This week we learned about and got to explore Tech Edge: Mobile Learning in the Classroom! Tech Edge is a program run by UNL to prepare today's generation of teachers to be confident and informed about modern technologies, and especially how to use them in the classroom! The program consists of over 200 podcast videos on YouTube, which you can find here: [ https://m.youtube.com/user/TechEdge01 ] These podcast cover hundreds of different topics in the classroom, all including ways to incorporate/learn about technology within them! At first sight of the list of podcasts, I was a little overwhelmed. But after taking a second to look through them, the labels made it easy to look for different topics you may be interested in. They are organized well and cover any material you could think of. It only took me a couple of short minutes to find videos on all kinds of topics in the classroom, from Math, to History, to Science, and more! I chose to go with the video titled Summer Reading, because my interest is in English. This podcast gave three different examples of apps that can be used for students for summer reading. You can find this podcast and my reviews for each of the apps mentioned below!
Google Play Books
The first app this podcast covers is Google Play Books! It is a free app with in-app purchases that you can find in the App Store here: Google Play Books - Books & Comics by Google, Inc. https://appsto.re/us/pTP5x.i
The app is a great Ereader and super easy to use! When you first open it, you are asked to log into your Google account. After you are logged in, you are presented with a screen filled with various topics to choose from that interest you, pictured below. Once you have picked your favorite topics, the app provides a list of samples to look through. Although the books within the app aren't always free, they provide great samples that your child/student can look through to decide if a book interests them before buying it/checking it out in the library. Books you download/buy online can be found in your bookshelf, and the app is constantly looking for new and exciting books to recommend for you!
I would recommend this app to parents and teachers because of its easy use and benefits for the child. A teacher, for example, could use this to have her students look through book samples on their iPads before taking a class trip to the library, or voting on a book they want read in class. The options are endless, so be sure to check out Google Play Books!
The app is a great Ereader and super easy to use! When you first open it, you are asked to log into your Google account. After you are logged in, you are presented with a screen filled with various topics to choose from that interest you, pictured below. Once you have picked your favorite topics, the app provides a list of samples to look through. Although the books within the app aren't always free, they provide great samples that your child/student can look through to decide if a book interests them before buying it/checking it out in the library. Books you download/buy online can be found in your bookshelf, and the app is constantly looking for new and exciting books to recommend for you!
I would recommend this app to parents and teachers because of its easy use and benefits for the child. A teacher, for example, could use this to have her students look through book samples on their iPads before taking a class trip to the library, or voting on a book they want read in class. The options are endless, so be sure to check out Google Play Books!
Epic! App Review
The second app mentioned in the Tech Edge podcast is called Epic! Epic! is also a free app with in-app purchases that can be found here in the App Store: Epic! - Unlimited Books for Kids by Epic! Creations Inc
https://appsto.re/us/2QM3Q.i
This app is full of unlimited books for kids that can work great for summer reading, or just regular reading! When first opening the app, you have the option to choose between signing in as a parent or an educator. After creating an account with either of those, you are once again presented with different types of books like in Google Play, that you may be interested in. Making an account as an educator provides teachers with thousands of free books online! It is another great option for kids to use over the summer or overall, allowing them to zoom in on the text and flip the pages on their own. Making an account as a parent allows the parent to choose an avatar, the age of the child using the app, and what types of books Epic! should filter in for you.
This is another great app that can be incredibly useful for teachers, who could use it with their students to complete reading in class on their iPads or on the projector to read to the class together!
https://appsto.re/us/2QM3Q.i
This app is full of unlimited books for kids that can work great for summer reading, or just regular reading! When first opening the app, you have the option to choose between signing in as a parent or an educator. After creating an account with either of those, you are once again presented with different types of books like in Google Play, that you may be interested in. Making an account as an educator provides teachers with thousands of free books online! It is another great option for kids to use over the summer or overall, allowing them to zoom in on the text and flip the pages on their own. Making an account as a parent allows the parent to choose an avatar, the age of the child using the app, and what types of books Epic! should filter in for you.
This is another great app that can be incredibly useful for teachers, who could use it with their students to complete reading in class on their iPads or on the projector to read to the class together!
Overdrive App Review
OverDrive – Library eBooks and Audiobooks by OverDrive, Inc.
https://appsto.re/us/eSF3v.i
The final app that Tech Edge covers in this podcast is called Overdrive. It is a free app and can be found in the App Store above.
Overdrive is a database of public and school libraries that students can have access to. If a public library or school library has an Overdrive account, a student can also make an Overdrive account and have virtual access to the books in the library. Just like students can check out books in libraries in person, Overdrive allows them to virtually "borrow" books to read on their device and then "return" to the library just as they would in real life. This can be great for students who don't always have a way to get to the public library, or feel they don't have time during their day at school to go to the library and look for books. A teacher can use this app in many ways. Overdrive is used across the country in many schools, allowing students access to these books online. This app could also be used to check if their library has a certain book before they try to go look in person and check it out, if they would rather read a real book. Overdrive is incredibly useful and is already successful in schools, so why not check it out for yourself!
Overdrive is a database of public and school libraries that students can have access to. If a public library or school library has an Overdrive account, a student can also make an Overdrive account and have virtual access to the books in the library. Just like students can check out books in libraries in person, Overdrive allows them to virtually "borrow" books to read on their device and then "return" to the library just as they would in real life. This can be great for students who don't always have a way to get to the public library, or feel they don't have time during their day at school to go to the library and look for books. A teacher can use this app in many ways. Overdrive is used across the country in many schools, allowing students access to these books online. This app could also be used to check if their library has a certain book before they try to go look in person and check it out, if they would rather read a real book. Overdrive is incredibly useful and is already successful in schools, so why not check it out for yourself!