Mobile Technology Support & Educational Information on
USING iPADS IN EARLY YEARS CLASSROOMS
crayons & ipads
Evaluating Apps
Not all apps are created equal. This section will provide you with information on how to use a variety of sources to evaluate apps. Links to app evaluation rubrics are also included on this page as well as a link to a list of apps you may find useful. Remember, your role as an educator is paramount in supporting appropriate and effective app usage.
Appysmarts provides reviews with screenshots and videos so you can "see before you play." Apps are rated for graphics, length of play, and perceived educational value. The reviews also provide information about what the reviewer liked and didn't like about the app. The site also contains a recommended age range. The link embedded in the title text will take you to the review page. You can search for apps by a variety of different criteria (age, price, gender, platform, type, skill, and language).
The Children's Technology Review offers an in-depth review of a variety of children's iPad apps. The site often features video reviews to accompany the text review. Click on the link in the title to explore the site.
This Canadian website evaluates French and English apps for both iOS and Android platforms. The Edululu website was created for both parents and teachers and evaluates and reviews apps designed for children aged 2-17.
Tech with kids provides reviews of different apps, video games, and smart toys. This link embedded in the title text will take you to a review of the Alien Assignment app. You can search for other reviews by using the search field at the top right of the webpage. You can search for apps by a variety of different criteria (age, platform, price, app store rating, age, and grade).
This website evaluates apps for multiple platforms in terms of age, quality, and learning. The website also evaluates key components of apps in terms of consumerism, privacy/safety, easy of play, violence/scariness, etc. The Common Sense Media website was created for both parents and teachers to evaluate children's media (the site also evaluates movies, games, websites, TV shows, books, and music).
App Evaluation Websites
There are some great websites that evaluate apps. The following websites contain reviews of many different educational apps and use a variety of different criteria to evaluate the effectiveness, usefulness, and educational value of apps. It is important to remember that you should still use your own personal judgment to decide whether an app will be useful for you and your students.