Activity 5: Apps, Add-ons, & Extensions, Oh My!

Pushing out Chrome Apps to students is a useful tool in giving students games, activities, lessons, and extensions that help engage them in their learning.

At first, I found searching for apps and extensions to be very time consuming and overwhelming. There are so many options, it can be hard to find a app that aligns with one specific skill. Once I broadened my horizons and did more exploring (with a less skill focused mindset), I found apps within the "Google Play For Education" that may work well in the classroom. 

One literacy app that I am continuing to explore is, Scholastic Core Clicks. According to the app description, students have access to a variety of non-fiction texts. As they read the text they are also given videos, pictures, diagrams, and other useful text features to help build understanding in exciting ways. Each text is aligned with one core reading skill, and guides students through this skill as they are given the text to read and comprehend multiple times. One frustration that I found when using some Chrome Apps is the teacher or student sometimes need to make an account. This can be frustrating because as teachers we already have multiple accounts/passwords to remember, and it also makes the app less convenient for students to use if they need to log in each time. 

In 4th grade we focus highly on multiplication fact memorization. I have found many Apps that support this memorization using interactive games. Although this seems basic, these apps would provide great practice for students to gain confidence and speed with their basic facts. It could be used as a class warm-up, free-time option or extension activity after classwork is complete. 

As I continue to explore and collaborate with colleagues I hope to find even more meaningful apps to use with my students.