Early Childhood Education and the iPad



I was fortunate enough last weekend to receive an invitation to the Sydney Catholic Schools Early Years Conference. I was interested because the conference was centred around creating a clear and coherent vision around Early Years pedagogy. I was also intrigued to see how the iPad fitted in with this vision.

One of the sessions I attended was Technology in the Early Years - Apps and iPads by Kate Highfield a Lecturer in Early Childhood from Macquarie University Sydney. Kate was certainly an engaging and passionate speaker but what really impressed participants was a scaffold by which we could evaluate the apps that are used within the confines of our own classrooms. Kate and her research partner Kristy Goodwin have developed this scaffold from their research into educational apps.

Kate suggested that we could plot apps on a educational continuum depending on where the different apps contribute to cognitive development. Three main categories along this continuum were identified; Instructive, Manipulable, Constructive. 


Instructive Apps:
The first type of apps that were identified (Instructive) were those apps that were drill and practice. We have all used these types of apps, we start off quickly and are drawn into the gaming qualities of colourful visuals, a quick pace and repetitive music. These games can be fun but they have minimal cognitive investment from the student. They generally play them for 6 or 7 minutes and then move on to another game. These apps are useful for some students and for certain tasks.

Manipulable Apps:
The second category (Manipulable) are those apps that allow multiple responses to the app. Different responses can be made but really only from a specific set of variables. These apps are good but they require very little development of higher order thinking skills. These apps tend to be addictive because of the instant feedback and continued gratification. These apps have only minimal long term cognitive value.

Constructive Apps:
The category that Kate was most excited about was the last. These Constructive style apps allow a students to synthesis a learning object from scratch or build it freely from a range of available components. These types of apps create a high level of both cognitive involvement and cognitive development. Kate suggested that these apps actually have very limited extrinsic rewards and so the students are motivated not by feedback but rather by the challenge set by the app. These apps often have an open ended component to the structure of the activity and it is this open-endedness that allows for the deep cognitive development within task.

Selecting Apps:
So when we look at the app store, what type of apps are we going to offer our students? What type of learning do to we aim to create with the use of technology? Can we actually provide deep cognitive development that is both differentiated and easily achievable?

What apps fall into this Constructive category? Kate provided a series of suggested apps. This is obviously not an exhaustive list but rather a series of suggested apps that allow student to make a substantial investment in the process of their own learning.


Drawing Pad: $1.99 AU
Drawing Pad offers an incredible amount of fun and creativity. Drawing Pad lets you create drawings from a blank canvas or use the background library and accompanying objects. Let your students create scenes for storytelling or embellishing narratives. Drawing Pad is an "Apple Staff Favorite" and was featured in the "Spotlight" of the App Store.
PuppetPals: FREE
Create your own animated stories. Simply pick out the characters, drag them onstage and tap record. Movements and audio is recorded for your performance. If you get the Directors Pass you can act out a story of Pirates on the high seas, fight scary monsters or play the part of a wild west bandit.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/puppet-pals-hd/id342076546?mt=8



Sock Puppets: FREE
Sock Puppets lets you add Puppets, props, scenery, and backgrounds and start creating. Hit the record button and the puppets automatically lip-synch to your voice. Switch backgrounds to take your puppets to different places, move the puppets, props and scenery to animate them while recording. Cartoon and photo realistic puppets are included.

Artmaker: FREE
The Play School Art Maker app is a fun way for kids to create pictures, animated movies and story slideshows using the Play School toys and craft items. They can even add their own audio narration, upload their own photos as backgrounds, and save photos of their art.
 Play School Art Maker encourages imagination and creativity through open play.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/play-school-art-maker/id473900831?mt=8


StoryKit: FREE
Create an electronic storybook. Write some text, illustrate by drawing on the screen, tag a photograph or drawing on paper and then photograph the image. Sounds can be recorded for narration or effects and the layout elements of your story can be dragged, pinch and altered with ease. This a great app for students to create books of their own narratives.

Explain Everything: $2.99 AU
Explain Everything is an easy-to-use tool that lets you annotate, animate, and narrate explanations. You can create interactive lessons, activities, assessments, and tutorials using Explain Everything's flexible and integrated design. Use Explain Everything as an interactive whiteboard or nsert a web browser for live annotations and basic recordings.

Montessori Words: $2.99 AU
Based on the proven Montessori learning method, Montessori Crosswords helps kids develop their reading, writing, and spelling skills by building words from a set of 320 word-image-audio-phonics combinations using a phonics-enabled movable alphabet. The app helps kids understand that words are made up of sounds or phonemes

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/montessori-learn/id384334005?mt=8


Book Creator for iPad: $5.49 AU
The simple way to create your own beautiful books right on the iPad. Read them in iBooks, send them to your friends or submit them as assignments. Ideal for students projects, picture books, art books, cook books, manuals, textbooks and the list go on. This is a great way for students to become content creators.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/book-creator-for-ipad/id442378070?mt=8



Further Info - Session:
Kate Highfield Bio
http://iec.mq.edu.au/contact_us/staff_bios/ms_kate_highfield/

Kristy Goodwin Bio
http://iec.mq.edu.au/contact_us/staff_bios/mrs_kristy_goodwin/


Further Info - Conference:
The Early Years Operational Position Paper
http://www.ceosyd.catholic.edu.au/Parents/Curriculum/Documents/dp-EarlyLearning.pdf






Just a Little Shakespeare

Some of these apps illustrate the power of the iPad. These Shakespeare in Bits are the perfect combination of cool graphics and slick infotainment that many teachers are looking for to get their students excited about their subject. The comic feel of these apps doesn't take away from the power of the message or the human tragedy of the Shakespeare texts but what it does do, is to provide an entry point for students that are not familiar with the language or the concepts.

       

These are expensive but many schools would only study one Shakespeare text. It might be that the teacher buys it and uses a data projector as a warm up activity. Couple these with some of the free apps and you can create an interesting, authentic and comprehensive Shakespeare experience.


Shakespeare In Bits: Romeo & Juliet: $15.99 AU
Fall in love with Shakespeare’s timeless story of love, vengeance and tragedy - Romeo and Juliet. Featuring nearly three hours of engaging animation and unabridged text, Shakespeare In Bits Romeo and Juliet promises to engage the mind and render the hearts of all who view, read and listen to it. The ultimate study guide, this is everything you will ever need to learn, teach and appreciate Shakespeare.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/shakespeare-in-bits-romeo/id373763461?mt=8


Shakespeare In Bits: A Midsummer Night's Dream: $15.99 AU
This Shakespeare In Bits presentation delivers up to three hours of beautifully animated film and features the complete unabridged play text. Shakespeare In Bits A Midsummer Night’s Dream is completely unabridged. Understand and appreciate the linguistic richness of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream with the original play text, broken into easily digested ‘bits’.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/shakespeare-in-bits-a-midsummer/id460928278?mt=8


Shakespeare In Bits: Macbeth: $15.99 AU
Shakespeare In Bits brings to life Macbeth in one complete multi-media experience on iPad. With two and a half hours of unabridged text, fully animated re-enactments Shakespeare in Bits Macbeth is the only study guide you will need to learn, teach and appreciate one of the finest works of the Bard. In-line translation helps to understand difficult words and phrases within the context of the original play text.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/shakespeare-in-bits-macbeth/id407223613?mt=8


Shakespeare In Bits: Hamlet: $14.99 AU
Immerse yourself in one of Shakespeare’s most powerful and influential tragedies as Shakespeare In Bits brings you on a journey of deception, revenge, treachery, indecision and moral decay through the fabled and tragic character of Hamlet. Shakespeare In Bits: Hamlet is the only study guide you will need to to study this powerful and tragic human tragedy.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shakespeare-in-bits-hamlet/id493225251?mt=8


Shakespeare's London: $2.99 AU
Shakespeare is curiously neglected in London apart from the reconstructed Globe theatre. Shakespeare's London uses satellite positioning on your mobile phone to pinpoint buried memories, from the 3,000 seat Swan theatre on Blackfriars Bridge Road to the only house he is known to have lived in. Whether you are in London, New York or Melbourne you can walk in the master's footsteps.

Shakespeare is renowned as the English playwright and poet whose body of works is considered the greatest in English literature. All the plays from 'All's Well That Ends Well' to 'Twelfth Night' in the complete original texts with summaries. Divided into comedies, histories and tragedies. All of the Bard's 154 sonnets including the much acclaimed sonnet 18: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day..."

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/iwilliam-shakespeare/id383857039?mt=8


Shakespeare: FREE
Shakespeare is a free app with the complete works of Shakespeare - searchable to find the exact word or phrase you’re looking for. Even though it’s free it is packed with impressive features including customisation of colours and font, ability to jump to other scenes. Detailed scene breakdowns give you an overview of the scenes within each play, their locations, and the characters present in each.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shakespeare/id285035416?mt=8


Shakespeare Pro:  $10.49 AU
Shakespeare Pro includes all the features of the free Shakespeare app; the complete works of Shakespeare (41 plays, 154 sonnets and 6 poems, including doubtful works)but it also allows you to bookmark, copy and paste and includes a integrated glossary. Shakespeare’s Words is included. Once this powerful feature is activated, simply tapping on an entry will display its definition in context.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/shakespeare-pro/id341392367?mt=8


Shakespeare Made Easy: $1.99 AU
Wish thou coulds't...A-hem: Wish you could make SENSE of Shakespeare? With the "Shakespeare Made Easy" Vook, now you can. Because it's a Vook, you get a great re-telling of classic texts combined with engaging video. Download now to begin decoding The Bard's great words and have a great time doing it. Get 16 of William Shakespeare's most famous plays, shortened into easy-to-read stories. 



No Fear Shakespeare: Free + In App Purchases
Don't understand Shakespeare? Get modern translations. No Fear Shakespeare puts Shakespeare’s language side by side with a modern-English translation. The app includes the first scenes of 18 plays when you download it. Includes full text of all 154 sonnets, easy to understand plot summaries and historical facts to give the play context. You need to purchase full plays for $0.99 AU from within the app.

Cool Drawing Apps for Primary School

So many classroom activities are only fully realised when your students add their sketches to embellish their work, or to annotate a concept. Sometimes they just need to describe an object. Here are a series of apps that allow the creative little Picasso or Frida in your class to express themselves. Most of these are so intuitive that your students will be drawing before you know it.

Drawing Pad: $1.99 AU
Drawing Pad offers an incredible amount of fun and creativity as a stand alone App but we've worked extra hard to allow parents the ability to extend the fun by offering in app coloring books). Drawing Pad is an "Apple Staff Favorite" and was featured in the "Spotlight" of the App Store - Don't have an iPad yet? Don't let it stop you! Buy Drawing Pad now and get free updates for life!

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/drawing-pad/id358207332?mt=8


Doodlecast for Kids: $1.99 AU
Doodlecast is a unique drawing app that records your voice as you draw. Play back your drawing and export it to share with friends and family.  The Doodlecast For Kids App comes with more than 20 drawing prompts – simple questions designed to give kids a starting point. Kids can choose from one of the prompts or start a drawing from scratch. The app records the entire drawing process along with audio.



Kid Art for iPad: $0.99 AU
Kid Art is now on the iPad! Let your kids' imaginations go wild as they draw, stamp, and save their masterpieces to share with you later. Features include large free drawing space with 10 easy to pick colours. Also includes fun stamps of animals and objects to drop into your drawing as well as over 20 fun backgrounds to draw on. Three themes to choose from: Original, Under the Sea, and At School.



ArtRage: $7.49 AU
ArtRage doesn't just drop color on your canvas, it keeps track of how much paint there and how wet it is, so you can blend colors under the brush as you paint, or lay down thick lines of pigment for flattening and smearing with the Palette Knife. Watercolors react to the wetness of the brush and paper beneath, creating hard edged wet strokes or blending to create soft gradients.



Doodle Buddy: FREE
Doodle Buddy is the most fun you can have with your finger! Connect with a friend to draw together over the Internet. Includes funny sounds paired with stamps are a blast! Doodle and stamp all over your own pictures. Get more stencils with Doodle Bucks! Text Tool with resizable text and four fonts. Draw with other users on the same WiFi network. Text chat back and forth with your drawing buddy.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/doodle-buddy-draw-scribble/id313232441?mt=8


Procreate: $0.99 AU
Procreate is a painting sketching app, made exclusively for iPad. Engineered using the incredible Silica painting engine, painting and sketching on an iPad has never been so responsive and precise. The new HD canvas is bigger and captures an incredible amount of detail and achieves quality like never before on a mobile device. 



Bamboo Paper: FREE
Bamboo Paper, a seriously fun new app from Wacom, provides you with the ability to create virtual notebooks for your iPad, letting you share your ideas visually with handwritten notes, sketches or doodles. Paired with the Bamboo Stylus, it turns your iPad into the ultimate paperless communications tool. Enjoy the ease of your own natural handwriting as you sketch your thoughts on a neat digital paper notebook.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/bamboo-paper-notebook/id443131313?mt=8


iSketchbook: $0.99 AU
This app is the drawing tool for the ipad. It Allow you to draw leisurely every where you go. Now kids can draw in this digital sketch book and have the fun of iPad. It includes the Tool box (Pencil, line, circle, rectange, eraser etc), the ability to import photo from library and layer to manage images. The app has a color mixer, readymade shapes, basic geometric shapes as well as painting with a sketch pen. 

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/isketchbook/id430319747?mt=8


QuickSketch: $1.99 AU
Quick Sketch! is a basic no-frills graphics editor that you can use to conveniently draw basic drawings and share them. Remember the MS Paint on Windows? Sometimes you just need a simple graphical editor with some basic tools to be able to sketch something quickly - that is what Quick Sketch! is. You can create new pictures and save them to the Photos on your iPad,



Draw Free for iPad: FREE
Draw Free for iPad is the ultimate app to sketch and doodle beautiful drawings. Draw Free for iPad lets you create superb doodles. Create your master piece using a variety of useful features: like an intuitive and simple interface, unlimited variety of colors in the colour picker. Enhance your drawing by picking your background as a style, or solid or choose your own from your photo library.

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