50 Apps in 50 MinutesMLA Annual Conference

October 16-18, 2013

Kara Fredericks *Lisa MartinLisa Mulvenna*Alicia Piggott

Why do I need to know about apps?Here are some fun facts:• 1 in 6 computers shipped in the last quarter of 2012 was an iPad.• 19.5 million iPads were sold in the first quarter of 2013, which is a 65%

increase over the previous year. • Experts are expecting tablet growth (not just iPads) to a projected 375

million units sold in 2016.• Mobile users download around 14 billion tablet apps during the year, 75% of

which are running on an iPad. Android tablet apps account for around 17% of the market.

iPad Insight and ABI Research

Why should I know kids’ apps?• The number of children reading digitally has doubled over the past 2 years-

a faster pace of growth than seen with adults.• 75% of parents surveyed reported that they want help finding apps and

ebooks for their children.

Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report, 4th EditionJanuary 2013

How to use kids’ apps?The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning recommend:

1. Avoid “passive” screen time with young children. Instead use shared tech time as an interactive experience between caregiver and child.

2. The report highly recommends the use of “interactive media” that encourages creativity in children.

3. Access to technology for children at day cares, schools and libraries is an important key in improving their digital literacy.

4. Limits should be in place for children of all ages, and special considerations are given in working with infants and toddlers.

Appropriate Uses of Technology with Children from Birth through Age 8 from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning. Position Statement, adopted January, 2012http://www.naeyc.org/content/technology-and-young-children

Apps for Work

These apps make our jobs easier. They connect us to new ideas and ways of doing our jobs for the mobile librarian.

1. EvernoteWhy?• Works through app, from

your desktop, or through the web.

• Awesome organizational tool, especially for story times and regular programs.

• Uses tags for easy organization and has a search box. This is great for searching through your rhymes for the word “truck”. You may find something old that you can use in a new way!

2. PinterestWhy?• Works through app or

through the web.• Picture-based bulletin

board.• Can set up multiple boards

to organize your pins. Some ideas include Lego Club, Story Times, Summer Reading, etc.

• Connect with other librarians who do the same types of programs to share pins.

3. FeedlyWhy?• RSS reader so you can add

content from blogs to see them in one place.

• Able to add tags to posts to sort for future use (similar to folders).

• Post blog posts to various social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

4. CloudOnWhy?• Brings Microsoft Office to

your iPad.• Links to your Google Drive,

Dropbox, or Sky Drive accounts.

• Great for taking notes at conferences or meetings! Plus, you don’t have to retype them when you get back to your computer. Just pull them from your saved account and email them out.

5. Google DriveWhy?• Storage place for your

files-especially great if you work on multiple computers!

• Able to create Google Docs where multiple people can work on one document (like conference program proposals).

• Each document in Google Drive has a URL. This is useful if you want to put something online (blog, library web site, etc.)

6. SoundNoteWhy?• Able to take notes on your

iPad, while recording audio. This means that you won’t miss anything!

• In addition to typing notes, you can add drawings. This is great for librarians to visualize room set-ups, program instructions, and so much more.

7. DropboxWhy?• Storage place for your

files-especially great if you work on multiple computers!

• There is a viewing pane next to your document list where you can see a file’s contents.

• Able to create shared folders where you can collaborate on documents with other people.

8. GoodreadsWhy?• This app is a great readers’

advisory tool. Keep track of books read, ratings, categories, and whatever else would be helpful for you.

• Share your reviews and recommendations with your friends! (Feel free to follow me to get started.)

• It is great for story time & program planning. I sort books by how I will use them.

9. Common Core by MasteryConnectWhy?• This is one of the easiest

explanations out there that list grades, standards, and what they actually mean. No technical jargon!

• Just because Common Core has stalled for the moment, don’t doubt that there will be some sort of standards (either these or similar.)

• These help with collection development, especially with nonfiction. If the kids will be needing it, then we will be buying it.

10. Videolicious

See our video at:http://video.videolicious.com/a5a6d9fb-268a-479e-a74b-b55ab85cd859

Why?• Share videos that you

create through email, Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.

• Use pictures to make a video. Add your own words or a soundtrack.

• Great for promotion, school tours, highlight reels (in-service or summer reading), and more!

• Would also work as a creation app for kids to create their own videos.

Apps for Story Times

These apps add to our programs, whether through music, felt boards, or some other method.

11. FeltboardWhy?• You can preset your board

to have all of the pieces on the screen, especially if you have kids who like to take them all off.

• Works well with “count down” rhymes where you take something away.

• Saves time-you don’t have to cut out all of the pieces!

12. Sock PuppetsWhy?• This is a fun and different

way to present songs and rhymes. You can also use it to introduce a letter of the day.

• Create your own sock puppet characters and record what you want them to say.

• This would also be a fun creation app for bigger kids. You could make a whole program out of it where they design their characters, come up with a script, and put on the show for others.

13. Old Mac HDWhy?• This presents a classic

song in a fun and interactive way.

• You can sing along with the app.

• Animal names are written out (see “chicken”). This works on letter knowledge, which is one of those early literacy skills that we try to include in our story times.

14. Bunny Fun: Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes

Why?• This is a fun and different

way to present songs and rhymes.

• You can listen to the song in four languages-English, French, Spanish, and Japanese.

• Words are printed as the bunny points to a body part while the words are sung. This is an excellent way to work on decoding and comprehension (words have meaning), in addition to letter knowledge.

15. Wheels on the Bus by Duck Duck MooseWhy?• Bright colors, decent

music, & early literacy-what more can you want?

• You can sing along with the app.

• The verses are written out. This is great for preschoolers and kindergartners as they work on early literacy.

• Actions reflect the words.

16. Musical Flash Cards-AnimalsWhy?• Push the animal and hear

their sound.• Great extension activity

for Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin, Jr.

• Also fun with Old MacDonald and guessing games (see next slide).

Old MacDonald• Play the animal noise first

and have the kids guess what animal will “pop” out of the door.

House Guessing Game• Play an animal noise and

have the kids guess the animal.

• Then guess which color window that the animal will pop out of.

Credit goes to Anna Haase Krueger aka Future Librarian Superhero for the original ideas!

17. Together Time with Song and Rhyme

Why?• Videos show you and staff

how to various fingerplays.• Created by Kathy Reid

Naiman and Paulette Bourgeois.

• Fingerplays are great for early literacy as they slow down speech like singing does so kids can hear the parts of words. Plus, it works on kids’ motor skills!

18. Grow a ReaderWhy?• AWESOME early literacy app put

together by the Calgary Public Library.• Check out videos of fingerplays, songs,

bounces, and lullabies. This is great for parent education or new children’s librarians who have to do story time.

• The lightbulb in the bottom left takes you to early literacy tips in manageable phrases. These are the perfect size to add into your story times.

• The book in the top left takes you to a picture list of books that fit each of the 5 early literacy skills.

19. Storybook Rhymes Vol. 1

Why?• Contains “One Two, Buckle

My Shoe” and “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”.

• Highlights the word in yellow as it is said/sung. This is great for early literacy.

• The pictures match the words to reinforce meaning.

20. Preschool Memory Match (Kids Baby Toddler)

Why?• Memory game using preschool

concepts, such as ABC’s, 123’s, and shapes.

• Games and play reinforce early literacy concepts.

• With smaller groups, you can play the game together, similar to flannelboard games.

21. YouTubeWhy?• Watch songs and fingerplays

to learn how to do them. This is great for visual learners.

• We recommend searching for “Super Simple Songs” to get started. This channel has a variety of popular story time songs.

22. Finger Paint with SoundsWhy?• Do you introduce a “Letter of the Day”

in story time? If so, then this app is a great addition to your program. Instead of just seeing the shape of a letter (like with a magnet), kids can watch the letter formation as your finger moves.

• For children with special needs, this app is a good introduction to using a touch screen. Wherever you touch, paint appears.

23. My A-ZWhy?• This set of flash cards

matches letters to the pictures. This is a great way to reinforce early literacy skills.

• For extra fun, you can add your own pictures and change the text. To the right is a train in the CMPL Children’s Department.

Apps for Programs- Little Kids (0-5)

These apps are for little kids to use in various programs or for a librarian to use with little kids.

24. Elmo Loves ABC’sWhy?• Early literacy! This app is

excellent at promoting letter knowledge, practicing the shape of the letters, and showing pictures of words that start with those letters.

• Personalize this app by adding your own pictures for mom, dad, library, etc.

• As an added bonus, your child is practicing both uppercase and lowercase letters.

25. Little Sky Writers

Why?• This is another great early

literacy app. This one concentrates on letter formation. The airplane leaves smoke behind to form the letter as your finger moves.

• Switch between uppercase and lowercase letters.

• Hear the letter sounds.

26. Colorforms RevolutionWhy?• The colors and shapes give

you lots of creative options for your masterpiece.

• Colors and shapes are important concepts that young children learn. This app uses both!

• I like to make creations and then talk about them, which works on early literacy for younger children.

27. Peekaboo Barn

Why?• Early literacy! You see the dog,

you hear its noise (woof!), then you see the spelling of “dog”.

• Just like the name implies, you play peekaboo with the barn doors and the animals hiding behind them. This makes a fun guessing game.

28. Uncle Sarah

Why?• Jam packed with stories, songs,

and games-all of those things that we children’s librarians look for in a great app.

• We get to sing the ABC song!• The Don’t Wake Sarah game is

great for story time or as a program filler. Kids can take turns poking a sleeping Sarah to try and wake her up.

• Quirky. Will hold both the children’s and the adult’s attention.

Apps for Programs- Big Kids (5-12)

These apps are for big kids to use in various programs or for a librarian to use with big kids.

29. Lego InstructionsWhy?• Walks you through how to build

around 150 Lego creations with step-by-step instructions (and pictures!).

• This is a fan-created product. Can you imagine what your little Lego creators could come up with to make something similar for your library?

• A perfect Lego Club resource.

30. How to Make Origami

Why?• Craft programs are BIG at our

locations.• This app walks you through many

different origami creations with illustrations. This is great for you as an instructor or for kids as the creators.

31. How to Make Paper AirplanesWhy?• Craft programs are BIG at our

locations.• This app walks you through many

different paper airplane creations with illustrations. This is great for you as an instructor or for kids as the creators.

• When you are done creating your airplanes, try flying them to see which models fly the farthest. This would be a good science lesson (hint-SRC 2014).

32. My Story

Why?• A great app for a writing workshop.

Books are able to be created, shared via email, or read once completed.

• Kids are able to record their voices reading the story.

• Illustrations are created by the kids through drawing, stickers, and photos.

33. StoryBuddy

Why?• Another great book creation app. This

is a good addition to a writing workshop.

• Kids are able to write their text and illustrate their pages using drawing and photos.

• For a cost, this app will let you publish your creation so you can flip through actual pages.

34. Superhero Comic Book Maker

Why?• Another great writing workshop idea

with a twist-graphic novels! Plus, who doesn’t love superheroes?

• Build your comics with various scenes and characters. Then, narrate the story.

• Make note of this app for SRC 2015!

35. Drawing Pad

Why?• Art programs are popular!• This is one of the best apps that we

have found for drawing. It includes many different mediums, from colored pencils to paint, which makes it perfect for an instruction program. Plus there is a large rainbow of colors to choose from.

36. Hopscotch

Why?• This is a beginning coding program.

Hopscotch is a great addition to any computer programming workshops that you offer.

• Kids drag and drop blocks of code. Then, they can see what happens.

• This gives kids the fundamentals of computer science while having fun.

• Another great addition to SRC 2014!

Apps Based on Books

37. Barnyard Dance

Why?• Choose a “read to me” or

“I read” option.• Words are highlighted as

the narrator reads the story.

• Pictures match the story. Plus, there are fun things you can do to “play” with the illustrations.

• Really, you can’t beat the Sandra Boynton book apps for quality.

38. Go Away, Big Green Monster!Why?• The app presents a simple version of

the classic book by Ed Emberley, which is narrated by the author.

• Additional options allow you to read with a friend, by yourself, or to sing the story.

• The parts of the monster’s face are interactive.

39. Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?

Why?• Popular kids books to apps are

always great fun.• If you have the story narrated, the

text is highlighted as the story is read. This is great for early literacy.

• For more fun, you can touch the characters and the reader says their name, while text is displayed. For example, if you touch Mr. Brown, you will hear “Mr. Brown” while you see the letters “Mr. Brown” floating across the page.

40. Don’t Let the Pigeon Run This App!

Why?• Create your own Mo Willems’

story with Egg, Chick, or Big Pigeon. This one is interactive-you will need to talk into the iPad.

• Learn to draw the Pigeon with Mo. He walks you through your drawing with step-by-step instructions and guidelines on the page.

41. Picture Book for Toddlers-Funny Animals

Why?• This is a really simple book-perfect

for your youngest users.• Kids can touch the animal, her the

animal name, and hear what noise they make.

• This would also make a good guessing game in story time. You can ask “What noise do you think a penguin would make?” Then listen to their sound.

• This app would also pair well with Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin, Jr.

42. Storia by ScholasticWhy?• This free eReading app was developed by

Scholastic is the winner of an Editor’s Choice Award from the Children’s Technology Review.

• New accounts get 5 free preselected ebooks.

• Includes a wide variety of titles from the Scholastic library, including popular series, fiction and nonfiction with a list that keeps growing for children from birth through teens.

• Special features include a built-in Storia Dictionary, highlighting, and notetaking. Narration is optional.

• Many titles include music, sound effects and enrichment activities like puzzles and quizzes.

43. Three Little Pigs by ZubadooWhy?• Simple animated version of the classic

story that includes text at the bottom of each page.

• Options include read to me, auto play or read by myself.

44. Interactive Touch Books for Toddlers (ITB)

Why?• Three short interactive original books

are free with this app with a large library of additional books available for .99 and up.

• Options include having the book narrated, having music and sounds only or recording your own narration.

• Books include many interactive features and sound effects.

45. The Adventures of Captain UnderpantsWhy?• David Pilkey fans won’t be

disappointed with this app! It includes a digital copy of The Adventures of Captain Underpants. Each time a page is turned, the books comes to life with sound effects and really makes it fun. Limited text on each page makes it a perfect choice for reluctant readers. Narration is optional.

• Five games are also included. Sounds ‘n Fun includes great potty sound effects that kids love. Stretch-o-Rama has a fun game based on Space Invaders. Other games include fun with interactive mazes and avatar creation.

46. Magic School Bus: DinosaursWhy?• Can you ever go wrong with dinosaurs?

This is a great app for your dino-fanatics and for your early elementary kids.

• This app ties into the Common Core Standards.

• In addition to the story, there is a lot of interaction to extend the reading experience. You can go on dinosaur digs, assemble dinosaur bones, or play dinosaur games.

47. Spot the Dot

Why?• While it doesn’t have a lot of text, it

has a lot of “I Spy” features. It also reminds me a lot of Press Here-The App.

• Learn colors and shapes as you play.• The various screens give you a lot of

colors, shapes, and designs to explore as you play. This gives you and your child a lot to talk about, which practices early literacy skills.

48. Press Here-The App

Why?• This app is based on the picture book

by Herve Tullet and includes 15 original games, each represented by a colorful dot from the book. The activities encourage creativity, critical thinking and are fun for children of all ages.

• An app review from the New York Times states that the dot games are

“…tactile and imaginatively designed activities rendered with perfectly pitched colors, graphics, and music sound effects.” • The app does not include a digital

version of the book, so the games could be an enrichment activity after the child listens to the story.

• If you try out the Music Box game, it is not broken! (Keep trying.)

49. TumbleBooksToGo

Why?• There are many TumbleBooks apps

containing one to six interactive e-books titles based on classic books. Examples include books by Doreen Cronin, Robert Munsch, nonfiction titles and characters like Caillou. They are bundled as a value price.

• Options include a read-to-me or read by myself. The stories are not interactive, but are true to form to the original books.

50. Bob Books #1: Reading MagicWhy?• This app brings Bob Books to life with

interactive activities and learning games. Highly recommended for beginning readers.

• Activities focus on rhyming words, sight words, and left-to-right order. The books are read to the child. Grown-ups can set options for each game, such as spelling with phonics (letter sounds) or letter names.

• Levels can increase in difficultly as children successfully complete levels.