Newest Free App Required Viewing

Just found this free PBS app today. At first glance, one might think there are only small clips to view. However, closer exploration reveals there is a ton of full length videos including seven full episodes of NOVA. Any home school's goal is fostering thinking. I previewed Nova/ National Geographic Special Quest for Solomon' Mines. I'm super excited to incorporate this classic format (PBS) into our home school specifically because my student literally says he is king. Considering my son has seen me drop cast items many times, I am eager to discuss copper smelting. Dr. Charles Finch's book titled The Star of Deep Beginnings: The Genesis of African Sciences and Technology will provide supplement defining our cultural perspectives viewing NOVA's Quest episode.

Cracking the Whip

There are always those who will hold doubts. Nonetheless, I wanted to show that the iPad is more than a toy. It is education made super fun. Pictured above is an app titled SBSpelling. This app enabled me to create my own spelling list of twenty words and title the group (First Practice Words). The twenty words were pulled from the Words HD Free game that I posted previously. SBSpelling shows the word and as soon as one begins typing, the word disappears. This app has another option that jumbles and mixes the letters. My student likes using this application and is eager to PRACTICE spelling words. The most enjoyable part for me, is watching him say the letters to himself as he types. The biggest aspect that impacts our home school is there is no paper to print or throw away/recycle. This free app is used frequently!

The Honeymoon

Our first game playing Words HD Lite. I was amazed to see the words that my son was able to assemble. It was the best Language Arts class we have ever shared. He used up all his letters despite my higher score and there was synchronicity because his last word was use. I have played this game twice with random opponents online. (I'm not sure how long a player can abandon a game before it is forfeited. Currently, my second opponent has had me waiting at least a day.)

We have had our iPad for two weeks and it has met all our unknown expectations. It has fulfilled our unknown mainly because it is fun. I have read a couple of blogs that have mentioned iPad-home schooling, as well as reviews of the iPad. It is my belief that most people do not understand what or how to use the devise.

The iPad has been "pimped" by the powers that inform our collective we that it is just a portable Internet devise. I believe anyone who assesses the iPad exclusively as an Internet devise is not willing to be well informed. (I am not sponsored by Apple nor any App Developers. The following sentence is just opinion). The iPad is a tool accessing the galaxy using a finger's touch. (Note: I haven't even fully opened the Star Walk app).

I have loaded 136 Apps. There are nine apps that I have removed from the devise because they were not what we needed. Thus, viewing the remaining 127 apps: 123 were free and 4 were bought. The four purchased apps are Math Board Addition, Starwalk (this app is a must have; I highly recommend it and I haven't even used it, yet), How to Make an iPad app and Zombie Crisis. (I acknowledge my own guilty indulgence buying Zombie Crisis).

The first thing to understand attempting to review any apps is that the categories may not match the application as one might expect. I suggest reviewing the apps product page to read exactly what are the applications functions. This is how and why we have nine applications that have been removed.

We have 6 Books, 49 Education, 10, Entertainment, 36 Games, 2 Healthcare, 1 Lifestyle, 2 Medical, 14 Musical, 1 Photography, 6 Productivity, 4 Reference, 1 Social Network, 1 Travel and 3 Utilities. Rather than detailing each and every app I'm going to highlight categories and our surprising apps finds that fit into that category.

Books: Boy! A Wolf's Tale, Greek Gods, Green Eggs and Ham, Marvel Comics, Twilight: The Graphic Novel and The Umbrella Academy. Unfortunately, the Marvel Comics app was the first to be removed. It was a huge disappointment introducing the reality that many (not all) free apps tease the user into an purchased upgrade. The Umbrella Academy app is a beautiful and an inspirational comic book.

Entertainment: GlowPaint, Let's Create Pottery, London Zoo, PegLite Free, Pocket Pond and Pocket Zoo. My son's biggest complaint with home school is that we don't visit the local zoo. I loaded more than two zoo apps to fill his void. I read an online article about PegLite. I downloaded it because PegLite is referenced as one of top 10 apps for children. Pocket Pond is a virtual Zen pond. My son loves playing with Pocket Pond because it sounds like physically touching water.

Games: two versions of Angry Birds, Doodle Hangman, Checkers, Dominoes, Hangman Classic, Hangman Zombie, Hit Tennis 2, Labyrinth 2 HD Lite, Tap Stones, Words With Friends, and Word Search. I am highlighting these games specifically because I believe they are valuable learning tools that build usable skills.

Healthcare: Naturespace: Relax Meditation and Yoga FREE: 200 Poses and Yoga Classes. We haven't used these apps as of yet.

Photography: DrawCast This is my favorite app because I am an artist. This app is a drawing application not exclusively photography. Although, one can draw on images that have been extracted from one's iPhoto Library. (We have three of Daniel Cota's free apps. The other two apps are Spray Paint and Glow Paint. Thank you, Mr. Cota).

Productivity: Doodle Buddy and Download Lite. I have not used Doodle Buddy because DrawCast has captured my devotion. Download Lite made it possible for me to load a pdf that I created. I have two other apps that are for sharing documents but, I couldn't get them to work as of yet. (As an artist home schooling my son it is comforting that my portfolio can be stored and shared via the iPad).

Reference: Chinese Number Trainer, Free Dictionary, Free Translator, Pig Latin Translator. My son said he wants to learn Chinese. I have load several apps that display counting in different languages. Those other apps are categorized as Education.

Travel: Wolves: Facts and Fables. This app is the most surprising category. My son loves anything involving wolves. I believe the developer categorized the app as travel because the app is ultimately like visiting a wolf sanctuary.

Utilities: Free WiFi Finder, Planets, Speller. I haven't used the Free WiFi Finder because our needs are focused on the apps. As a parent and a teacher I am slightly disappointed that I can't limit or restrict the Internet fully. I do have the restrictions ON in the Utilities>Settings. But, most apps have a back door so, to speak connecting the apps online. Personally, I am trying to minimize my son's youtube.com usage and empty Google searching. We have been out and mobile with no internet connection and still have effectively used the Math Board app successfully.

Technically, I have had a couple of apps freeze up (FacePad and DrawCast). Basically, I have removed them from the devise and re-sync-ed them effortlessly. As a Teacher, Artist and Parent, I am delighted and eager to TAP applause exploring our iPad.

(note: This post lists iPad Apps making suggestions, describing some experiences and listing things that one might discern. We are by no means intending to slander any individual apps... we are just expressing what we have actually done using apps initially and why. This post is not a review nor should it be suggested that it reviews any App).

Our iPad

Yesterday, Saturday January 8, 2011 the 16GB WiFi iPad arrived. We had secured $630.00 in kind to purchase the devise, which has momentarily depleted our school funds. Immediately, 115 free apps were downloaded: 6 Books, 47 Educational, 9 Entertainment, 34 Games, 2 Health Care, 2 Medical, 13 Music, 3 Productivity, 4 Reference, 1 Social, and 3 Utilities.

As a teacher and a parent my first impressions are alarming. Myself, I am shocked that I have downloaded thirty-seven games. Initially glancing the catalog, I saw about ten games that I liked. However after noticing how internet devise savvy my ten year old student is and playing a couple of more adult games, I caved in on my previous judgments banning gaming.

There are two games that stand out in my mind as points of concern for any real parent. The first is Zombie Crisis. This game changed my mind about downloading and allowing games. I played it and enjoyed it so much, I realized my son may be missing out on development without playing and being allowed to play.

The second game is Grand Theft Auto Chinatown. Holy sacred bovine feces, the first scene seems shocking if one isn't a thug or gotta a baby's daddy in da pen. Yikes. I was scared. Seriously! Nonetheless, after sitting through an excessive amount of artists credits I realized again I was being an idiot. I tried to play it and if my son can drive that game I applaud him. Like anything the effort is practice. Practice. Practice. Practice.

Real parent/teacher talk: my hopes are to not leave my son/student blindly unattended using the devise. I do believe a wise parent must observe closely what and how children are using the internet. I am the only person that can add apps. My son has an email and I have agreed that he can have a facebook.com account. Yes, we have facepad.

My arrangement with him is that he cannot use youtube.com or Google unless he asks permission. The biggest downside of the iPad is having to purchase free apps upgrades. Nonetheless, we are going to budget app funds in our expenses and report/document our findings here. Day one, I am excited because I am not very musical even though I learned to read music as a child. I don't play an instrument. There are thirteen different musical programs/instruments that will give him exposure to sound and making his own noise.

Being of African American decent, there are two free iPad apps that are cultural must haves: Mancala FS5 and SlitDrum. Considering the ease and comfort that iPad accesses using ones fingers, I highly recommend Zombie Crisis as a stress release for anyone. Our home schools intent is to use the iPad devise developing a global entrepreneur. We have joined the ranks of high class holding up the know snobs like Stephan Colbert and Cookie Monster; we're grateful.