TOO COOL (PERFECT FOR SCHOOL): We've got our favorite edtech teacher and administrator tools for the week right here, as highlighted in our Instruct newsletter. By the way—got a favorite S’Cool Tool you like to use? We would love to hear and share your recommendations! If you’ve got a tool that makes you or your students sing from the proverbial mountaintops, fill out this form to let us know. It might just get featured! Note: We append privacy flags to tools that collect personal information. If a tool collects personal information from students, parents or educators should create an account for users under 13.
Free!—Candybot—Created by Virginia Tech’s Learning Transformation Research group, Candybot is an app for iPad that teaches fractions and fuctions math concepts through a candy factory and shipping operation. Students are asked to add, multiply or divide bars into fractions to fill orders correctly. Concepts become more difficult as students progress. A Balefire Labs Best EdApp of 2015.
Free!—“Beginning Spanish”—An iBook from PBS Media, “Beginning Spanish” is a e-book for Macs, iPhones and iPads. The book is a bundle of twenty-five lessons that include reading passages, activities, videos from PBS, facts about Spanish-speaking cultures and vocabulary. PBS says the book aims to meet the standards of the American Council of the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
Freemium—JogNog—Multiple-choice quizzes that review concepts from the Common Core. JogNog covers every standard in Math and English Language Arts from grades 2-8 and includes some social studies and science quizzes as well. Available in the Apple App Store, Google Play and the Amazon App Store. A Balefire Labs Best EdApp of 2014. Privacy flag: Jognog does not require personally identifiable information, but if users connect the app to their social networks, the app will collect personally identifiable information.
UPDATE: This article has been updated to reflect the fact that JogNog is a subscription-based service.