June 29th, 2011 | posted by: Lynette

Apps in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Perspective

Mrs. Torres’s 4/5 grade class at Zuni Elementary Magnet School for Communication and Technology in Albuquerque, New Mexico is one of the growing number of elementary schools across the county that has access to a set of iPod touches for the classroom.

Michele Torres recently contacted PicPocket Books to let us know that her students have been working with a number of our apps for reading. Mrs. Torres uses the book apps to get her students excited about new titles and subjects and they write book reviews in their writing journals, record reviews in Photo Booth and also present book recommendations to their classmates and “Reading Buddies” from younger grades. Mrs. Torres noticed that the recommendations from the more advanced readers and the inherent appeal of the iPod touch device are successful ways to get reluctant readers more motivated and interested in reading.

In addition to book apps for reading, the class uses several apps for math.  The students do math drills, complete story problems, and listen to math lessons. Torres uses lessons from iTunes U to supplement some of the concepts they are learning in class.  “If a student isn’t “getting it” I look for a lesson to download and have them complete it on their own,” she says.

Michele says, “I love that the kids are so excited about using these amazing little pieces of equipment.  Using the iPod Touches engages my students in learning and increases their motivation.  I am able to accommodate the many learning styles of my students by finding different apps for the students to use.”

The flip side of having a huge variety of specialized apps in the App Store is that finding appropriate educational apps in Apple’s vast collection takes some research. “I didn’t want apps that the kids would just play a game on, I wanted to use the apps to supplement what the kids were already doing in the classroom,” explains Torres. For age-appropriate and subject appropriate recommendations, she turned to MomsWithApps. Through their popular website and catalogue of apps, MomsWithApps brings developers of family friendly and educational apps and app users like educators and parents together to share best practices and feedback.

Visit the MomsWithApps website for info and articles about family-friendly and educational app

A recent day found students from Mrs. Torres’ class reading and discussing PicPocket Books’ Human Body Detectives: The Lucky Escape, written by Dr. Heather Manly, N.D. Because of the contact information for the publisher and the author is included in the app, Mrs. Torres was easily able to contact PicPocket Books and the author to provide feedback and ask questions – most importantly, “When is the next book in the Human Body Detectives series coming out?” PicPocket Books directed Mrs. Torres to online resources on the author’s website to supplement science lessons and also let the class know that the next adventures will be published as apps in the early summer of 2011.

Human Body Detectives: "Battle With the Bugs" now available on iTunes

A number of factors make this kind of communication with the readers, author and publishers of book apps much more direct and immediate in comparison with previous models form the traditional print world. Publishers are benefiting from reader feedback, and readers feel that they can be more connected by giving input on what kind of content is useful for them.

Torres’ students have an “iTouch Notebook” to record their notes and feedback on apps and iTouch activities. Torres added, “I love when the kids come to school and tell me, ‘Mrs. Torres, I did some research last night, and I found a couple of apps you should check out for us.’  Most of the time, the apps are very appropriate for what my goal for them is, and that is to learn.”

This article was originally published on the MomsWithApps website, on May 7, 2011.

January 10th, 2011 | posted by: Lynette

iPads Gaining Ground in Schools

A sixth grader uses his new school-issued iPad in the classroom in Scottsdale, AZ. Photo by Joshua Lott.

With the beginning of the new year, a growing number of schools are turning to iPads as a powerful and versatile educational tool of choice for students from Kindergarten through high school and for subjects from math to history.

A recent article from the New York Times explains that, “educators laud the iPad’s physical attributes, including its large touch screen (about 9.7 inches) and flat design, which allows students to maintain eye contact with their teachers. And students like its light weight, which offers a relief from the heavy books that weigh down their backpacks.”

The Times article cites examples of teachers using the iPad as replacements for textbooks, apps for illustrating step-by-step animation of complex problems in math, and apps that include all of Shakespeare’s plays for Literature classes.

Many of the school districts are paying for their iPads through federal and other grants, including money from the federal Race to the Top competitive grant program, which administrators in Durham, N.C., are using to provide an iPad to every teacher and student at two low-performing schools.

“It’s not about a cool application,” said Dr. Brenner, a Roslyn Heights, NY superintendent. “We are talking about changing the way we do business in the classroom.” He said the iPads would also save money in the long run by reducing printing and textbook costs; the estimated savings in the two iPad classes at his school are $7,200 a year.

“It’s not about a cool application,” Dr. Brenner said. “We are talking about changing the way we do business in the classroom.”

May 12th, 2010 | posted by: Lynette

My new iPad

For a number of reasons, a year ago I never dreamed that I’d get an iPad for Mother’s Day, but I was thrilled this past weekend when one of these

PicPocket Books' "A, My Name Is Andrew" on the iPad

ended up in my hands. Well, actually, those are my husband’s hands, since he was kind enough to be a hand model for me.

From my few days with my new iPad, I have to say it is a pretty nifty device. Illustrated children’s books look beautiful on the iPad. In fact, an AOL News story recently reported that 81%, or 13 of the 16 top book applications for the iPad, are children’s titles.

While in Los Angeles over the weekend, the iPad sure did come in useful for us while navigating a new city, and looking up car dealerships and comparing prices and reviews on the iPad when we were on the go was very helpful when we accompanied my brother-in-law who was buying a car.

I wouldn’t consider myself a big gamer (I’m more the literary type), but I admit that some of the game apps that I’m discovering on the iPad are pretty compelling. I’ll have to set some limits for myself if I want to still get work done!

What do you think about the iPad?

December 8th, 2009 | posted by: Lynette

Are digitally enhanced ebooks books or games?

In his article “How the e-Grinch Stole the Book,” Jason Boog asks “When is an eBook not a book?”

grinch_small

"I Can Do It Too!" picture book for the iPhone

"I Can Do It Too!" picture book for the iPhone

Are digitally enhanced e-books books or games? It depends on the individual application and how faithful the app stays to the original work of the book. Some apps are games that are based on characters from a book, but have nothing to do with the original book or with reading. Reading a story book on a screen is a very different experience from playing a repetitive video game on the same screen. Reading an e-book has the same educational, mind-opening benefits as reading a traditional print book: it increases vocabulary, improves concentration and focus, and expands horizons.

PicPocket Books has a growing list of children’s picture book titles that are very faithful to the original published books that are available on iTunes: full color illustrations, full text, plus and audio track and other options, and you can take it anywhere!

November 5th, 2009 | posted by: Eva

How the Brain Handles Screen-Reading

Amazon Kindle

Have you ever wondered how our brains deal with digital reading?

Think about it: for years, centuries, we humans have been reading primarily from paper. Now, reading from a screen is becoming as popular, if not more popular, than reading print! Many of us read the news, magazines, blogs, and of course our mail on our computers or mobile devices. E-Books are becoming widely available too.

How do our brains handle this new medium? The New York Times Opinion article Does the Brain like E-Books? has a couple of explanations. In the article, experts address such issues as the balance between focal and peripheral attention (which, incidentally, is disrupted in reading whether from a screen or from traditional print). Do you think people read faster on screen or paper? How is comprehension affected?

Jonah Lehrer, in his article, Reading, E-Books and the Brain, reminds us that the brain is extremely adaptable and that “we excel at developing new habits.” He speculates that “before long, digital ink will feel just as easy as actual ink.”

Check it out! It’s pretty interesting to think about reading from the perspective of your brain.

October 4th, 2009 | posted by: ela

Get a Head Start on Reading While on the Road!

bookbabyIs it unrealistic to expect your baby or toddler to sit still unoccupied?  Probably.  But is it unrealistic to expect your child to sit while you read to him or her?  Of course not!  In her article “Give Your Baby a Head Start on Reading” Francisca Ortega makes suggestions for giving your baby a head start in school by reading to him or her at a young age.  One of the most important suggestions that Ortega gives is to “take books and writing materials with you wherever you go”.  Sometimes, however, this simple task of bringing along a big bag of books can become excessive.  Most children’s books are hardcover, making them bulky and heavy; not to mention the amount of other travel supplies you have to bring for your child just to make a simple errand.

But don’t fret, parents!  The simple solution to the clutter and extra bags while you’re on the road is only a click away!  Downloading a PicPocket book from iTunes onto your iPhone can make your time spent away from home more enjoyable and just as educational for your child.  Just like a traditional book, PicPocket storybooks include vibrant illustrations and the original text of some of your favorite children’s books.  A benefit of PicPocket Books is the “read aloud” feature that you can activate to let your child listen to the story as it is being read to him or her.  Each word of the story is highlighted to correspond with the audio track.

The early childhood benefits of reading are tremendous!  As Ortega writes, exposing your child to books and reading starting at 6 months is a great way to prepare him or her for school.  PicPocket Books is just one way to make your life easier and your child’s future a little brighter.

September 18th, 2009 | posted by: Eva

What’s the future? Children’s Lit and the Digital Age

What’s next for children’s literature? We are zooming into the digital age. Technology keeps changing, and print media is quickly going digital. Is anybody out there nervous? Could we lose something with this change?

An article in Publishers Weekly addresses these questions and more: are publishers ready? What about piracy? How will rights be handled? Will libraries become obsolete?

The article summarizes a forum held by the Children’s Book Council on “The Current State of E: Publishing in the Digital Age.”  One panelist states, “E-books add a fantastic functionality to what a book is. Adding interactivity to that experience is also very interesting. And thinking about ways they can be fun [is important], because it’s for children.”

There’s a lot of potential! What do you think?

July 20th, 2009 | posted by: Lynette

new e-book reader from Barnes and Noble

Barnes and Noble is getting in the game. Their new e-book reader is an app for the iPhone. It is a free download which comes with two free books (classics by Jane Austin and James Fenimore Cooper).

Mel Martin, who reviewed the B&N e-book reader in his article that showed up in the Publishers Weekly Morning report, called it a “festival of frustration.” In order to see anything, even the free e-books, he had to go through the tedious process of setting up an account, complete with password and, well, to make a long story short, just too many steps. Martin wasn’t wowed by the selection (process or presentation) when he finally got on the site, and pricing was…suspicious.

My interest still is in e-picture books. If B&N offers any, I couldn’t figure out how to view them. For children’s picture books, PicPocket Books apps look like the best option – you can download individual titles with one click or tap just like you would a song – no extra application or account needed.

Martin’s review of the B&N app is worth reading in its entirety for his humorous account of his frustration. Here’s the link: Barnes and Noble jumps into the e-book pool.

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