Today’s guest post is by Dave Wingler, an American teacher
living in Japan. Through his blog TopEducationalApps.com, Dave
explores innovative teaching methods for using apps, smart
phones, and tablets in the classroom to encourage social and
collaborative play. Dave has written this post on behalf of
INKids (an Australian company that makes apps for kids) and has
compensated me for including INKids’ Math Champ and Futaba apps
in the article. I’m thrilled to spread the word about the work
INKids has done as well as the other apps listed below, as
they’re all really great resources for teachers. The use of apps
(both iPod and iPad based) in in the classroom is growing at an
amazing rate – the wave has indeed broken. Teachers who are
paddling to stay afloat with technology in the classroom risk
leaving their students out to sea. In many schools around the
USA, a 1:1 tablet-to-student roll out model is being encouraged
to enhance classroom activities, and while many schools don’t
have the budget to create a 1 iPa