In attempts to integrate mobile technology, educators are left to the mercy of app developers who or may or may not fully understand how imperative it is that our children become critical and creative thinkers.
I will highlight apps useful for developing higher order thinking skills
Apps that fit into the "remembering" stage improve the user's ability to define terms, identify facts, and recall and locate information.
This app goes with the FREE service provided by littlebirdtales.com. Students can create stories with their own artwork and audio recordings either from an app or on the web. The completed tales can be downloaded as either a PDF or mp4 with audio.
Designed for 1st-2nd grade students, Murky Reef combines reading and math skills in the context of exploring a coral reef. This is the free version, though there is a more robust version available for $3.99. Students can review numbers, sight words, and vocabulary. There is some reporting built in.
This is a great article about the evolution of reading. Given the influx of iPads and eReaders into classrooms, the concept of "books" is certainly changing.