Actionbound – Scavenger Hunt

Actionbound is software that makes it easy to create Scavenger Hunts for your students. The students use an App on their telephone to use the ‘bound’ you have created. Actionbound is based on maps and uses GPS. You can create missions which are tasks and quizzes that require an answer. As a teacher creating a ‘bound’ you can upload audio, video, and pictures. You decide how students can send in their results on missions. Different formats can be chosen: sound, video, picture, text. You can also define how students should respond on quiz questions: in text, numbers, with a slider etc.  

[Actionbound is availbale in English and in German. Both missions, which are open tasks, as well as  quizzes offer good options to design for inquiry skills. It is very easy to see implementation of interdisciplinary bounds. Any combination is possible: mathematics, physics, biology, language teaching, history, geography, arts etc. Outdoor learning and kinesthetics are incorporated in the use of Actionbound. Actionbound can be a good alternative for learning in class during the corona pandemic. The App can be used from grade 4 onwards.
The developer software can be tested for free. When you start using the program in your school you need a license to publish your ‘bounds’ and to monitor the results. The App for students is free.

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Filming Movement – Hudl Technique

Film and analyze your technique and movement in sports with the App Hudl Technique. This App is a low level, user friendly application that can be used by students themselves on their smart phone or tablet. The idea is that you make a video of someone performing an exercise or movement and Improve in Slow Motion. Of  course you can also film animals and their movements. For analyzing movement from a physics perspective you will need a different App.

The App has several functionalities of which the most useful is possibly to play the video in slow motion at different speeds: 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8. In addition, you can add comments, draw or highlight something in the video, invite team members, share, compare techniques on two videos, and trim the video.

Great App to involve students in analyzing, comparing and reflecting on their performance in physical education or to give them visual feedback as a teacher.

Purchase	Free (basic version on IOS devices)
Hardware	iPhone, iPad (PC)
Requirements	IOS 10

Slowly-Penpals

Slowly – Write a letter to the world!

World Atlas App

The World Atlas App is a comprehensive educational app for geography. Position maps, flags, and data for more than 240 countries and territories of the world are available. Data from wikipedia is attached to the App. The App is suitable for secondary and higher education students.

The free edition offers political maps with regional units and comprehensive economic and statistical country data for all African countries.  For extensive information on all countries in the world and for the complete Quiz function, the full version must be purchased.

See also Maps of the World,which is more suitable for primary and lower secondary students.

 

Purchase	Basic version : Free  Full version :  $ 4.00  (approx.)
Hardware	iPhone, iPad, Google Play/Android
Requirements	iOS 9.0 or later, Android 4.1 or higher

Maps of the World App

Maps of our World App describes itself as a geography quiz. yet, the App is more than a quiz, it is a training tool on topographic features such as countries, capitals, other major cities and rivers.ains etc. In addition it shows information on countries. The maps are highly clickable. The free version is very useful, shows mainly political maps, and is so far free from advertisements. The full package offers fysiological maps as well.

Many Apps that claim to offer World Maps have a strong focus on the USA. The App Maps of our World is a genuine tool for more than just the USA.

It ia a user friendly App which is a great tool for primary and lower-secondary students to train there knowledge on the position of countries and cities in the world and some main features.

For more extensive geographic information see the World Atlas App.

Purchase	Basic version : Free  Full package :  $ 12.99
Hardware	iPhone, iPad
Requirements	iOS 9.0 or later

New York Times

The New York Times App offers quality articles that can be used in class, be it in arts or science classes. The download is free of charge and includes FIVE free articles per month. These can be shared, thus used in class.

The articles are possibly relatively long for students with English as a second language. However, the topics cover a wide spectre, from art, human interest, politics to technology.

Purchase	Basic subscription $1.88 per week for education (students and     teachers) Free App with 5 free articles per month
Hardware	iOS, Android, Kendle
Requirements	App

Lux Meter App

DiScoro writes about inquiry-based learning, digital resources, and ways to encourage higher-order thinking. We focus on STEM education and the use of technology.

A phone with a camera has an built-in light sensor. This makes it possible to use your camera as a Lux meter. Lux meters on smartphones are an easy, accessible and cheap way to measure illumination.

Galactica is a lux meter that can measure light in to modes: direct and reflected. You can save measurements as photos and add a note.

Is a Lux meter on your smartphone reliable? Read the following blog Luxmeter App vs measuring device on research carried out with different smartphones and with different software. The conclusion is that for accurate and consistent measurements you need professional equipment and software.

Reflected light measurement

Direct light measurement

However, to get an idea about light intensity the lux meters function well. The reflection mode offers the opportunity to see how the colour of a surface reflects or absorbs light. An interesting experiment is with a static lamp shining on a tabletop. Put paper sheets of different colours on the table and measure the light that is reflected by each colour. The results are quite remarkable.

Hardware and software with sensors for light, noise and temperature designed specifically for educational purposes is  €Sense. This package offers activities/lessons in which the sensors are used. Read more about €Sense (Euro Sense).

There are many lux meters available for iOS as well as for Android.

Purchase	Free
Hardware	iPhone, iPad
Requirements	iOS 6  or higher