Fun and Effective Science Apps

It is no mystery that technology has transformed the way that we approach science content in the classroom- it makes it possible to investigate and bring to life topics that can be otherwise challenging, complex, and abstract.  There are a multitude of science-related Apps available through the App store- but in my experience you have to weed through a few dissapointing ones in order to find the ones that will be both engaging and effective in your classroom.  Listed here are the apps I have had the most success with in my science classroom.

Rat Dissection and Frog Dissection by Emantras Inc.  [$3.99 each]
If you are teaching Life Science then these 2 Apps can allow you experience anatomy and human body systems in an engaging, and incredibly cost-effective way.  Both dissection apps walk you step by step through an accurate, real-life dissection and not only allow you to see the inside of both organisms, but experience the process (cuts, pins, and all!) of a real dissection.  The Frog Dissection app is slighly more comprehensive- complete with video footage, information on frog species, and a quiz.  Both apps can be used in conjunction with a real-life dissection (use as a pre-dissection activity to preteach the proper cuts and use of tools). 


EMD PTE by EMD Chemicals  [free]
There are several apps available that showcase the periodic table and all of the information that it possesses.  Few are as comprehensive as this one however- and EMD PTE is completely free.  The app is simple and easy for students to use.  Click on an element and it pulls up the basic information (Atomic number, mass, symbol, etc).  Double click on it again and it pulls up a multitude of details including a photograph of the element or something made from it (see images of Copper below).  The toolbar that opens to the left allows you to dig even deeper into the Periodic Table.  Manipulate the temperature under the "State at Room Temperature" tab and see how the state (phase of matter) of each element changes.  The "Discovery" tab pulls up a photograph of the person who discovered each element, and the "Glossary" is complete with a multitude of relevant vocabulary terms. 

OnScreen DNA Model by OnScreen Science Inc.  [$3.99]
This app provides a beautiful 3-dimenstional model of DNA and its structure.  Complete with labels and pairing nucleotides, this app is great for review and basic understanding of DNA's unique structure.  "Denature" your DNA strand and see what happens when DNA unwinds and then zips back up again!


Physical Sci by CPO Science  [free]
If you are a Physical Science teacher or student, this interactive glossary can be incredibly helpful!  Not only does the app provide definitions and visual support for its terms- it contains hundreds of video clips with explanations and examples.  The glossary is organized into 6 main Physics topics (see the home screen below).  Each of its vocabulary terms is found within the interactive glossary, but also in flash card format for quick studying and practice. 

iLab Timer HD by Negative Ninth  [$0.99]
This timer app is perfect for the science classroom!  It is student friendly and easy to use, and has the cabability of running up to 10 timers at once.  Set the timers to count down or up, and modify the buzzer with dozens of options to choose from.  There are several timer apps on the market- and while I have other favorites for teacher use (Timer+), this is the best for students and science labs.

iPhoto by Apple and Camera+ by tap tap tap [free]
Encourage your students to document their science experiments using the iPad's camera feature and iPhoto.  I prefer Camera+ to the regular Camera app because it allows for quick shots and easy editing.  Students can use photographs to showcase experiment results, or document the process of their experimentation.  Perfect for science fair but useful for documentation of students daily experimentation as well!

Visible Body 3D Human Anatomy by Visible Body  [$29.99]
There are dozens of human anatomy apps, and from a variety of price ranges.  This app obviously comes with a bigger price tag (though not the biggest!) but is well worth the price if you are teaching anatomy or human body systems.  Your students will be able to experience the human body in a truly interactive way.  The app not only showcases each system independently, but also how it interacts with other body systems.  Visit Visible Body's website at http://www.visiblebody.com/atlas_overview for more detailed footage on the app if you want to know more before spending $29.99.

HudsonAlpha iCell by HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology  [free]
This free app will allow your students to experience the animal, plant, and bacteria cell in a 3-dimensional way.  Not only does it help them conceptulize cells and their organelles, it describes the function of each organelle in a differentiated fashion.  For middle schoolers, the "basic" description is simple and not overly complicated!  Higher-level students can digger into organelle function through the "intermediate" and "advanced" descriptions.  This app is simple- but excellent for the price tag and students find it fun! 

*also available for free online at http://hudsonalpha.org/education/digitaleducation/icel

Setting Up Your iPad(s) for Success in the Classroom

If you are new to the iPad, then setting up one or more for use by students can be a daunting task.  The iPad is clearly a window into the entire world...and with that comes amazing benefits, and other things that should likely be left outside of the classroom.  Here's how I set up a set of iPads in my own classroom to ensure that students were set up for success.

The Settings app the comes on your iPad is easily one of the simplest ways to make quick, customizable adjustments to your iPad.  From hiding un-needed Apps, to blocking R-rated video- this App alone has most of the answers.  Adjusting your iPad's settings and adding restrictions should be the very last step to finalizing your set-up, so I will get into the nitty-gritty later on! 

Start by naming each iPad.  This will help you keep track of each device and the data it holds.  To name your devices, enter the Settings App and click on the left hand folder "General".  At the top, open the "About" tab.  You can be as simple or as extravagant as you want with this! I went the simple route and used my last name and numbers to identify each iPad.  If you lean towards the more creative side you might instead choose to name each iPad after something related to your content area.  As a science teacher I could name each iPad after a famous scientist: Einstein, Newton... you get the point!  Your students will always appreciate some creative flare.

Make each iPad accessible to other devices by setting up its own personal email.  Any of the free email platforms will provide dozens of free email addresses.  Keep things consistent by making the email addresses similar to the iPad's name.  E-mail can be useful in the classroom for a variety of reasons.  I use it to have students submit work, and also to deliver links and other material.  Recently I created a ShowMe presentation and had it directly sent to each iPad using it's email.  Email can connect each iPad to an unlimited amount of other devices and apps.  Add your own name and email into each iPad's Contacts app- making it even easier for students to deliver info back to you via email. 

There are a multitude of must-have apps I would highly suggest adding to your collection immediately.  DropBox, iBooks, and iTunes U are 3 of them, for obvious reasons. I would also recommend getting a QR Code reader.  There are dozens of free apps available through the App Store, but I would highly suggest the $1.99 model- QRafter.  QR codes have an infinite number of uses in the classroom- so investing in one that is easy to use is important!  Your school likely has an Apple iTunes purchase account set up through your district.  Ask your principal how to use your school's account to purchase apps for your classroom.

Once you have downloaded a variety of apps, organize them on the Home screen by creating "buckets".  Buckets allow you to group 2 or more similar apps, helping to keep your Home Screen clean and organized.  To create a bucket, "grab" one app by holding your finger on it until it starts to shake.  Drag it over a second app and the bucket will appear.  Name the bucket, or keep the one your iPad suggests; then freeze the screen again by clicking the Home button. 

Creating buckets not only keeps your Home Screen organized- it can also inconspicuously hide Apps you might not want attention drawn to during class time.  Uninstalling and reinstalling can take alot of time- so sometimes moving a popular app to an unpopular bucket can prevent students from being side tracked. 

When you are satisfied with the Apps you have (for now), open the Settings App to finalize your iPad set up.  Again, find the General tab, but this time look for "Restrictions". 

Click "Enable Restrictions" at the top and immediately it will prompt you for a 4 number pin.  I use the same number for all iPads but change them all up every couple months or so.  From here you can customize the restrictions on your iPads.  Turning off Installing Apps and Deleting Apps is a must.  This will remove the App Store from your Home Screen- and prevents students from buying Apps on the registered iTunes account.  The camera can also be a huge distraction during day to day class time use and I tend to hide it unless we are using QR codes or completing a special assignment.  You can also use restrictions to censor music and videos, including YouTube (another student favorite).  Customize your setting based on your needs- and feel free to change it up as necessary!  I adapt my settings to the lesson at hand quite often! 

Last but not least, protect your iPads by purchasing a security app like GadgetTrak.  Apps like this one will let you register multiple devices that can easily be tracked if they get lost or stolen.  GadgetTrak will even take a photograph of the perpetrator and allow you to submit police reports.  If you are worried about theft (and you probably should be!), it's better safe than sorry. GadgetTrak is a steal for only $4.99 and offers a variety of features. 

Experiment with the settings of your iPad(s) and adjust them as necessary to meet the needs of your classroom!  Most of an iPad's functions- including the ones that can cause distractions to students- can be used in a productive, highly engaging and upper level thinking kind of way.  Have fun!

Using QR Codes in the Classroom

Thanks to the world's obsession with smartphones, QR codes are becoming more and more popular.  QR codes, which stands for Quick Response codes, are trending because of their ability to read quickly and hold large capacities of information.  Anyone with a smart phone, iPod, or tablet device can scan the funny little square barcode. Afterwards a number of things may happen- an email may open, a photograph may appear, or most commonly, a webpage will pop up.  The number of things you can do with a QR code is actually quite incredible!  With the best generator applications, you can create QR codes that link to a facebook page, send contact information and calendar events, pull up a location in Google Maps, or even start a transaction to purchase something using PayPal. 

QR codes can serve several puposes in the classroom!   Every teacher has experienced what notoriously happens in a classroom when you ask your students to visit a particular website and the URL is a mile long.  Students can spend alot of time typing in the URL, only to have one letter wrong and the entire process stalled  QR codes eliminate that part of the process, especially when using iPods or iPads as instructional tools.  Print out the QR code and make copies. Teach your students how to use the scanner by modeling it with a VGA cord (from the iPad to your computer/projector).  After my students practiced it a few times, it became 2nd nature.  They are even downloading QR scanners on their own personal devices! 

QR codes can also be amazing communication tools.  If you have your own personal wiki or classroom blog generate a QR code for the URL using a free online application like Kaywa's.  When you send home a permission slip, progress report, or letter home, add the QR code and remind parents of your classroom website and the information they can find there. 

In order to continue to develop skills necessary for the 21st century- much of the work we do with students these days is digital.  For this reason it is sometimes challenging to display our student work.  If your students create an outstanding piece of digital work- whether its a wikipage, well-written essay, or an animation- have them create a QR code that can then be posted in the room.  It may not have the same effect as having something nice to decorate the walls but at least anyone interested in viewing it can see it in its digital format.

There are several great QR code scanners out on the App market- and a few of them also serve as QR generators.  If you are looking to stay strictly free, try Scan App or Easy QR.  Both are scan-only, but you can generate a code for free online using Kaywa's generating application.  They suggest a small donation if you are a frequenter, but it is not required. If you prefer an app that does both reading and creating, Qrafter is the way to go.  It is initially free, but a $2.99 upgrade is required if you are looking for both features. 

Try QR codes and be creative!  If you are unsure of ways to utilize QR codes in your class, search the web to read about what other educators are doing.  Here are some of my favorites:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/qr-codes-education-mary-beth-hertz

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/QR-codes-teaching-andrew-miller