Capitalism - Alive and Well, But Really?

     Okay, I'll admit it. I am proud to be an American, a dyed in the wool capitalist and proud of it, but really, $197 for a webinar to have some published, tech geek share his top apps?  This guy, Harry Dickens, co-author of Apps for Learning: 40 Best iPad/iPad Touch/iPhone Apps for High School Classrooms tells you about his "prize bull" (his words) apps, sprinkles in some Common Core for good measure (why not, everyone else is) and charges you $197.  Only in America.  What happened to sharing docs and the promise of worldwide collaboration for the greater good?  Maybe I should start charging $19.99 to use my app rubric?  Just kidding.  As educators, let's continue our focus on the children as our way of en"rich"ing our lives.  Here's the link to his webinar if you've got a couple of Benjamins burning a hole in your pocket.

 

http://www.ernweb.com/public/Apps_apps_apps_Bring_iPad-classroom-6-12.cfm

Got Favorite Apps?

Got Favorite Apps?  I have been asked by a number of people to put together a list of highly rated apps for use across all age ranges.  I am reaching out to you all for some help with this task.  If you would like your favorites included in a future blog posting, send me your favorites as soon as you are able. Please indicate why the app is rated highly by you (e.g., score on the Evaluation Rubric for Apps or some other quality measure).  Also I would like to cite you and your school/agency in the blog, so please indicate if that meets with your approval.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Student Entrepreneurs & App Development

Check out this piece in the current issue of Digital Directions.  Is it about learning computer programming, teaching business and marketing, engaging kids who are checking out in traditional classrooms, inspiring girls to consider STEM careers, or all of the above?  Creativity, ingenuity, and entrepreneurism are the skills that will enable our current students to lead the way through the 21st century.  It's about time more programs such as the ones described in this article are encouraged and allowed to flourish.  Every day I get more and more encouraged about the future of public education.  Teach and inspire and then get out of the way....


http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2012/06/13/03mobile.h05.html?tkn=MLWFHh%2FLI89Ca8XaSx6fFkAaEV9E5AjHd1xQ&cmp=ENL-DD-NEWS2

300 Rubric Requests and Going Strong

I received an email from a research assistant working at the, are you ready for this, University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia.  Now as a student, who wouldn't want to go there? It marks the 300th formal request to use the Evaluation Rubric for iPod Apps from folks all over the world.    It is being used in school systems, agencies, universities, and by individuals from all over the planet.  And that's just the formal requests.  How cool is that?

With such a large and diverse group of folks using the rubric, I am getting ready to launch a formal research project as part of my dissertation research at Johns Hopkins to empirically establish content validity for the rubric.  If have requested permission to use the rubric and happen to be reading my blog too, look for a formal invitation in the coming month.  I have also had requests to publish a list of top apps using the rubric.  Look for that list to be in an upcoming blog (once school gets out and I have a little more time on my hands).  Thanks again for your interest in my blog, in the rubric, and most importantly in your work to get mobile devices into the hands of students.

Read All About It - It's In A Book!

The Evaluation Rubric for iPod/iPad Apps was just published in a book entitled, "A Complete Guide to Rubrics" by Dr. Audrey M. Quinlan, Chair of the Division of Education at Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania.  Pretty cool.  The book is a great guide for anyone designing or using rubrics from elementary through high school.  The ISBN number is 978-1-60709-674-0.  Happy Reading. 

We Love Our Apps - Or Do We?

Okay, I have issues.  Hello, my name is Harry and I'm an appaholic.  Glad I got that off my chest.  I currently have 112 apps on my IPhone.  I have a feeling I'm not alone.  We love our apps, or do we?  I came across this piece in USA Today about App use.  It quotes a Pew Center report which found 68% of smart phone users open five apps or less a week.  80% to 90% of apps are eventually deleted.  I'm wondering if these fleeting love affairs with apps apply to kid's app use as well.  Are there certain apps that have staying power in educational settings, or does the novelty of individual apps wear off over time?  This might make for some interesting research....   You can read the piece below: 

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-01-30/smartphone-app-usage/52891556/1?loc=interstitialskip

Apps for ADHD? Could you repeat that? I wasn't paying attention...

As a person with ADHD, unmedicated for most of my life until I finally figured out the saying better living through chemistry was really true, I was encouraged to run across this piece from fellow blogger Vicki Windman.  Vicki is a special education teacher at Clarkstown High School South in Michigan.  After years of failure in elementary and middle school, I have been fortunate over the years to learn how to use my ADHD to my advantage, but many of our kids with ADHD may not be as lucky.  If you work with kids with ADHD, you'll want to check out Vicki's post and look into some of her recommendations.  Thanks Vicki.

http://www.techlearning.com/Default.aspx?tabid=67&EntryId=3597

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Apps for Mobile Devices

Well, EmbedIt finally decided to cooperate last night.  The website allowed me to embed my article that was published in the most recent copy of the Journal of Special Education Technology (JSET).  The article is entitled, Evaluating the Effectiveness of Apps for Mobile Devices, and outlines the rationale I used to develop the IPod App Rubric being used by so many of you around the world. Reading the piece may help to improve inter-rater reliability when more than one person is rating the same app.   If you would like to read the article you can find it here:

 http://embedit.in/Wp28yIHnc2.swf

MIssIssIppI - A state with so many I's was bound to adopt IPods and IPads

Here is a story about several school systems in Mississippi who have adopted IPods and IPads.  While several have gone all in in terms of adopting the use of mobile technologies, it's interesting to hear one school system's leader who is still "looking into piloting the implementation of IPods in areas that we feel will benefit the students." While some kids are using the latest technologies everyday in one district, another district right next door talks about the use of technology to reach and engage students as being part of "the future educational experience."  No, you're wrong!  It's part of their current educational experience, just not for the 7 1/2 hours they are in YOUR schools.

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20111127/NEWS01/111270337/Districts-equip-classrooms-latest-technology?odyssey=nav%7Chead

I'm Famous, Well Sort Of...Journal of Special Education Technology Article

Not one to toot my own horn, (yeah right!), I just had a piece published in the most recent edition of the Journal of Special Education Technology (JSET) volume 26 #4.  It's entitled, Evaluating the Effectiveness of Apps for Mobile Devices.  If you are a TAM member, check out the article online.  If not, I will try to post it in the coming days.  EmBedit is not being very cooperative tonight!!!!