Hello parents,
So today I would like to share with you some apps I plan to use in class. A few I would like for the students to have and others I wouldn't ask you to spend the money on, but I want you to know I am using them. Before I get into the apps and their usefulness, I want to address something rather controversial in education: cellphone/smartphone usage in class. I believe asking a child not to use their cellphone at all in a 21st century classroom is ridiculous. While there is a time and place for cellphone usage and they do need to learn quitting sense and should respect me enough to acquiesce to my request to put their phones away, it is rather silly of me to not make use of the most powerful tool each student has, which is often either a phone or a tablet.
In fact, no device should be, or is, off limits in my class. Students need to see that their education is worthwhile and for a generation that has never known what it is to be without internet, online content and technology are their source of validity. In fact, even amongst my generation, my friends and I always joke that nothing is legitimate until its on Facebook or Twitter. We say this jokingly, but this generation lives that idea! So rather than change that or demean it, neither of which are appropriate responses, we should embrace it and teach them how to use their tech to learn, create, and grow. So, on to the apps!
First all of these apps are great for history as supplements, but are in no way a comprehensive look at history and the required course objectives. So if your kid tries to sell you that they do not need to use their book ever, you now know better. I love tech in my classroom, but I also love a great book full of primary documents and information directly form the source. Anyways, the apps....
WORLD BOOK - This Day in History (Free)
Mac download
For a similar app on android, try Today in History
This app is a wonderful way to incorporate history into the modern day. By sharing with each student something worth while that happened this day, X-number of years ago, really does seem to make it feel more real. What's more, I always try to have them connect dots. Explain how we went from that moment, that event, that person, that idea, to now. For example, in the picture to the right, Vermont became the 14th state in 1791 on March 4. I would then ask them to explain / postulate how Vermont came to separate from New Hampshire. Also I would take that opportunity to have them remind me of the process necessary to become a state. Also I could draw connections to Vermont becoming a state to modern events like the fight over North Colorado, or modern secessionists. In short, this app is great at setting a stage that I can then call upon each student to act on, thus deepening their knowledge and making events seem real and temporal rather than infinite and intangible.
Today’s Document- National Archives (Free on iTunes and Google Play)
National Archive's Document History
It is similar to the World Book app, but I think document-based learning is extremely affective. It does run similarly though in that a new document is presented each day, but the actual text of the document is provided allowing students to read the original words and then we can discuss the implications of each document.
Shmoop (App and study guide downloads from iTunes Store and Google Play range from $0.99- $3.95. The Website though is free to peruse).
I LOVE this site and their study guides. I would suggest getting a few study guides when your student is have trouble making sense of the material. They even have study guides for the SAT, ACT, and AP exams! The website is very user friendly and I would highly recommend any one to Shmoop's U.S. History site. It is organized into topics, has timelines, and more links that you can shake a stick at!
One final app...
A similar app on itunes is here ($0.99).
No comments:
Post a Comment