the letters in the right order. Note that both of these settings have the correct order of the letters in light grey print down below. However, by the time you hit level three, all the hints are gone, and level four even has extra letters that aren't used in the spelling. I like that the game "grows" with the user, and that it is an interactive book. This app could be used by very young or emergent readers to help them develop their phonological awareness, but also later moves into more advanced spelling. It will also work to engage reluctant readers who have trouble focusing on the task at hand.

15. Little Reader Four Letter Words: This app is simple - match the picture to the correct spelling. However, there are lots of options that can be adjusted quickly and easily in the settings option. For example, for early readers, one can select only two different pictures and provide verbal clues that pronounce the words aloud. As the child advances, you can have up to four different pictures/word matches, and you can turn off the verbal clues so that the words are not spoken. This app is a good match for developing ones mental lexicon.

16. MeeGenius: This app is similar to other ebooks that are read aloud. The things I like about this app are: it is primarily fables with lessons embedded, it has crisp clear pictures, the voice is animated yet reads at a slower pace than most, the words are individually highlighted as the text is read (just like Kurzweil), and it's free (you do of course have the option of purchasing more books for about $1.99 each). This app would be enjoyed by young readers, especially those with attention difficulties who have trouble focusing on a task as it is engaging.

17. Play Words: This app was free, so I do not feel a great loss (besides the space it occupies on my iPod), as it does not seem all that useful. In the first option (Picture Blast) you click on a picture of a bear, with the word written below, and the voice says "bear". Then, when you click the other option on the screen (the answer tab), again the voice says "bear". I lost interest in about 3 seconds. In the second option (Word Match) there is a picture of a plane and the voice says "plane" and you have to select the correct spelling from four options, which include "spade", "drum", "square" and of course, "plane". Some of the words seemed very advanced and unrelated, and I'm not quite sure what this really teaches or tests. The third game (Lost Letter) is the only game in which I could see some merit. The screen displays a picture of a hill and the word "hil__" below and the user must choose between the block letters "K", "X", "O", and "L". This app may have the potential to help the user improve their spelling or increase their vocabulary, but both of those links may be a bit of a stretch!

18. Reading Skill Magic Reading: This app has three different skill levels to help children learn the very basics of reading. Blending is recommended as the first skill to introduce to the user, which takes individual letter sounds and "blends" them into a word - there is even a video to demonstrate this task. You can then select the type of word (ex. "a words" or "u words" or "shuffle" to include them all). In this app, no letters are displayed. Instead, there are empty boxes to represent the number of different sounds that make up the picture. When the user clicks on the boxes, in order, each sound is pronounced, and then the word is spoken together. Next, it is recommended that the user move into segmenting, in which the sounds (not the names) of letters are used. Therefore, the user is expected to use the picture clues to say the parts of the words aloud. Finally, there is a reading option in which the picture is hidden (to discourage guessing) and the user reads the word without assistance (but can tap to check their work). This app begins by developing auditory reading and then moves onto developing their phonemic awareness and even helps with spelling.

19. Magnifying glass: This app easily enlarges text so that it is more accessible to those with visual impairments. I can see how this would be useful for students who do not want to appear different or “not cool” by carrying around a large, chunky magnifying glass to help them read.

20. Best Word Searches: As the name implies, this is a word search app (for only $0.99). This app can easily provide hours of entertainment, and is simple to use. Students can help increase their vocabulary and improve their spelling by using this app.