Tablet_Tableau: Literacy for Education

App Review

• Preparation 
• My Spelling Test (Non-Dictionary)
• This is a free app that would be great to use in the classroom.  The teacher must record the words onto the tablet. The student can begin the test on their own and the app immediately tells them whether or not they have spelled the word correctly, then it will move on to the next word. At the end it shows the teacher how the student spelled the word and whether or not they got the word correct. The app can be used on tablets and smart boards.
• Merriam Webster (Dictionary) 
• The mobile version of this dictionary for tablets and cell phone devices is very simple and easy to use.  Some words will give the user an option to "play back" the word or phrase so they can hear the correct pronunciation.  This feature is very appealing to ESL teachers.  This app also allows the user to do a voice search; this requires the user to speak enunciate and speak clearly.  The user also has the option to recall their search history. 
• An awesome feature for the classroom is "word of the day," this could be used as a beginning activity.  Each day one student may be assigned to find out what the word of the day is and write it and the definition on the board. 
• Visual Presentation
• White Board
• White Boards are a commonplace in most classrooms today.  White board use expands well beyond using it as a writing tool.  One area to consider is Educreations: 
1. This particular tool allows the user to record their writing.  The app picks up noise so teachers can use this to record lessons for missed work. Using the undo and redo options will allow educators to emphasize a particular part of their lesson or reteach a portion of their lesson. Educreations also allows users to add images to their documents and add multiple pages to their recording. 
2. When adding a picture to the document Educreation pauses the recording until the image is completely uploaded  The user must manually choose to restart the recording once the image has uploaded. 
• Students could upload images of assignments then annotate them.
• Stories 
• Puppet Pals from Polished Play
• This app is equipped with a Wild West theme.  Users have the option to buy new themes or create their own. 
• This app brings a new kind of creativity to the classroom.  Students could recreate scenes from books they've read or pieces of history to demonstrate their understanding of the topic.  They do not have to have characters/themes that match their topic, that is what allows for creativity. 
• The video below is of a Harry Potter Puppet Pals project.  This project was done using a different Puppet Pals program.