PollDaddy Review by Ian Snyder

 Name of App: PollDaddy

 Free or Fee: FREE!

 Rating: 4/5 stars

 Company: PollDaddy

 Why I like it: I am constantly looking and evaluating apps based on whether they could be used too boost understand in my classroom. I teach 2^nd grade, so there are limits to what is relevant to this group of students. The app, PollDaddy, is a gem because it gives a range of features. The basics of the app make it easy enough to use at my level, but the intricate and challenging parts of the app make it useful up through high school too.

Example of Use: My students have been using our class Ipod Touch with the PollDaddy app to survey students in the hallways during our learning center times. Three students at a time will be out assignment and will use the app to record the survey answers. When they return to class, they take the results from the app, and create a bar graph from their data. They love it. It is simple, fun, and educational sound.

PollDaddy’s site offers three different plans. The free forever plan features as stated on their site: 100 survey responses per month, 10 questions per survey or quiz, Content contains Polldaddy links, Basic reports for polls, surveys, and quizzes, 1 User account.

Some great features of this app: You can sync it with your account on PollDaddy. You can also make the surveys available on the app without being connect to WiFi. When you get back into connection range, you can then sync your data with your online account. You can create multi question surveys, graphs, different styles of questions, and loads of other features that really allow full customization.

Reviewers Website: http://ateachr.blogspot.com/

Easy Chart

App Name: Easy Chart

Grade Level: Middle School

Cost: Free
 for iPod, .99 cents for iPad (output is in HD)

Purpose: A - To allow the user/student to create various types of charts. Easy Chart can display data in pie charts, bar graphs, and line graphs with various color schemes.

Program Functionality: A - Student created graphs are saved to “Photos” upon completion. Photos with can easily be synced, emailed, etc from there.

Overall Educational Value: B

- Easy Chart serves its intended purpose quite well, it provides an easy way for students to input data and create a chart or graph. The app itself has very few option/buttons, which makes it quite easy for a student to navigate, thus allowing the student to not lose focus on their assignment at hand.

Recommendation: I have checked out many paid apps that would allow students to create charts and graphs and I have not found one better or more appropriate for a middle school audience than Easy Chart.

Classroom Use Examples / Ideas: As an app, Easy Chart provides a very efficient way for students to record and graph their data. I could see this being a very useful tool in middle school science labs where students are constantly tracking data… weather temperature over a period, plant growth, etc. With any information that needs to be graphed, Easy Chart could be a useful tool.

Screenshots

Developer: Andrew Griffiths, Mad Dog Software

 iTunes Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/easy-chart/id359795075?mt=8&uo=4

Reviewer: Sean Junkins