SEYS753 Portfolio:
Chris
Travers
9/14/13
Assignment
number 1
Review of a
Web 2.0, open
source application, or app
Cool Apps
for School
URL: http://coolappsforschools.wikispaces.com
1.
Cool Apps for
School is a wiki space site that shows you applications you
can install on your
cell phone to help you in any subject. This also shows you
apps for things like
organization, thinking and presentations. You can click on a
link such as apps
for science and it will display all applications associated
with science to
help you in the classroom. These include free applications
as well as paid
applications. This wiki space names the application,
provides a brief
description and lets you know if it is free or not.
2.
The target
audience for this would be students of all ages. It can also
be useful for
teachers.
3.
The purpose of
this software is to help students learn and understand the
material in their
specific subject. One science app provides an interactive
human brain where you
can discover how each brain region functions. It works by
using your smartphone
to download the application of your choice. Once downloaded,
you install the
application and then it is there for your personal use. The
good thing about
this is you have access to this at all times.
4.
It is very easy
to use. You would just have to search the name of the
application you are
interested on your phone and install. Once the app is
installed on your phone,
there will be instructions on how to use the application.
5.
The site does not
say exactly which phones these applications can be found on
but does show a
picture of the iphone. I would assume androids would work as
well and any other
smart phone that allows you to download applications. The
memory requirement
varies depending on which applications you intend to install
on your phone.
6.
The only
requirements are smart phones that allow the downloading of
applications. This
would work best for iphone users.
7.
The strengths are
the applications provide information students can you any
time they have access
to their phones. It also provides a interactive view of the
material that could
help students better understand certain material.
8.
The weaknesses
are that some applications not are free. Usually the better
quality applications
are the ones that cost money. Another weakness is that it
only works for
students that have smartphones that can download
applications.
9.
3 examples how I
might use this in my science teaching:
a.
If we were going
over the human brain I could tell the students to download
the 3d brain
application and tell me for homework how each region of the
brain functions.
b.
In class if we
were going over molecules I would have students install the
molecules
application. From this application I would assign a molecule
to draw and label
from the application
c.
If we were going
over the sun in class I would have students download the 3D
sun application. I
would have students explain what happens as the sun rotates
from what they see
going on in the 3D sun application.
10.
Tips for science
teachers would be to first download these applications on
their own and test
them out. See which ones work best and figure out how
exactly to use them
before asking students to install on their phones. There are
plenty of free
applications that are very useful. I would not recommend
paying for
applications unless you feel it is really necessary.
11.
This site seems
to very helpful. It seems like it is constantly being
updated with new
applications that come out to benefit students and teachers.
I like the fact
that they also offer applications that can help people with
things such as
organization and presentations.
visit my blog: Everything Science Blog!
Thank you for visiting