Previous Apps of the Week


  • Ref ME: by RefME
  • DIY Sun Science by The Lawrence Hall of Science. This is a FREE app emphasizing activities that can be conducted either at school or at home. I found the app very user friendly without dumbing down the material. I would recommend this application for upper elementary or middle school. I love the Sun Observatory section. I could easily see this being used as a station during active learning sessions.
  • Plickers This is an amazing application and formative assessment tool. Student friendly, easy to set up and use, and does not require every student to have a device. "Plickers is a powerfully simple tool that lets teachers collect real-time formative assessment data without the need for student devices".
  • Noteshelf  - This has become my go-to note taking application. I use it for meetings, school, even my travel notes. I use my Jot Touch 4 stylus and no issues. "Noteshelf lets you take notes, annotate PDFs, sketch ideas, sign contracts, fill forms, print documents and more right on your iPad. Syncs with Evernote and works with all popular cloud services such as Dropbox, Google Drive and Box. Noteshelf prides itself as the only note-taking app that offers the most beautiful writing effect - this is one of the key reasons why our users fall in love with Noteshelf. It perfectly mimics that intuitive ink-on-paper feeling so smoothly, its as if you’re using a real pen and paper."
  • SkySafari+  "SkySafari 4 Pro has the largest database of any astronomy app, period. It contains everything in SkySafari 4 Plus, and adds over 1.2 GB of data, including 25 million stars from both Hubble Guide Star catalogs, over 740,000 galaxies down to 18th magnitude, and over 630,000 solar system objects - including every comet and asteroid ever discovered. It simulates the view from anywhere in the solar system - or beyond it - at up to a million years in the past or future."
  • SerialBulbs and ParallelBulbs by Adaptive CurriculumUsing 3D graphics and 2D electronic symbols, you will assemble different types of series circuits using wires, switches, batteries, and light bulbs. In order to better understand the difference between a series and a parallel circuit, build a circuit that illuminates two bulbs and observe what happens when one light bulb is removed.
  • APP:Earth Science by Actual Concepts - Very user friendly while not "dumbing down" the materials. Interactive simulations allow for better understanding in the classroom. I can see using this app in my primary lesson or as a station for personalized student use.
  • Leafsnap HD (FREE): My emphasis for this summer as I travel. Documenting and categorizing the flora and fauna I encounter. "Leafsnap is the first in a series of electronic field guides being developed by researchers from Columbia University, the University of Maryland, and the Smithsonian Institution. This free mobile app uses visual recognition software to help identify tree species from photographs of their leaves."
  • Evernote by Evernote (FREE) - Life changing notes organizing app. Actually, to say that it is a notes organizing app does note do it justice. Evernote is truly a life altering application that will simplify your life. I parallel it with Dropbox in terms of ease and usefulness. In addition, there are many apps that link to Evernote and make saving everything from to-do lists and pictures an easy venture. Evernote has also recently teamed with Post-It Notes. Great application. Definitely try it out.
  • Deluxe Moon by LifeWareSolutions ($2.99) : This has become my "go to" Moon application for studying phases of the moon and the impact of lunar activities on the Earth. Outside of the classroom, it is a fun application that provides excellent information in a fun and user friendly environment.
  • Essential Anatomy 2 by 3D4Medical  ($24.99)  - Super app for biology classes from middle school to university level. The ability to focus on separate systems and user ease are great for hands-on student use. Notes can be written on visual while teaching and work can be easily shared. Not the least expensive app, but well-worth the investment.
  • Comic Life 2 by plasq - ($4.99) Create your own cartoon using any picture. You create captions, edit, and share pictures. My students really enjoy this app for presentations.
  • Ubersense - (FREE) Great app for recording experiments and replaying them at various speeds for review and discussion. App was made for coaches reviewing players activities and motions. This was suggested to me by a friend who teaches physics at a local high school. My students have played with it on there devices and have really enjoyed it. Free is always good.
  • Wonders of Geology by Michael Collier - OK, so my geekness is coming out. This app is more than a geolist's boring look into rocks and minerals. It is an interactive, beautiful produced venture into our planet. I am very excited about sharing this with my Earth Science students this fall. The app presents itself like a book. However, the images are interactive and pages can be explored individually or in sequence. I also like the oral explanations, which are in depth but not mind-numbing.
  • Redshift - $11.99 - I have tested 20+ astronomy apps and Redshift has grown to be one of my favorites. Easy user interface, rapid movement to desired celestial body, and the lack of unneeded "junk" all make this an excellent Astronomy app for teachers at all levels.
  • Art Authority
  • Coton
  • Wordflex
  • Wikinodes

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App List

Most are linked to the iTunes review page. Please email me if you have any questions.