There are currently approximately 1.2 million apps in the App Store, with 60,000 being added each month. Education apps make up around 129,000, the third most after games and kids apps. The average person only uses a couple dozen apps regularly. The document provides tips on integrating apps into lessons by choosing ones that fit with lesson plans, becoming familiar with apps before using them with students, and modeling proper app use. Several popular apps like Instagram, Google Maps, The Weather Channel, Dropbox, YouTube, Evernote, Pandora, and Facebook are discussed for educational uses. A variety of free and paid education-focused apps are also listed.

1. Karen Conley
January 16, 2015

2.  There are currently (approximately) 1.2 million
apps in the App Store with 60,000 being added
each month (the App Store has been around
since July, 2008)
 Education Apps make up approximately 129,000
of these “live” apps – 3rd highest with “Games”
and “Kids” apps being 1 and 2 respectively.
 Approximately 31,000 education apps are “dead”
apps (removed from the app store)
 Bottom line – that is A LOT to choose from
 https://www.adjust.com/assets/downloads/Appl
eAppStore_Report2014.pdf


3.  The average person only uses a couple dozen
apps . . .
 Maybe you’ll find one or two you might want
to add to your repertoire today 

4.  My opinion is to use apps as tools. We don’t
create lessons around an app. We create a
lesson and use the app if it “fits” into the
lesson. Don’t use apps just to use them, only
use apps that fit seamlessly into your
already-created lesson/activity.
 To be able to use an app in a lesson, you
must be comfortable with it first before using
it with your students.
 “The more we model proper use, the more
people will properly use the tool.”

5.  Photo-sharing app (Free)
 Launched in Oct. 2010 by two Stanford
graduates
 Had 1 million users after 2 months
 Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion in
April 2012

7.  http://www.weareteachers.com/blogs/post/2
014/08/07/10-ways-to-use-instagram-in-
the-classroom
 https://www.pinterest.com/uhighlibrary/inst
agram-in-the-classroom/
 http://www.nerdynerdynerdy.com/2014/06/
using-instagram-as-classroom-tool.html
 http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-
teaching/2014/04/twitter-instagram-and-
pinterest-classroom
 https://twitter.com/instagram

8.  Maps/GPS app (Free)
 Will have its 10-year anniversary next month.
 Has many extended uses including Google
Sky which uses pictures taken by the Hubble
Space Telescope (Google Moon, Google Mars,
Google Traffic, Google Street View, Google
biking directions, etc.)

9. • Navigate with ease
• Outsmart traffic
• Find local businesses
• Explore nearby

10.  https://www.fractuslearning.com/2014/09/3
0/google-maps/
 https://twitter.com/googlemaps
 http://digitalexplorer.com/2010/01/12/40-
ideas-on-using-google-earth-and-maps-in-
the-classroom/
 https://maps.google.com/gallery/?hl=en
 https://www.pinterest.com/farrahrosenthal/g
oogle-maps-in-the-classroom/
 https://burtonstechtips.wikispaces.com/file/
view/Google_Maps_in_the_Classroom.pdf

11.  weather app (Free)
 Keeps you up-to-date on today’s weather
 Provides weather-related news
 Detailed 10-day forecast

12.  http://www.appsinclass.com/weather-
channel.html
 http://www.rakisradresources.com/2014/02/
weather-channel-app.html
 http://one-lesson-at-a-
time.blogspot.com/2013/12/weather-
channel-app-math-freebie.html
 http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article
/2011/12/weather-channel (Also uses Skype)

13.  File-hosting app (Free)
 Great for backing up files and sharing with others
 Created in 2007 and officially launched in 2008
 A Classroom/teacher organizational tool
 http://plpnetwork.com/2012/08/10/dropbox-
a-superb-classroom-tool/
 http://www.darkreading.com/attacks-and-
breaches/dropbox-in-the-classroom-4-great-
uses/d/d-id/1109359?
 http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id
=139679

14.  Video-sharing app (Free)
 Founded in May 2005 by three early employees of PayPal.
Their office was above a Pizzeria. Officially rolled out to
the public in November 2005
 Google bought YouTube in October 2006 for $1.65 billion
in stock
 YouTube does have an educational section -
https://www.youtube.com/education
 http://www.edudemic.com/5-reasons-to-use-youtube-
in-the-classroom/
 http://www.edudemic.com/best-video-sites-for-
teachers/ (GREAT resource 100 best video sites for
educators)
 https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2012/03/21/ess
ay-how-use-youtube-teaching-tool

15.  Note-taking app (Free)
 A "note" can be a piece of formatted text, a full webpage
or webpage excerpt, a photograph, a voice memo, or a
handwritten "ink" note. Notes can also have file
attachments. Notes can be sorted into folders, then
tagged, annotated, edited, given comments, searched, and
exported as part of a notebook.
 https://insidetheclassroomoutsidethebox.wordpress.com/
2012/04/01/using-evernote-in-an-elementary-
classroom/
 https://www.pinterest.com/katie_peila/evernote-for-
teachers/
 http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/07/6-uses-for-
evernote-in-classroom.html
 https://blog.evernote.com/blog/2011/01/13/10-tips-
for-teachers-using-evernote-education-series/

16.  Internet Radio app (Free)
 NOTE – If everyone used Pandora at the same
time in a school district, it could crash the
network  It does use a lot of bandwidth!)
 http://www.teachhub.com/10-ways-use-
pandora-internet-radio-your-classroom
 http://hippohoorayforsecondgrade.blogspot.com
/2014/05/pandora-in-classroom.html
 https://www.pinterest.com/explore/pandora-
stations/
 http://dearrichblog.blogspot.com/2014/10/playi
ng-pandora-in-classroom.html (copyright
issues?)

17. Facebook – Free - for sharing pictures, post status & keep in
touch with “friends”
For educational use, more likely to create different facebook
pages and not share personal profiles (pictures, etc.) – a
tool for collaboration.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1719397428
61067.56325.160213990700309
Twitter – Free – share what’s going on in the world with
145 characters or less
http://www.teachhub.com/50-ways-use-twitter-
classroom
Pinterest – Free – create boards filled with visual
bookmarks.
http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/06/educato
rs-guide-to-use-of-pinterest-in.html

18.  Splash Math by StudyPad, Inc. -
https://www.splashmath.com/apps (free)
 Abcya apps by abcya.com -
http://www.abcya.com/educational_kids_iphone_
ipad_apps.htm
 Brain Pop Jr. – Movie of the Week – free - It gives
you a fresh movie and its related quizzes and
comic every week, free of charge.
http://www.brainpop.com/educators/community
/faq/app-support-faq/?iosapp=true

19.  Book Creator by Red Jumper, Ltd. -
http://www.redjumper.net/bookcreator/ (free
to make one book; otherwise, $4.99)
 Popplet Lite by Notion - http://popplet.com/
mindmap/organizing tool (lite version is free;
otherwise, $4.99)
 Nearpod by Panarea - enables teachers to use
their iPads to manage content on students'
iPads. It combines presentation, collaboration,
and real-time assessment tools into one
integrated solution. http://www.nearpod.com
Silver Edition is free.

20.  TextPlus by textPLUS, Inc. - Create a
group for each class and you’ll be able to text
everyone basic reminders, questions to ponder
between lessons, and more. (free)
http://www.textplus.com/
 Word Joust by Edmodo – vocabulary builder -
http://play.wordjoustapp.com/ (free)
 Poll Everywhere by Poll Everywhere –
create questions/polls and show results-
http://www.polleverywhere.com/ (free)

21.  Virtual Frog Dissection by Emantras, Inc.
http://www.frogvirtualdissection.com/
($3.99)
 Writing Prompts by 21 x 20 Media -
http://www.writing.com/main/handler/item_i
d/1747029-Our-Mobile-Apps---iOS-and-
Android ($1.99)

22.  The Chemical Touch by Christopher Fennell -
http://openscience.org/~chrisfen/Pages/Prog
rams/theChemicalTouch.html (.99) Chemical
knowledge on the go!
 Shakespeare Pro by PlayShakespeare.Com
($9.99)
http://www.playshakespeare.com/shakespear
e-pro-app/
 Socrative by Socrative, Inc. -
http://www.socrative.com/ (free)

23.  SAT Question of the Day -
http://sat.collegeboard.org/home (free)
 Khan Academy by Khan Academy -
https://www.khanacademy.org/ (free)

24.  Genius Scan by The Grizzly Labs -
http://www.thegrizzlylabs.com/ great for
Evernote or taking photos of materials at
conferences. (free)
 UnRoll.Me – Saves time with e-mail -
https://unroll.me/ (web program not app)
(free)
 Accompli Email - easy-to-use email app that
helps you get more done from anywhere -
https://www.acompli.com/ (free)

25.  Feedly – RSS Feeder - lets you curate and
read what matters to you – (free) -
http://feedly.com/
 Drafts4 - different kind of note taking app –
($9.99) - http://agiletortoise.com/drafts/

26.  Coursera – free online courses – study everything
from music to medicine – (free)
https://www.coursera.org/
 TED – inspiration for learners – (free) -
http://www.ted.com/
 Bitsboard – interactive games and flash cards –
(free)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bitsboard-
education-games/id516842210?mt=8
 Duolingo – learn new languages on the go – (free)
- https://www.duolingo.com/

27.  http://appsineducation.blogspot.com/p/art-
ipad-apps.html
 http://ipadschools.wikispaces.com/home
 http://argoess.wikispaces.com/Home+Guide
+to+Site
 http://www.smartappsforkids.com/
 http://www.apple.com/education/ipad/apps-
books-and-more/

28.  http://naomiharm.org/Master%20App%20List
-11.28.12.pdf
 https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/a
pps-for-elementary-school#
 https://resourcelinkbce.files.wordpress.com/
2013/02/2012t1corestudentapps.pdf
 https://www.graphite.org/top-picks/10-
great-apps-for-high-school
 http://www.emergingedtech.com/2015/01/8
-mobile-apps-created-by-high-school-
students/

29.  http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/09/7-good-
sources-of-creative-writing.html#.VLhY5kfF8rU
 https://sites.google.com/site/itunesandpodcasting/i-
touch
 http://www.appolicious.com/education/articles/9492-
top-20-must-have-educational-iphone-ipad-apps-used-
by-real-teachers-in-the-classroom
 http://www.appolicious.com/education/articles/9492-
top-20-must-have-educational-iphone-ipad-apps-used-
by-real-teachers-in-the-classroom
 https://www.pinterest.com/techchef4u/ipad-lessons/
 http://edtechgary.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-resource-to-
find-ipad-apps-by-subject.html

30.  2015 has just begun . . .