There are numerous benefits associated with the use of mobile computing devices such as the iPad and iPod. Many see the iPad as a versatile, powerful tool that is changing the face of education – both students and teachers have access to an unquantifiable amount of educational apps that can be purchased through the App Store. Content and material for all areas of learning from kindergarten through to university is readily available, offering a diverse method to deliver instructions and engage students.

The many benefits of using iPads in the Classroom include:

1. Saving money by combining books, diaries, writing implements, calculators, word processors, etc. all in one media tablet.
2. Allowing students to take control of their own learning.
3. The touch-screen interface allows students to engage more interactively with content.
4. Education programs can be tailor made for each student.
5. Wi-Fi and 3/4G connectivity allow for almost instantaneous and continuous access of information. The ability to quickly switch between applications makes it easier for students to switch between different modes of learning (i.e. research and creation).
6. Mobile data collection is generally streamlined and easy.
7. The iPad easily integrates with existing IT systems. With cloud-based computing, students have connectivity anywhere within the school grounds. There is no need for schools to continue to allocate large budgets for computer power that is no longer necessary.
8. School districts have been creative in finding ways to save money using the iPad. From digital textbooks, to tests and to homework, there’s the potential to save huge amounts of money through paperless innovation.
9. iPads are accessible to students with disabilities. Apps are available for children with cognitive learning problems and there are also accessibility tools built into the latest iOS such as Speak Auto-Text, White on Black, VoiceOver and Siri, a voice recognition technology.
10. The iPad can easily be positioned for comfortable use on your desk or lap. Students can also purchase cases and stands which allow devices to be propped up at an appropriate viewing and typing angle.
11. The iPad can also be paired with an external keyboard to ease and speed up typing.
12. There is no delay to boot up iPads like there is with netbooks or laptops, and no time lost figuring out complex software applications.
13. The iPad’s intuitive design and easy-to-use interface makes it simple for even young children to navigate, thereby optimizing the learning experience of all students.
14. The App Store/iTunes Store offers a vast amount of free or low cost apps, many of which are excellent for the classroom.
15. Its light weight and portability means it can easily be carried from class to class without having to close and reopen the screen. Data can be accessed while standing and notes can be taken on the go, thus extending learning far beyond the classroom.
16. It has far less of a strain on children’s backs since one iPad replaces a bag full of books.
17. Children are eager to embrace new technology and many are able to troubleshoot computer issues and resolve them quicker than adults.

If there are any other advantages we haven’t thought of, please post them in the comments!

Image courtesy of Lexie Flickinger via Flickr

Futaba Classroom Games also has a free downloadable Product Manual available from the iBooks Store. If you are still having problems with Futuba we are here to help – please contact us via ourFutaba Support Email.

In the graph below you can the 2 trend lines, our earnings sailing one way, while the opposite seems to be happening . Overall ranking is for grossing and for downloads (they are more or less the same). The data below is for our Futaba Classroom Games app over the last 3-4 weeks – note on the graph below, the earnings data is cut off, but there’s another upward spike that should be to the right of the chart:

App Annie Data (Dec - Jan21)

In a recent article by L’Escapdou, noted their apps ranking between 40 and 60 in the Education category are earning around $140,000 a year. It would be interesting to know if this has changed in 2013 – are any other developers in the Education Category seeing similar trends?

Based on what we are seeing here (and to some extend on our other apps), the Education Market must be booming in 2013. We are guessing there must be a bunch of great new apps attracting attention in the space in the consumer market, and / or that schools involved in role outs are gearing up.

Whatever the case, it demonstrates that while the Education market might be overflowing with apps (not all of them very good), there’s still a huge opportunity for developers working on educational titles (even if you’re best selling app is all the way at 360 in the category).

As noted by Out Think Inc. in a recent infographic There are also untapped niches, like the 8-13 year old market. It’s estimated that around 90% of “games” (Note: not “apps”) in the Education Category are aimed elementary and preschool aged children. Out Think are building a series of science and tech games that we are looking forward to.

According to the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, this is how the category looked in 2011 (It will be interesting to see an updated version of this report whenever it’s released):

Source: joanganzcooneycenter.org

While the number of apps being developed for middle and high school was growing, there is still an opportunity to create some great apps in this space.

In 2013, INKids will be working on a number of projects including a new maths games targeted to Grades 4 to 8 (initially). Like L’Escapdou, we’ll be taking our time with this one to make sure it’s good before we publish it. There’s one thing that you can bank on as a publisher of educational apps this year – no matter how big the potential rewards are, it’s going to be increasingly difficult to stand out.

Math Champ Challenge - Common Core Edition, to be released May 2013

Update: During the week, we heard from Pierre (from L’Escapdou). He mentioned that educational app sales aren’t tracked in the same way as normal app sales, and that they also don’t count to rankings in the App Store (in any category). This seems a little strange, but it does explain the above trend line.

Futaba Classroom Games was also featured in the New & Noteworthy category, so we’ve seen our rankings return to the 90-120 range (fluctuating daily). This doesn’t mean that the education market isn’t heating up – in a recent report from the Children’s Technology Review they’ve estimated the U.S. institutional market for education software and digital content/resources at $7.76B.

They’ve also highlighted a need for apps and content focused around Common Core State Standards and related assessments stating that “there will be need for aligned content and much more demand for formative data and data analytics”.

Futaba Seedlings are earned along the way and the game is finished when you have won 3 Futabas – your students will be able to challenge each other’s times, or try and improve their own personal best.

Earn Futaba seedlings as you race the clock and your own best time

If you’d like to trial a copy of Futaba in your classroom, please email john@inkids.com.au

Deborah Komatsu SLP

We often receive feedback from our user base and we appreciate every email we get… when practical we use feedback and suggestions from our users to improve our products. Deborah Komatsu, a Speech Pathologist for Los Angeles Unified School District contacted us with incredibly valuable feedback about our apps, and allowed us to interview her about how she uses iPads for the betterment of her students.

What’s your occupation and how long have you been involved in it?
I am a speech pathologist at an elementary school at Los Angeles Unified School District. This is my first year as a teacher. My first career was as a film editor, which I enjoyed; however, after having my son, I decided to find a more family-friendly career. I studied early education and then speech pathology, getting my Masters in Communication Disorders in May 2012. I enjoy working with children and am always looking for low- and high-tech opportunities for learning!

What ages do you work with and what are the challenges of being an SLP?
I work with children from 3-10. My school has a large Spanish-speaking immigrant population; this makes it trickier to determine a language disorder versus a difference. It’s also more difficult to communicate with parents! Because of the language barrier, I create a lot of picture cards that don’t require reading; I like to customize my cards to represent the Latino and African American population I work with. There is also a lot of poverty in the neighborhood where I work. It’s a challenge to get parents involved and have them share in literacy activities at home.

What technologies are you using in your learning environment? Which are most effective?
The students I work with are all attracted to working with the iPad. They like games where they get to compete against each other. If the app is customizable, I can tailor the images to encourage the responses I want.

Are you using any other INKids applications, if so, how so?
I have Kids Flashcard Maker and Kids Flashcards for iPad and Futaba. I’ve used the Flashcards for iPad app when I just need some novel images for children to respond to. I haven’t found a use for Flashcard Maker yet; Futaba serves the same function and is more fun because it’s a game.

Tell us about the iPad implementation you work with. How does Futaba Classroom benefit speech development and how are you using it to the benefit of your students?

I work with small groups – usually 4:1 or less. I use the app for both speech (making game sets based on target sounds – “boy”, “bag”, “bat”) and for language (“Use the picture in a full sentence” or “describe what you see”).

What other ways do you use the iPad?
In addition to Speech and Language activities, I use the app for Fluency, Voice, AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication). I also use various app as Speech Pathology tools, such as apps to record language samples and calculate age.

Can you recommend any other applications for educators, parents or those involved in language pathology?

Here are some apps I have found to be very handy for my work as a speech-language pathologist:

Action Words (free) – lots of action verbs for making sentences
Little Stars – Toddler Games (free) – customizable competitive play
Sort it Out 1 ($1.99 for full version) – match and and discuss relationships
Comparative Adjectives (free)
Memory King (free) – matching game, add your own images
Guess ‘Em (free) – pay $1.99 for the “Studio Version” so you can make your own Guess Who games
My First 1,000 Words – Flashcards and Games by Aligator Apps ($1.99) – lots of images!
Preschool EduKitty-Fun Educational Game ($1.99) – lots of fun early concept games
Receptive Language Assessment ($24.99) – find strengths and weaknesses in receptive language
Splingo’s Language Universe ($2.99) – great game for working on receptive language
Toontastic (free) – great template for creating and narrating stories

Thanks very much for taking the time to answer our questions. We’re really glad that you’re having a positive experience with our applications and so many others! It is an exciting time to be in education and we want to enable you to best meet the needs of your students.

1. Highlight your chosen text (tap and hold as you would with any other text selection)

2. Tap the highlighted text to display options and click on the notepad icon

3. Type text into the popup field

4. Lightly tap the status/title bar at the top of the screen to display iBooks options and select the notepad icon

6. Select “Study Cards”. On one side of the Study Card is a glossary term or highlighted text (image 1 below). On the other side is the definition of the glossary term or note that corresponds to the highlighted text (image 2 – below)


7. To flip the card over, simply tap anywhere on the Study Card, or on the circular arrows in the bottom right-hand corner.

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If you haven’t updated your copy of Futaba recently, you should grab the latest 1.5 release from the App Store. There are a number enhancements in the 1.5 release including over 400 new questions for older grades (4-6) including Flags of the World (5 new sets), American Presidents, Important Dates in American History, Table of Elements (elements to symbols and vice-versa) and US States (pictured below).

We’ve also Improved navigation and workflows in “Manage Games” area  (previously “Create Games”) - we’ve made it easy to manage which sets belong to a game, for instance you can now clearly see which SETS belong to a GAME and which SETS contain AUDIO…

Many teachers (and kids we hope!) love playing Futaba CG in the classroom but still have no idea how to make their own games (one of the most powerful features of this app).  In this version we’ve included a handy welcome tutorial which explains the backend and how any teacher can start making their own classroom games right away.
If you haven’t tried making your own games yet, remember there’s also a free iBook guide available that will help walk you through the process – the tutorial is also available at any time by selecting the help icon from the menu screen.

We have big plans for Futaba Classroom Games  in 2013 – we’ve already started working on a number of enhancements including a single player mode and various other integrations, as well as student performance metrics and a cloud service. If you have any suggestions, or feature requests, or testimonials please email them to john@inkids.com.au – we love hearing your suggestions and feedback!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the game, it contains jigsaw style puzzle games (with realistic puzzle mechanics). Each game increases in difficulty as you travel through the 5 levels in the land (Critter Corner, Garden Goodies, Big Blue Sea, Woodland Wonders and Intergalactic Adventures). The actual gameplay remains much the same as on the iPad (the only difference being your control the puzzle pieces with the mouse) and all of the same loveable characters are still there…

The app is designed to 2-7 year olds and the difficulty levels can be adjusted by changing the guides and also prompts to help guide younger players along. The entire app is beautifully illustrated by an award winning illustrator – the reward sequence at the end of each level will bring a smile to any child’s face (if you don’t believe us try it out for yourself!)

Woodland Wonders

Puzzle Land isn’t just a fun game – playing puzzles will improve fine motor skills and visual perception. In our MAC version, it’s also a way help younger kids get used to using and playing with the mouse to practise skills like drag and drop. Because each puzzle is harder than the previous, it means that Puzzle land isn’t an app that will be used once and then become forgotten – it’s the type of game your children will play over and over again to see the characters spring to life at the end of each game.

An example of gameplay from Critter Corner (Level 1)

The clip also demonstrates how you can couple the iPad with an existing whiteboard solution to display gameplay on a larger screen – this can be a great way to get students excited about participating in any sort of game, or collaborative process using the iPad.

Click here, or on the image below to jump to watch Futaba CG in action…

While downloading lesson plans from the web isn’t a new concept, there are a number of great new toolkits and portals that provide amazing resources for the teachers across all grades and subject areas. Here are a few of the better lesson plan resources that you may not have heard of.

1. Innovative Teacher Toolkit

The innovative teacher toolkit is a Microsoft initiative that provides customizable lesson plans and tools to reinforce skills such as collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, assessment, and organization. Lesson plans include such gems as Space Travel, Global Health and the Environment. Lesson plans include Word documents, data sets (in Excel) and Power Point Presentations (along with tips for how to search the web using Bing). While the exact purpose of the lesson plans is a double handed, the resources are mostly very good.

2. Discovery Education Free Lesson Plans

Discovery Education provide a subscription service, but they also have a section on their site that contains Free lesson plans created by teachers. There’s literally hundreds of original lesson plans for elementary, middle and high school students and it’s possible to browse by grade or subject area. Here’s an example of a great lesson plan that explores oil exploration, consumption and asks students to think about their relationship with petroleum. Great stuff.

3. Fred Rodgers Curriculum toolkit

Curriculum frameworks are baffling at the best of times, The Fred Rogers Center has published a curriculum toolkit that collects instructional resources for that range widely in academic subjects. Fred Rogers’ life work was “informed by his advanced study of child development and insatiable curiosity that reached across academic disciplines from mass communication to music theory”. In their own words, they hope that the resources collected on their site inspire curiosity and innovative educational practices. Many of the instructional resources link out to other websites and resources, for example Mary Newells listening maps assignement.

4. Common Core Math Index

Love it our hate, Common Core is here to stay with only a hand full of states who haven’t adopted the CC standards. Over at ShareMyLesson.com there are number of lesson plans to help with the various stanards and clusters accross various grades…. so if you’re looking for a lesson plan based around measures of central tendency just jump over to the 6.SP section, download an activity, print it out and then wander into your staff room looking bleary eyed to give the impression that you’ve been up working hard all night on your own brilliant lesson plan.

5. Safe and Responsible Use of Digital Technologies Toolkit

In this digital age, young children are spending an increasing amount of time engaged in various interactive media (on tablets, smartphones or in front of the computer).. With the right tools, these technologies can be harnessed for learning and development. However, without adequate guidance, children’s learning and development can be hindered. If children are not taught to be cyber safe, it can also lead to misuse of technologies by others (online predators and cyber bullies are just a few examples). The Cyber Safe Toolkit aims to support students to develop an understanding of the behaviours and processes which will help them to act in a safe and responsible manner when using digital technologies. While it has an Australian focus, many of the lesson plans can be adapted to your own school (or school policies) for grades K through to 12. Topics range from Protecting your online identity through to “what’s real online?”.

If you know of any other resources you’d like to share, please post them in the comments below.

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