I know, you can't believe it's come to this...I finally got my iPhone - and shortly after - I'm reviewing educational apps...you had to know this was coming!!
The learning possibilities with apps are endless, you are going to want to get "on board" and get your own "iDevice" soon, trust me. You can use this type of learning anywhere, what a great way to keep them occupied (and learning) while you're on the run this summer!
I'm excited to introduce you to StoryBuilder by Mobile Education Store. You can download it from iTunes for just $5.99. It works on your - iTouch (4th gen.), iPhone or iPad (next on my technology wish list).
This is from their description:
"Story Builder is designed to help children accomplish the following educational goals:
1) Improve paragraph formation
2) Improve integration of ideas
3) Improve higher level abstractions by inference.
Extensive use of audio clips promotes improved auditory processing for special needs children with autism spectrum disorders or sensory processing disorders.
Story Builder offers a rich and fun environment for improving the ability to create a narrative."
FEATURES
-Record feature allows students to record narrative in their own voice
-3 levels of play
-Simple and intuitive interface to record narrative
-Recorded answers are stitched together to create complete narrative
-50 distinct story lines to create narrative from
-500 audio clips of questions to guide narrative
-Optional question text and answer introduction reinforcement
-Email recorded stories
The Bentz Test Laboratory has not put this one down... I want my phone back! But seriously, this app has had a huge appeal across the ages in our test laboratory (ages 6-14). They are loving creating their stories and then playing them back for the others, seeing who can make the best story.
This app has accomplished what the pencil and paper couldn't - they are enjoying creating stories. By taking the "hard" work of writing - the pencil and paper part, and letting them go wild with their imaginations!
There are 3 levels of play:
Level One - There are asked 4 questions about a picture on the screen.
Level Two - There are 7 questions that require them to make inferences about what happened before and after the picture on the screen.
Level Three - There are no questions, you get to make up your own story.
They can even email their recorded stories. I'm not sure if the world is quite ready to hear them yet...they tend to get a little "silly", if you know what I mean.
But, they are having fun - and they are learning (even though they don't realize it...). The app requires them to answer in complete sentences - otherwise, their story won't make sense. WOW! I've been trying to get "complete sentence answers" all year, and all I really needed was an app?! That's effective learning, if you ask me!
See what other TOS Crew Members thought here
Disclaimer:
I was sent a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest opinion as part of the TOS Review Crew.
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