10 Apps You'll wish you knew about yesterday
1) TouchCast (Free)
TouchCast is an incredible app that allows you to create engaging videos for various class activities. Besides simply being able to record yourself in a standard format, other options that could be used for various projects include: annotating a web page, a video, images, maps or any files, such as a PowerPoint. Besides being able to annotate on screen while recording a video, there are also other scenes that you can be put in, such as a News studio, talk show, or as if you are speaking at the Lincoln Memorial, as well as others. Using this would be ideal in making your 8th Grade News Shows, or perhaps could be a replacement for a live presentation for another project you are to present to the class. Overall, this app will get you excited about presenting information in a creative and engaging way.
2) The Underground Railroad: Journey to Freedom (National Geographic Society) ($0.99)
This is an interactive game that allows YOU to make choices on your journey from slavery to freedom. Filled with historical facts and information to teach you more about what this experience was really like for people, it is also a fun way to learn about it, to see if you could have made the right choices on the tough escape. Students: Play this, and tell me about your experience in the form of a short story and you will receive extra credit! 7th graders will receive Followers as well! See me if you want more information.
3) National Geographic World Atlas ($1.99)
Is my globe just not cutting it any more for you? Do you wish there was a way you could actually learn about the places on the globe, instead of just finding them? This is the app for you. This is an interactive globe, that allows you to pull up all kinds of information on locations around the world and determine distances from different locations. This is a great resource for anyone looking to make an extra credit project on a different country or city, and just a cool app to explore the world in general.
4) 270toWin ($0.99)
Interested in the upcoming presidential election, or just how a president is chosen in general? This is the app for you! A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the nomination as President, so this app allows you to explore which states tend to vote more Democratic, Republican, or both. There are interactive features that allow you to predict who the winner may be by creating your own map and predicting the winner, as well as historical information for each state about how they have voted in the past. There is also information about the issues the candidates are discussing. Since this is a unique election, this would be an interesting app to explore!
5) TED (Free)
Do you like exploring new topics you’ve never learned about and hearing new ideas? TED talks are world famous, and cover all kinds of topics to fit anyone’s interests. Students, this is an app that you could learn a lot from based on your own interests, and writing a summary of what you watched will get you extra credit! Everyone else, these are interesting videos to watch, whether you want to know more about educational practices, science, or whatever your interests are. Explore and learn today!
6) Quizlet - Flashcards & Study Tools (Free)
Do you need to study, but not quite sure how? Quizlet is an app that allows you to make your own flashcards that you can access and study anywhere, as well as having several study tools already made for you to use. While flashcards certainly work in studying for various things, using Quizlet, you will never lose your flashcards again, and you can even share them with a friend. If you want to keep your study tools throughout the quarter, semester, or year depending on any cumulative tests you may have, this will allow you to access what you were studying months before hand. Give it a try and see how you like it!
7) Encyclopaedia Britannica (Free)
Students, have you been told you need to stay away from Wikipedia, but you’re not sure where to look? This is the perfect resource for you, no matter the subject, as it is a great reliable source for information. Whether you want to know about a person, place or thing, this will provide you with a good summary to get you started. Besides having a wealth of information, this also has quizzes to test your knowledge on various topics from pop-culture to literature. Yahoo Answers may be just as easy to find what you’re looking for, but here you know what you read is true!
8) Halftone 2 - Comic Book Creator ($2.99)
Class project? Just feel like being creative? This app allows you to import pictures and create your own comic book, by adding thought bubbles, text over the pictures, and more in order to tell your story in an engaging way. Students, I would encourage you to use this in various projects that we do, as it could be used in a similar way to Google Slides, but in a different, more creative way. Teachers, this could be a cool alternative to give a short lesson that you may otherwise record and have students watch, or just instruct in the classroom. I have had students make comic strips and cartoons in class before just on paper, but for the non-artistic people like me, this app could make any cartoon look great!
9) Win the White House (iCivics, Inc.) (Free)
Have you ever thought about being the President of the United States? Do you think you have good ideas that could help the country? See if you have what it takes by playing this fun and educational game that allows you to pick your stances on issues, decide how and where you want to campaign, and see if you can make the choices to win over the people and become the president. Remember, not everyone gets elected the first time they run, so don’t give up if you don’t win right away. Screenshot your certificate if you win, send it to me, and receive extra credit!
10) icitizen - Civic engagement and politics made easy. Make your voice count, anytime, anywhere. (Free)
What are issues our country is facing? What are issues our state is facing? Who are the people making the decisions, and what are their opinions on them? This app will answer all of those questions, allowing us to stay informed and engaged in how our government serves us. For 7th graders learning about how our government works, and current issues our government is trying to solve, or 8th graders who want to stay up to date on what is going on in our country and state, this is an app to keep you informed on what matters to you! You can pick which issues mean most to you, to see what is going on in regards to them in the news, and you can even take part in polls. This could be a good source for finding stories for your Current Event assignments, and just a good tool every American should know about to stay up to date on our government.
TouchCast is an incredible app that allows you to create engaging videos for various class activities. Besides simply being able to record yourself in a standard format, other options that could be used for various projects include: annotating a web page, a video, images, maps or any files, such as a PowerPoint. Besides being able to annotate on screen while recording a video, there are also other scenes that you can be put in, such as a News studio, talk show, or as if you are speaking at the Lincoln Memorial, as well as others. Using this would be ideal in making your 8th Grade News Shows, or perhaps could be a replacement for a live presentation for another project you are to present to the class. Overall, this app will get you excited about presenting information in a creative and engaging way.
2) The Underground Railroad: Journey to Freedom (National Geographic Society) ($0.99)
This is an interactive game that allows YOU to make choices on your journey from slavery to freedom. Filled with historical facts and information to teach you more about what this experience was really like for people, it is also a fun way to learn about it, to see if you could have made the right choices on the tough escape. Students: Play this, and tell me about your experience in the form of a short story and you will receive extra credit! 7th graders will receive Followers as well! See me if you want more information.
3) National Geographic World Atlas ($1.99)
Is my globe just not cutting it any more for you? Do you wish there was a way you could actually learn about the places on the globe, instead of just finding them? This is the app for you. This is an interactive globe, that allows you to pull up all kinds of information on locations around the world and determine distances from different locations. This is a great resource for anyone looking to make an extra credit project on a different country or city, and just a cool app to explore the world in general.
4) 270toWin ($0.99)
Interested in the upcoming presidential election, or just how a president is chosen in general? This is the app for you! A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the nomination as President, so this app allows you to explore which states tend to vote more Democratic, Republican, or both. There are interactive features that allow you to predict who the winner may be by creating your own map and predicting the winner, as well as historical information for each state about how they have voted in the past. There is also information about the issues the candidates are discussing. Since this is a unique election, this would be an interesting app to explore!
5) TED (Free)
Do you like exploring new topics you’ve never learned about and hearing new ideas? TED talks are world famous, and cover all kinds of topics to fit anyone’s interests. Students, this is an app that you could learn a lot from based on your own interests, and writing a summary of what you watched will get you extra credit! Everyone else, these are interesting videos to watch, whether you want to know more about educational practices, science, or whatever your interests are. Explore and learn today!
6) Quizlet - Flashcards & Study Tools (Free)
Do you need to study, but not quite sure how? Quizlet is an app that allows you to make your own flashcards that you can access and study anywhere, as well as having several study tools already made for you to use. While flashcards certainly work in studying for various things, using Quizlet, you will never lose your flashcards again, and you can even share them with a friend. If you want to keep your study tools throughout the quarter, semester, or year depending on any cumulative tests you may have, this will allow you to access what you were studying months before hand. Give it a try and see how you like it!
7) Encyclopaedia Britannica (Free)
Students, have you been told you need to stay away from Wikipedia, but you’re not sure where to look? This is the perfect resource for you, no matter the subject, as it is a great reliable source for information. Whether you want to know about a person, place or thing, this will provide you with a good summary to get you started. Besides having a wealth of information, this also has quizzes to test your knowledge on various topics from pop-culture to literature. Yahoo Answers may be just as easy to find what you’re looking for, but here you know what you read is true!
8) Halftone 2 - Comic Book Creator ($2.99)
Class project? Just feel like being creative? This app allows you to import pictures and create your own comic book, by adding thought bubbles, text over the pictures, and more in order to tell your story in an engaging way. Students, I would encourage you to use this in various projects that we do, as it could be used in a similar way to Google Slides, but in a different, more creative way. Teachers, this could be a cool alternative to give a short lesson that you may otherwise record and have students watch, or just instruct in the classroom. I have had students make comic strips and cartoons in class before just on paper, but for the non-artistic people like me, this app could make any cartoon look great!
9) Win the White House (iCivics, Inc.) (Free)
Have you ever thought about being the President of the United States? Do you think you have good ideas that could help the country? See if you have what it takes by playing this fun and educational game that allows you to pick your stances on issues, decide how and where you want to campaign, and see if you can make the choices to win over the people and become the president. Remember, not everyone gets elected the first time they run, so don’t give up if you don’t win right away. Screenshot your certificate if you win, send it to me, and receive extra credit!
10) icitizen - Civic engagement and politics made easy. Make your voice count, anytime, anywhere. (Free)
What are issues our country is facing? What are issues our state is facing? Who are the people making the decisions, and what are their opinions on them? This app will answer all of those questions, allowing us to stay informed and engaged in how our government serves us. For 7th graders learning about how our government works, and current issues our government is trying to solve, or 8th graders who want to stay up to date on what is going on in our country and state, this is an app to keep you informed on what matters to you! You can pick which issues mean most to you, to see what is going on in regards to them in the news, and you can even take part in polls. This could be a good source for finding stories for your Current Event assignments, and just a good tool every American should know about to stay up to date on our government.