app snaps - 20 apps in 30 mins
DESCRIPTION
Presentation at the IATEFL Pre Conference Event, Glasgow, 2012TRANSCRIPT
IATELF LTSIG Pre-Conference EventGlasgow
March 2012Paul Sweeney
App Snaps
Overview
• What’s in a device?• Survey• Lots of apps• Finding apps• Questions & demos
What’s in a device?
• Smartphones• Tablets• eReaders• Laptops and netbooks
What’s in the ‘appmosphere’
Stand-alone self-study
Adjunct to classroom learning: homework, catch up and extension
Games (entertainment apps used in education )
Reference
DICTIONARIES
Cambridge Advanced Dictionary (Audio)
• iPhone / iPad / Android• Audio• UK / US• Basic functionality
• http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/audio-cambridge-advanced-learners/id309442435?mt=8
Macmillan English Dictionary (HD)
• iPad / iPhone• UK• Audio• Added value sections:
common words• Learner self study
features: personalisation, lists, tests
Oxford / Collins Cobuild Advanced Learners
• iPad / iPhone / Android (‘made with Diodict’ software)
• UK / US• Audio (on Android)• Learner friendly (fuzzy
logic)• Learner self self-study
features: flashcards, tests
• Dictionary + phone functionality (uses phone voice search)
Other examples
PRONUNCIATION
Phonetics Focus
• Cambridge English Online
• iPhone / iPad• Teachers resource
package: chart; posters; flashcard creation; typewriter
• Student resource: recognition, practice,
• Award winning (!)
Sounds
• Macmillan• Paid for (Limited free
version available)• iPhone / iPad / Android• UK / US• Student features (record &
playback, practice, quiz, typing)
• Integration with coursebooks (buy wordlists)
• www.soundspronapp.com/
Clear Speech
• Paid for• Cambridge• Basic & Intermediate
game based student focus
• Sounds, syllables, word stress
• Related to book but stand-alone
Other examples
VOCABULARY
Premier Skills / My Wordbook 2• Word sets• Audio• Self study features• British Council
‘Vocabulary’ apps
Dictionary plus?
?Developing
personalisation and extra study functionality for dictionaries would be more interesting than developing vocab apps.
EXAM PRACTICE
IELTS Trainer
• Representative of exam support trend with apps
• Familiarisation, tips and exercises
• Lots have listening practice
• Different levels• Also PET, FCE, CAE in
series• Paid for• Cambridge
IELTS VOCAB
• Vital Englsh• Generic vocabulary
practice for students• Audio – UK• Self study tools
GRAMMAR
Grammar in Use (Tests)
• Cambridge• Paid for• iPhone / iPad• There are pairs of apps in
this series• Content / practice apps
called ‘Activities’ • Tests apps (much better)• Elementary,
intermediate, Advanced
iGE (Interactive grammar of English)
• University College London
• Paid for• ‘Grammar reference
and advanced practice book in an app’
Are grammar apps only about practising grammar?
LISTENING
Big City Small World
• British Council• Free• ‘App meets podcast’• Transcript synchronised
with audio• No exercises /
exploitation
At work & on holidays• Red River Press• Skills practising
language in context• Lower levels• Paid for
READING
News sites
• NYT is only one example (iPhone only + paid for)
• Authentic materials with ELT exploitation
• Self study
Simplified readers & children’s stories
• Simplified readers• Children’s nursery
rhymes and fairy stories (native speaker)
COURSE APPS
Edmodo
• iPhone / iPad / Android• VLE / community site
for Primary & Secondary students
• Fits with existing website
Moodle
• ‘Official Moodle app’• Needs Moodle 2.1• Download resources to
work offline• iPhone / iPad• Not Android but there
seem to be Android Moodle apps
Pebblepad - ePortfolio
• ePortfolio app as part of pebblepad.com site
• iPhone only (but necessary for use?)
• Very popular in the UK but paid for
• https://mahara.org/ is an open source alternative. Unclear if there is an app for this
Other examples
• Blackboard• Busuu
NON-EFL APPS
Amazon Kindle
• Device (Kindle Reader)• App (iPhone / iPad /
Android)• Software (Mac / PC)• Free to set up• Leisure reading,
professional development• Email docs & pdfs to your
Kindle account• Project Gutenberg just got
interesting again
Evernote
• ‘Productivity’ app (Microsoft OneNote + ReadItLater + bookmark & docs sharing
• Group by notebooks, tags
• iPhone /iPad / Android
• Free + Paid for
Dropbox.com
• Great way to share any files between PC <> PC and PC <> mobile device
• iPhone / iPad / Android• Starter account is free
Pages
• Writing• Note taking• PDF annotating
Keynote
• Main presentations app for iPhone / iPad
• Quickly assemble presentations based on images & video
• Great to present from
Talking cartoon characters (Rex / Tom)
FINDING APPS
iTunes app store (but which one?)
Google Play (formerly Google Android)
www.chomp.com
A website and app to help you find apps!
Thank you!
This presentation is available fromwww.eduworlds.co.uk/iateflpce.pdf
www.schoolbook-challenge.com Epublishing – how far do you go? (elearning vs
epublishing debate), Thursday 22 March, IATEFL