Guest Snippet: Karen Workman on 'apps'

There are so many apps out there it can sometimes seem an insurmountable task to find the hidden gems. It is so tempting to just download as many as possible, but the danger of the iPad becoming the 'digital babysitter' can suddenly become the reality. 

A few apps that have been recommended by other professionals are below. Everyone has their own preferences but these are the way that I have been using them:

iMovie - this is a free download on the newer iPads. 
Great to capture evidence, record reflections and display photos.  Can also be used with some of the Apps listed below. In the National Numeracy Framework (Wales) measuring time to one tenth of a second can be taught by using the trimming function on iMovies.  Film clips can be edited with data imported into Numbers to generate and interpret graphs. All this can be done using topics chosen by the learners that are relevant and motivating. 

Aurasma - Augmented Reality App that brings displays and student work to life. Use with Morfo Booth or Puppet Pals to animate work. An exciting way to get families working together on a project. 

Flight Radar 24 - use the augmented reality function to see how many planes are in the sky above you at any moment.  The map function with information boxes are crying out to be made into Top Trump cards. The links to numeracy and geography are explicit, but many other challenge based ideas could be sparked from using this App. 

Animate It - stop frame animation is another great project for families to play and learn together. Planning, creating, story telling, editing and reflecting are just a few benefits of using this App well. 

As with all Apps, it is the way they are used that makes all the difference. Any App can become defunct if the time to plan, play and explore possibilities is not taken. 

Karen Workman (Neath Port Talbot Family Learning Coordinator) has a passion for learning, technology, empowering children and their families…and anything Maths!