By Katie Chirhart

As an iPad Lab teacher, I work closely with the classroom teachers to deepen and assess their students’ understanding of the material taught in the classroom—oftentimes, teachers ask that I spend additional time in the lab covering material that they’ve already taught.

The apps listed below are some of my favorite apps to use in these instances. Technology allows students opportunities to demonstrate and engage in learning in ways that go beyond using paper and pencil.

A tedious review session, suddenly becomes a something to look forward to. Completing a project that demonstrates the child’s knowledge about a topic becomes a task to be enjoyed and flaunted.

Use these apps to take your classroom learning environment and assessment to the next level.

Formative (Real-Time Assessment)

EdPUZZLE

If you’ve ever wanted your students watch a YouTube video, with questions and comments spread throughout the video, this app is for you. EdPUZZLE allows you to upload a YouTube video and trim it down, while pausing the video throughout to add questions the students must answer. You can also record your commentary throughout.

Socrative

Use this iPad app to online quizzes that can be completed on individual devices (computers, old smartphones and tablets). Questions can be multiple choice, true/false, and short answer, and teachers receive results in a spreadsheet that shares the results for each student. It also gives you a percentage correct for each student—yes it even grades it for you. Socrative also provides an exit ticket and game format.

PickMe Buzzer

This iPad app can be used two ways: it can turn each iPad into a game show buzzer and it can turn one iPad into a game show buzzer for five players at once. Use it to give your post-lesson questions a boost. (This is an iOS app.)

Plickers

Give each of your students an individual, unique QR code, assigning each side of the QR with a letter: A, B, C and D. Ask students multiple-choice questions and have them hold up their QR code with the appropriate letter on the top. Use your smartphone or tablet to scan each code. The app will read each one instantly and display each student’s answer on your device; so much fun for you and your students!

Kahoot!

Teachers create multiple-choice quizzes and students use computers, tablets or old smartphones to answer the questions. Kahoot! awards points to students based on the speed with which students give the correct answers. At the end of the quiz, Kahoot! ranks the top four students based on point totals.

Summative (Project-Based)

AutoRap

This app turns a student’s speech into a rap, and you can use it to assess knowledge of the ABC’s, multiplication tables, story summaries, poetry; the options are limitless, hilarious and tons of fun! The app offers two free songs; you can purchase additional songs or a subscription.

Toontastic

Students use this app to create animated stories. Toontastic leads students through the story-arc while giving them a wide variety of settings and characters to play with—students can even draw and animate their own characters. Use this iOS app to assess knowledge of non-fiction events and biographies.

YAKiT Kids

This app provides you with an effective way to assess reading fluency while keeping your students interested. Students add funny mouths, eyes and a variety of other animated options on top of photos and student-drawn illustrations. After, they record their voice and watch the mouth talk when they do.

Strip Designer

Use Strip Designed to assess historical events, character education and story elements. Students simply create comic strips in a user-friendly format, using photographs or drawings. They can show what they know in a fun and engaging format.

Pin It!