Learning Log Discussion: My Top 5 Educational Games (App-based) In this module, more than 20 app-based educational games are introduced. Given the plethora of the mobile, making informed decision about the educational games is a vital skill for a teacher. Please identify five app-based games that are appropriate for your subject discipline and justify your choices by citing sources introduced in this course.
1.) Story Wheel App Story Wheel app allows students to create stories and listen to their stories played back. Students also have the option to share their project with other students and family at home. This tool is very user friendly and students can create their projects independently. Students can also work and collaborate in groups by adding up to four players who can take turn telling their stories. If students need to re record their part they can easily delete their last recording to press the green button to record again. Student's are able to complete their project to then send out as an iBook! This app connects to our reading this week by providing cooperating learning!
2.) PBS Kids (Wild Kratts) Click here to see an example. Kids choose from three different creatures and see on the map where each lives. A Kratt brother dons the creature power suit for each game. In Woodpecker Drill Down, players must find their beetle-dinner before the other woodpecker does. In Dolphin Trash Dash, they collect trash from the ocean, and in Orangutan Swing, they swing through the jungle collecting food. Each game gets more challenging as kids advance through 10 levels. They'll unlock the sticker book and creature selfies activities and facts about the creatures as they play. Wild Kratts on PBS kids is also an amazing resource to use during indoor recess. Our new procedures at school is to eat lunch in the classroom. While we eat lunch I play the Wild Kratt brothers so students can learn about new animals while enjoying their lunch. This app is ease to use for students and teachers while being easily accessed!
3.) Rocket Math Rocket Math is a learning program that focuses on student's skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions. This program builds the foundation that students need to be able to grow upon to reach the next skills introduced in advanced grade levels. Not only can students learn online but they do have the option to print worksheets and engage verbally with partners in practice. This game based app has a way of giving direct instant feedback and motivating students through online rewards! Screen design is shown through conquering levels and moving forward through the levels while engaging in this game!
4.) Khan Academy Khan Academy is an organization that provides a free educational system for anyone everyone. This program was started by experts that are passionate engineers, artists designers, and educators who joined this team centuries ago. As you can tell this team believes that design, engagement, and experience works together smoothly to provide that talent for student experience. This platform provides a user friendly experience for parents and students so that they can manipulate this independently or while at home gaining extra practice. This great thing about this app is that real educators have provided videos to provide support for students in case they need additional help. This allows students to continue to progress through the app without getting stuck. This provides opportunities to try again to achieve success while gaining confidence! This app is not just specified in any certain subject, it has a wide range of practice from math all the way to reading. I would recommend this app to any teacher, student, or parent, looking for extra resources!
5.) Terra Genesis Terra Genesis is a game that rises the learning curve for all learners. It takes the basic principles of the game that are easy to figure out to help students gain self confidence while then increasing the complexity of higher difficulties and give students a sense of greater achievement. This helps boost student ownership while taking control of each ones learning. Once students are able to succeed at their levels they then are given their own lifeform to build an ecosystem which make students feel like a true scientist. This game uses aesthetics so well, providing real-life events, and provides writing practice with building architectural style developments. This game based app has a way of opening new doors to students while providing and experiment like no other!