iPad App Reviews

Leslie Owen Wilson, The Second Principle
Begin here:  
By all means bookmark Bloom's Taxonomy of Apps - there is a k-12 (not annotated, and largely over grade 5) list of apps, a page for each level on the hierarchy. Also K-5 iPad Apps According to Bloom's Taxonomy, and the newer K-5 iPad According to Bloom's Taxonomy, which cover elementary grades.   iPad Apps and Bloom's Taxonomy at Langwitches Blog is also a place to begin.

Highlighted: The iPad As...  - sensible listing of apps organized by iPad learning goals.  You will probably want to add additional goals as you build your program, but this is a great listing to use when starting up. 
    Search for Apps in iTunes - a video for the teacher beginning to build an apps collection.

    Evaluate apps on your own:
    Lists (evaluated selections)
    Sources of the most reliable app reviews for parents and educators - keep in mind that most review sites review apps submitted to them, making it harder to review critically.  I find the best review policy is always to review it yourself.
    • Teachers with Apps - fully reviewed after actual classroom use - tends to be elementary in focus
    • TUAW (The Unofficial Apple Weblog) posts one or more app reviews in The Daily App Review - these review cover a wide range, including games, but can be searched quickly by scrolling - they are critical and relatively impartial - I use the RSS feed
    • iear - I Education App Review - well indexed - the best feature is the list of classroom uses for some apps - apps often but but not always fully reviewed
    • theipadfan.comhttp://www.theipadfan.com/category/app-reviews/ - full range, preK-adult
    • appcheese.com - iPad book reviews - focus on classic tales and new titles
    • Common Sense Media - deep listing of reviewed apps - search by category, age, or age range - no prices
    • Apps in Education - reviewed selections - by category
    • Mind Leap - educational apps reviewed by educators preK-middle - sign up for email updates
    • Smart Apps for Kids - a dad's picks - check in daily for new reviews and frequent free app deals - note: he does review apps submitted by developers
    • The Moms With Apps "App Catalog" in iTunes - read about it here
    • Digital Media Diet - ebook reviews only - mom-tested - up through middle school, but mostly elementary and toddler
    • Famigo - mini reviews - some search function
    • Imagination Soup - a mom's reviews of educational apps - updates lists frequently (scroll down) - links to iTunes Preview
    • Click Tick Boom - app reviews tend to be of strategy and other games - but with a YA appeal

    2 comments:

    1. This list has been a huge help! I came across your blog while I was looking for ipad apps for preschoolers because my son has been very curious and playing a lot of games on my Ipad, so i figured he can play and learn at the same time. Thank you for sharing this with us.

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    2. Great list. Have your tried igamemom.com. It is site reviewing educational apps for kids - with strong focus on education. You should really check it out.

      ReplyDelete