The App Circus: Our Top Ten Apps for

Teachers

By Micaela Easterling, Callie Grundy, and Joshua Ha

Spell BoardNational Archives

DocTeachCK-12 Physics SimulationsSimple MindStick Pick

SchoologyNearpodNews-O-Matic ZaptionWhooo’s Reading

Top 10

Schoology

This app is worthy because it meets the classroom needs of assignment organization, interactive discussions and collaborations, easy assessment, and feedback. This app is unparalleled in its overall capabilities and functions. We also picked this app because of its user friendly design and ease of customization to suit user needs.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/schoology/id411766326?mt=8

Nearpod

This app is excellent because it not only allows teachers to control and manage the content students have access to on classroom devices (limited to iOS), but it allows them to create and design interactive presentations to help students collaborate. Teachers also have access to assessment tools with this app.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nearpod/id523540409?mt=8

Stick Pick

This app is highly useful. The function of the app and the ability to choose a student at random for a number of different uses is incredibly handy. Also, this app allows teachers to assess student responses and document and track data. This is also a very useful and effective feedback tool for teachers to use to adjust to student needs.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stick-pick/id436682059?mt=8

Zaption

This app is another must-have because it allows teachers to safely edit and share YouTube or Vimeo videos with their class. Unnecessary or impertinent sections can be excised. With this app teachers are able to add text, quizzes, and more to videos. This app effectively amplifies any lesson and makes it interactive and exciting for students, offering visuals and assessment tools.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zaption-interact-learn-video/id925786228?mt=8

National Archives DocTeach

This app is more geared towards social studies, but it is unparalleled in its potential. This app lets you view a variety of historical documents and is, thus, the perfect partner to any history lesson. This app is also a good way for students to find primary and secondary sources for research projects. Using firsthand sources gives the opportunity to analyze information and bias.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/national-archives-docsteach/id513465174?mt=8

News-O-Matic, Daily Reading for Kids

We feel this is a must-have app for any classroom that plans to have a social studies or history component involved. This app lets students stay up to date with today's relative news while making it safe for kids. This is a great app for introducing students to current events and getting them interested in careers like journalism or politics. Simply keeping students informed about the world around them is important too.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/news-o-matic-daily-reading/id578023255?mt=8

Spell Board

This app is the future of spelling tests. With this app, students are able to customize the spelling list for that week and then choose fun activities that help them learn the words. This definitely trumps old “weekly spelling drills.” Students are able to take practice quizzes at any time to test their progress. Teachers can even use this app for foreign language classes as it allows you to change languages. Goodbye old school spelling tests!

https://www.participate.com/app_reviews/1450-spellboard

CK-12 Physics Simulations

This app makes the top 10 because it serves so many beneficial functions for students. With this app students are able to learn at their own pace, review a lesson multiple times, quiz themselves, watch videos and simulations to help further their learning, and even choose their own comprehension level. We feel that this is a great app for helping supplement struggling students as well as adding an interactive component to any lesson.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.ck12.simulations

Simple Mind

This app is a classroom must-have because many can attest to the usefulness and efficacy of graphic organizers. Mind maps, like the ones created with this app, help students to organize and connect their thoughts and ideas; which helps increase understanding by illustrating connections between subjects. This app will be very useful in helping students visualize information and see connections with spatial organization and color.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.modelmakertools.simplemindfree&hl=en