There are several ways to enable students to showcase what they have learned. While some of these ways do not require technology, my emphasis today is on those handy digital apps that learners can easily install on their iPads and use to demonstrate the insights and knowledge they have garnered in class. Students can showcase their learning through video recordings, screencasts, sketches, drawings, posters, audio recordings… and many more. I have done some digging through the hundreds of apps I have been reviewing this year and come up with the list below.
Shadow Puppet allows users to:
- ∙ Explain an idea with photographs or teach someone something new.
- ∙ Share their experiences with friends.
- ∙ Record kids talking about their adventures and sharing with grandparents.
- ∙ Capture the stories behind old photographs.
Explain Everything is an easy-to-use design, screencasting, and interactive whiteboard tool that lets you annotate, animate, narrate, import, and export almost anything to and from almost anywhere.
3- iMovie
iMovie puts everything you need to tell your story at your fingertips, with a beautifully streamlined interface and Multi-Touch gestures that let you enjoy your videos like never before. Browse your video library, quickly share favorite moments, and create beautiful HD movies and Hollywood-style trailers. And with iCloud, you can enjoy them in iMovie Theater on all your devices.
4- Educreations
Educreations turns your iPad into a recordable whiteboard. Creating a great video tutorial is as simple as touching, tapping and talking. Explain a math formula… Create an animated lesson… Add commentary to your photos… Diagram a sports play…
Doodlecast Pro is the easiest way to create presentations on your iPad. The app records your voice as you draw to create quick presentations. Doodlecast Pro saves videos to the camera roll making it easy to import them into popular video editors or presentation tools such as iMovie, Keynote, or iBooks Author. Perfect for teachers, students, business people and anyone needing an elegant way to share ideas.
6- ScreenChomp
A simple doodling board, markers, and one-click sharing tools make spreading your ideas and know-how easy and fun! Just – Record It. Sketch It. Share It. – to create a sharable, replay-able video that tells your story clearly.
7- Skitch
Show how you feel instead of writing about it. Snap it, mark it, and send it on. Capture a photo and make a friend laugh with you or inspire a student by labeling the insides of a robot. Impress your boss with a snap of the white board with her comments right after the meeting finishes.
8- VoiceThread
Create and share dynamic conversations around documents, snapshots, diagrams and videos — basically anything there is to talk about. You can talk, type, and draw right on the screen. VoiceThread takes your conversations to the next level, capturing your presence, not just your comments. Anyone can join the discussion from their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC — anytime, anywhere.
Draw on Slides lets you show your iPad photos to family, friends, and business associates and draw attention to specific details about each one. Make your point and keep their attention at the same time. Select the album with your photos, pick the first photo to show, and draw on any photo as you navigate from slide to slide. Then save, email, and share them with Facebook or Twitter.
10- Doodle Buddy
Doodle Buddy Gold is the most fun you can have with your finger! Finger paint with your favorite colors and drop in playful stamps. Connect with a friend to draw together over the Internet.
11- Audioboo
Audioboo allows you to:
• Record up to 3 minutes for free
• Post your clips easily to the web, Twitter, Facebook and more
• Send audio DMs to friends
• Listen to great content from the BBC, Fox, The Guardian, Universal Music, Premier League, Channel 4, KiddNation, and hundreds more partners from around the world
• Download and store your favourite clips and playlists to play offline
12- Google Drive
Google Drive is one safe place for all your stuff. Upload photos, videos, documents, and other files that are important to you, then access what you need wherever you go, on any device. Get going with up to 15GB of storage. Free.
13- MindMeister
MindMeister lets you create, edit and share your mind maps on the go and synchronize them with the award-winning free online MindMeister service.
14- My Thoughts
My Thoughts is a fun little program to keep your mind focused on your true potential. Every time you start it up, you are greeted with a positive, life-changing affirmation. When you change your thoughts, you change your destiny.
15- iThoughts HD
iThoughtsHD is a mind mapping tool for the iPad. If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch then please check out iThoughts.
16- Simple Mind
Mind mapping tool that turns your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch into a brainstorming, idea collection and thought structuring device.
17- Idea Sketch
Idea Sketch lets you easily draw a diagram – mind map, concept map, or flow chart – and convert it to a text outline, and vice versa. You can use Idea Sketch for anything, such as brainstorming new ideas, illustrating concepts, making lists and outlines, planning presentations, creating organizational charts, and more!
18- Evernote
Evernote is an easy-to-use, free app that helps you remember everything across all of the devices you use. Stay organized, save your ideas and improve productivity. Evernote lets you take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists, record voice reminders–and makes these notes completely searchable, whether you are at home, at work, or on the go.
19- Penultimute
The most natural digital handwriting experience on iPad, Penultimate gives you the convenience and feel of writing on paper with the added power and availability of Evernote. Take notes in class or a meeting, journal your thoughts, or outline your next big idea — in the office, on the go,
20- Doceri
Combining screencasting, desktop control, and an interactive whiteboard in one app, you’ll never have to turn your back to the class or audience again. Create a lesson or presentation, insert images, save and edit your project and record a screencast video you can easily save or share. Doceri does it all!