iPad Apps to "Show What You Know"

"Tell me and I forget.

Teach me and I may remember.

Involve me and I learn."

~ Benjamin Franklin

We have known since its inception that the iPad is more than a content consumption device; it is truly a creation device. This foundation, paired with the belief that students will learn more deeply after teaching someone else what they have learned, validates teachers' use of apps to allow students to "show what they know." Although hundreds of app options exist, learn about some of my top choices for the classroom here. Each featured app will include basic information including cost, a student example project, and getting started tips. Remember that this is simply a starting point. What apps would you recommend be added to this list?

Show What You Know Using Web & Mobile Apps from Learning in Hand's Tony Vincent

Chatterpix "gives your photos a voice." Simply take or upload a photo, draw a line to make a 'mouth', and record your voice making it 'talk'.

Cost: Free

Also note: Chatterpix and Chatterpix Kids by Duck Duck Moose are not simply for young students. Any ages can enjoy the simplicity of animating a photo to explain something they have learned.

Sock Puppets allows a student (or multiple students working together) to animate sock puppets to explain what they have learned. Recording length is limited to 30 secs per video and each can be saved to camera roll.

Cost: Free (in-app purchases)

Complete version available for $3.99

Also note: Sock Puppets changes the pitch of the speaker's voice, making it popular with students who are self-conscious about hearing their own voice in a recording.

Puppet Pals 1 & 2 are animation creation apps with more options than Sock Puppets and no time recording limit. To get the option to create your own 'puppets' (from any image or photo), the paid version of each is highly recommended. Multiple scenes (and backgrounds) can be staged allowing for an immersive storytelling experience.

Cost: Free (with limited puppets and backgrounds);

$3.99 for the unlimited Puppet Pals HD Director's Pass or

$5.99 for the unlimited Puppet Pals 2: School Edition or

$7.99 for the Puppet Pals Pack (both apps)

Also note: In Puppet Pals 2 the wheels, legs, and backgrounds move (in addition to the user moving the puppets on screen)

Toontastic encourages students to use the entire "story arc" to retell their story. Whether a personal narrative, fictional or historical story, or retelling of a story they read, students must incorporate all story elements to create their finished product. Many options for creating media exist inside the app (photos, drawings, music, etc.)

Cost: free

Also note: Blog post from Katie on "Shoe Stories" Toontastic activity

A sister app from the same app developer is the also free TeleStory app.

The iMovie app is well-known for its ability to edit videos. But don't underestimate the power of student-created iMovie Trailers for students to show a review of what they have learned. Whether used as book reports or jigsaw topic presentations, creating iMovie trailers on the iPad is a simple, time-efficient digital project choice for students.

Cost: free

Also note: Great guide from Tony Vincent on iMovie trailers

Adobe Spark Video (formally known as Adobe Voice) works great for PSAs, commercials, or short retellings of topics learned. The app is linked to open source, copyright-friendly media making creation of projects simple and quick.

Cost: free (but requires login)

Also note: Also worth exploring is the rest of the Adobe Spark suite:

• Adobe Spark Post (graphics creation)
  
• Adobe Spark Page (web page or scrollable "poster" creation)
  

Explain Everything can literally be used to explain everything. When used by students to demonstrate understanding and/or teach others what they have learned, it is tremendously powerful. Think of it as a digital whiteboard with unlimited slides that you voice-over and animate as you record. Finished recordings can be shared in almost unlimited ways.

Cost: $4.99 Explain Everything Classic (one-time purchase)

$7.99 Explain Everything VPP (new, collaborative version. one-time purchase)

starting at $2.67/year (new version, annual subscription, free trial available)

Also note:

Download free 'Explain Everything Lesson Ideas' from Apple Education (iBooks format)

View Explain Everything website for even more information

Book Creator can be used by any age of learner to easily combine text, drawings, photos, video, and audio recording into one project. Export options include the digital book (ePub format), pdf, or video.

Cost: One complete Book Creator project can be created with Book Creator Free.

To build more than one book, Book Creator for iPad is $4.99.

Also note: Book Creator allows for individual iPads to create pages/chapters, airdrop or send them to a teacher/leader iPad, and easily combine them into one master "book."

Blog post from Katie on 'Weather Instruments' project with Book Creator

Download "Fostering Creativity with iPad"

in iBooks format

a free resource from Apple Education