Today I am going to review two game apps that can be used in the classroom. Because I am talking about Mathematics during the month, I will find games/app that involve Math. The first will be standards-based and the second will include assistive technology.
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Standards-Based Interactive Game:
Kahoot! Is an interactive game where students and teachers can create and play games. This game can help teachers review standards-based content with their students. Check out this Kahoot! about California Common Core Math Standards 5.OA.1 & 5.OA.2. 5th grade students will love reviewing their math content in this way!
It addresses these standards: (5.OA.1-2)
Use parentheses, brackets, or braces in numerical expressions, and evaluate expressions with these symbols.
Write simple expressions that record calculations with numbers, and interpret numerical expressions without evaluating them. For example, express the calculation “add 8 and 7, then multiply by 2” as 2 × (8 + 7). Recognize that 3 × (18932 + 921) is three times as large as 18932 + 921, without having to calculate the indicated sum or product.
Quality of Content: (How well the content models the skills of the discipline. Accuracy of content. Appropriateness of content. The learning product meets the stated learning objectives.)
For the specific Kahoot! linked above, the content directly relates to the standards. It is accurate and appropriate for 5th grade students. For Kahoot! Games in general, not all may be addressed to standards so it is wise to review the game before using it in your classroom, or even make your own to address the specific standards that you have taught. A fun alternative would be to have the students make their own review games. For this area I would give this game a 5/5.
Potential Effectiveness as a teaching-learning tool: (including the potential effectiveness for improving instruction and learning by teachers and students. Clear learning objectives. Meets the learning needs of your learners. The technology helps learners to engage effectively with the concept/skill/idea. The learning object provides an opportunity for learners to obtain feedback.)
This game is an effective teaching-learning tool. This tool is flexible and can be adapted to fit different standards, or specific content within that standard to use as a re-teaching tool. This game is highly engaging for students. I have observed teachers using this tool, and students get very into it! Students gain instant feedback to their answers and teachers can save student scores to use as a progress-monitoring tool. There are also 4 different modes that can be used: Quiz, Jumble, Survey, and Discussion. You can use whichever fits the needs of the content and classroom environment. In effectiveness, Kahoots! receives a 5/5.
Ease of use: (Navigation. User friendly with clear instructions. The technology connects learners with the concept/skill/idea.)
Kahoots! is easy to use and navigate. Students log on to the kahoot page and type in the game code that the teacher provides for instant access to the game. For teachers, it is also very easy. Teachers can create their own by following the easy guided steps as well as add in their own pictures. During the game play, it is easy for the teacher to navigate from question to question and see who is scoring at the top. For ease of use for teachers and students, Kahoots! receives a 5/5.
Help and documentation: (make certain that necessary assistance is provided through the object and that such information should focus upon the user's tasks and concrete steps to be carried out by the learner.)
In this category, Kahoots! falls short. Because this is a review type of game set in a trivia format, no additional help is given during the actual game. I have seen teachers give verbal hints if they see that their students are struggling to come to an answer. In addition, I have seen them give explanations for questions that were marked incorrectly by a majority of the class. This, however, falls on the teacher. The tasks and steps of the game are simple and fluid. For this category Kahoots! receives a 1/5 because most of the additional help would have to come from the teacher and not the game itself.
Overall, Kahoots! is an excellent addition to any classroom and can help making learning enjoyable and fun! 19/20 points total. Go Kahoots!
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Assistive Technology App:
Dragon Dictation would be beneficial to students who have difficulty writing. This app allows a student to record themselves talking and the app will translate what they say into text. This would also be beneficial for students who are physically unable to write due to an injury or other impairment.
Quality of Content: (How well the content models the skills of the discipline. Accuracy of content. Appropriateness of content. The learning product meets the stated learning objectives.)
Dragon Dictation does not have specific content and therefore cannot meet the specifically stated learning objectives. I will say that the quality of the app in capturing content is done very well. When I was using the app, it was able to accurately record what I was saying with only a few errors. You would need to tell your students who are using this app that they would need to say the punctuation that they wished to use, otherwise it does not record it. For this area I would give this app a 2/5.
Potential Effectiveness as a teaching-learning tool: (including the potential effectiveness for improving instruction and learning by teachers and students. Clear learning objectives. Meets the learning needs of your learners. The technology helps learners to engage effectively with the concept/skill/idea. The learning object provides an opportunity for learners to obtain feedback.)
This app is an effective teaching-learning tool. This app can be used cross-curricular and can help students who struggle with writing (either pencil and paper, or typing). Students do not learn from this tool specifically, but it can definitely be a part of their learning process by giving them access to text by way of verbal response. The one area that students may struggle with, is in saying the punctuation needed. Some students may not know what punctuation is needed or forget that they need to include it when they are dictating. In effectiveness, I give this app a 4/5.
Ease of use: (Navigation. User friendly with clear instructions. The technology connects learners with the concept/skill/idea.)
Dragon Dictation is very easy to use. It is simple in format and only has a few options on the app: Record, Notes, Trash, and Download. Students would just need to tap to record and tap again to stop. All the notes are saved, and they can be cut, copied, or emailed. In ease of use, Dragon Dictation receives a 5/5.
Help and documentation: (make certain that necessary assistance is provided through the object and that such information should focus upon the user's tasks and concrete steps to be carried out by the learner.)
This app is used as help and documentation. Dragon Dictation helps students with writing by documenting their verbal input. Students can then send the information that they have recorded to themselves, or cut and paste the information into an assignment that they are working on. In this category Dragon Dictation receives a 5/5.
Overall, Dragon Dictation is an excellent addition the apps used in the classroom and can help make the learning process less frustrating for those students who struggle with writing. 16/20 points total. Great Job, Dragon Dictation!
