Lorax Garden

App Title: Lorax Garden (app review by 7 year old first grade students)
Grade Level: Elementary (all ages)

My students have been interested in sharing their opinions about some of our apps. Before school was out this year, I had them write the what, why and how of their favorite apps. The Lorax Garden (Dr. Seuss!) was featured as one of Apple’s Earth Day apps. What a find! And just in time for our Natural Resources focus in science.
I would recommend this app for anyone. It’s a great companion to the book, The Lorax. Contributors to this review are: Jack, Nate, Daven, Trent, Joseph, Caleb, and Ethan. Thanks guys!

Purpose: A   You will learn that water helps trees grow. If you water trees, you will help them grow and help the earth.

Program Functionality: A  You get to plant trees and flowers. The trees come out of a machine. When you grow flowers you get hearts. The hearts help the truffula trees grow, then you put it in the forest. When your forest is finished, you can get to another level. On the levels, push continue and have fun.

Overall Educational Value: A  When you start learning about plants and natural resources it is good to play this game then. It feels exciting to help the earth.

Cost: $1.99
Developer Website: Oceanhouse Media
iTunes Link: Click here!
Reviewer Name: Carolyn Wojtera
Reviewer Blog: Teach with Tech

iPad app: Shakespeare in Bits - Romeo & Juliet

App Title: Shakespeare In Bits - Romeo & Juliet

Grade Level: 6-12

Purpose: A   This product does an excellent job of letting a student experience the play in various formats with as much support as necessary.  This support can be as simple as repeating a scene, or reading the dialogue as it is spoken, or as complex as reading notes prior, during or after a scene has played, or reading a synopsis.  Each section of text offers the ability to translate difficult vocabulary.  Each section also has extensions that explain the text, the language, the history and offer thoughtful questions for the viewer.  All these can be accessed and closed with a simple touch without stopping the action unless the viewer chooses to do so.
The play can be viewed straight through or by scenes and acts.  The cast can be better understood with individual descriptions including age and a relationship map.  A separate section allows the student to read about the plot, themes, imagery, language, quotes and Shakespeare himself. All these sections are specific to Romeo & Juliet other than the one on Shakespeare which is a brief biography.

Program Functionality: A- The navigation of this iPad app is highly intuitive. Student comfort levels would be quickly reached.  Students would quickly find the best use of all the support factors to help them understand and thereby enjoy the play and all it has to offer.  The animation is the only weakness being somewhat simplistic. The real actors who do the voice-over and the background sounds are all very good.
 
Overall Educational Value: A  This app would easily fit into a Shakespeare study. It lends itself well to differentiation, extending and supporting understanding by the student by giving the student the control of these tools.

Cost: 14.99

Recommendation: The animation could be improved.  There is an online version but more plays for the iPad would be excellent. Macbeth is coming soon.

Classroom Use Examples / Ideas: This app could be projected, used with IWB, handed to small groups of students for discussion sessions on ipads.  Teachers could offer the use of it outside school as well. Peer coaching would also be very possible with this app.
 
Developer Website: www.shakespeareinbits.com or Mindconnex Learning Limited

iTunes Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shakespeare-in-bits-romeo/id370803660?mt=8
 
Reviewer Name: Elisabeth LeBris
 
Reviewer Blog: lebrisary.blogspot.com