1.

Language Learners

App Title: Duolingo

Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/duolingo/id570060128?mt=8 (Duolingo, 2012)

Subject Area: ELL, ESL, ENL, ELA

App Price: Free Download

Languages: English, Arabic, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian,

Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Simplified

Chinese, Spanish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese

Rationale: This app allows students to learn or review over 30 languages. Since all of our

schools teach a second language it is a great way to supplement their in-class learning to practice

and review at home in an interactive way. It is also great to give students the opportunity to be

able to learn a language that may not be taught in schools.

Standards

ISTE Standard for Educators

5. Designer (a) - Use technology to create, adapt and personalize learning experiences that foster

independent learning and accommodate learner differences and needs.

ISTE Standards for Students

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6. Creative Communicator (a) - Students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting

the desired objectives of their creation or communication.

NY State P-12 Common Core Standards

L.4.3 - Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or

listening.

Ontario Curriculum Expectations:

Standard Strand: 1: Listening to Understand

Grade: 4

Topic: Appropriate Language

Item number and statement 2.4 - use appropriate words and phrases from the full range of their

vocabulary, including inclusive and non-discriminatory terms, and appropriate elements of style,

to communicate their meaning accurately and engage the interest of their audience.

2. Science/Math

App Title: My Incredible Body

Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/my-incredible-body-guide-to-learn-about-human-

body/id853953105?mt=8 (Visible Body, 2014)

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Subject Area: Science, Math

App Price: $24.99

Languages: English

Rationale: This app is an amazing app for students studying the body, all of its parts and

functions. Although the app is $24.99, it is so user friendly and it allows students to really

explore the different body parts and what they do. They can also do things like take a rocket

through the body to see how and where the blood flows. This app is perfect for science classes

because it is interactive and hands on without getting messy or gross. When you are touring the

body, a narrator can be turned on to read what is going on and what kids are looking at; this is

great for students who need extra help with their reading.

Standards

ISTE Standard for Educators

2. Citizen (b) - Educators establish a learning culture that promotes curiosity and critical

examination of online resources and fosters digital literacy and media fluency.

ISTE Standards for Students

6. Knowledge Constructor (c) - Students curate information from digital resources using a

variety of tools and methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful

connections or conclusions.

NY State P-12 Common Core Standards

I.L1.2 - Living things are both similar to and different from each other and from nonliving

things.
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Ontario Curriculum Expectations:

Standard Strand: Understanding Life Systems - Human Organ Systems

Grade: 4/5

Topic: Developing Investigation and Communication Skills

Item number and statement 2.3 - design and build a model to demonstrate how organs or

components of body systems in the human body work and interact with other components.

3. Disability

App Title: Stop, Breathe, & Think

Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/stop-breathe-think-kids/id1215758068?mt=8 (Stop,

Breathe, & Think, 2017)

Subject Area: Personal Health

App Price: Free Download; In-App Purchases

Languages: English

Rationale: This app is for the well being of our students. Students get stressed and anxious

through their schooling and they need a place to go when they need a few minutes to get breathe

and take it all in. Even though this app is free there is still a subscription needed per year,

however this app is not needed on every device. In my opinion, one or two per classroom is
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enough so the students can grab a device and have a few minutes to stop, breathe, and think.

Students with different disabilities and other students in the classroom sometimes need a few

minutes to breathe. The students simply open up the app, add their name, pick a feeling that they

are feeling and the app will bring up different missions that the students can complete. They are

five to six minute videos that have the student different things like square breathing, five finger

breathing, movements to different sounds, and many more.

Standards

ISTE Standard for Educators

6. Facilitator (a) - Educators foster a culture where students take ownership of their learning

goals and outcomes in both independent and group settings.

ISTE Standards for Students

1. Empowered Learner (b) - Students build networks and customize their learning environments

in ways that support the learning process.

NY State P-12 Common Core Standards

Personal Health and Fitness - Students will understand human growth and development and

recognize the relationship between behaviors and healthy development.

Ontario Curriculum Expectations:

Standard Strand: Physical Education

Grade: 4

Topic: Movement Strategies

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Item number and statement B2.3 - apply a variety of tactical solutions to increase their chances

of success as they participate in physical activities

4. ELA - Reading

App Title: Story Kit

Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/storykit/id329374595?mt=8 (ICDL Foundation, 2009)

Subject Area: ELA

App Price: Free Download

Languages: English

Rationale: This app allows students to read stories and change them to have whatever

characters, ending, etc. that they want. It allows students to practice their reading skills and also

their creative writing skills at the same time. Just because they know the story to go that way,

doesn’t mean that they can’t change it. Giving students the freedom really gives them the

opportunity to write things however they want. This would be great in a learning centre so

students can creatively write whatever they want.

Standards

ISTE Standard for Educators

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6. Facilitator (d) - Educators model and nurture creativity and creative expression to

communicate ideas, knowledge or connections.

ISTE Standards for Students

1. Empowered Learner (c) - Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves

their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.

NY State P-12 Common Core Standards

RL.4.7 - Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation

of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in a text.

Ontario Curriculum Expectations:

Standard Strand: 1: Reading

Grade: 4

Topic: Reading for Meaning

Item number and statement 1.6 - extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them

to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around

them.

5. Math

App Title: The Khan Academy

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Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/khan-academy/id469863705?mt=8 (Khan Academy, 2012)

Subject Area: Math

App Price: Free Download

Languages: English, French, Norwegian Bokmål, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish

Rationale: This app allows students to learn or practice over 10,000 videos and explanations in math but

also science, economics, history, and more. It includes over 40,000 Common Core curriculum aligned

practice practice questions. This app and all of the Khan Academy present information in a step-by-step

and simple format and the practice questions offer instant feedback and step-by-step hints. The many

levels allow students to work to catch up if they are behind, to follow along where they are in school, to

practice at their own pace or to enrich their learning.

Standards

ISTE Standard for Educators

5. Designer (a) - Use technology to create, adapt and personalize learning experiences that foster

independent learning and accommodate learner differences and needs.

ISTE Standards for Students

5. Computational Thinker (c) - Students break problems into component parts, extract key information,

and develop descriptive models to understand complex systems or facilitate problem-solving.

NY State P-12 Common Core Standards

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NBT.A.1 - Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the

nearest 10 or 100.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NBT.A.2 - Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and

algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and
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subtraction.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NBT.A.3 - Multiply one-digit whole numbers by multiples of 10 in the range

10-90 (e.g., 9 × 80, 5 × 60) using strategies based on place value and properties of operations.

Ontario Curriculum Expectations:

Grade: 3

Topic: Number Sense and Numeration

Representing and ordering numbers to 1000; representing money amounts to $10; decomposing and

composing three-digit numbers; investigating fractions of a set; counting by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, 25’s, and

100’s; adding and subtracting three-digit numbers in a variety of ways; relating one-digit multiplication,

and division by one-digit divisors, to real-life situations

6. ELA - Writing

App Title: Venn Diagram (International Reading Association)

Links: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/venn-diagram/id666981188?mt=8

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/venn-diagram-

30973.html?tab=3#tabs

Subject Area: ELA - Writing and Reading

App Price: Free Download

Languages: English
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Rationale: This app is based on a diagram called a Venn diagram made up of two or three

overlapping circles. Students can use this to prepare for a compare and contrast essay, for

example. Students use the app to identify and record concepts that can be placed in one of the

circles or in the overlapping areas. This allows them to organize their information logically. The

finished Venn diagram can be emailed out (one review says the save feature is not reliable so

best to email it out). There are options to customize the look of each diagram. It has been

designed for use in the school environment so multiple profiles can be created and used on the

same device.

Standards

ISTE Standard for Educators

6. Facilitator (b) - Manage the use of technology and student learning strategies in digital platforms,

virtual environments, hands-on makerspaces or in the field.

ISTE Standards for Students

3. Knowledge Constructor (b) - Students evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility and relevance of

information, media, data or other resources.

NY State P-12 Common Core Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.9

Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same

or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series)

Ontario Curriculum Expectations:

Grade: 3

Listening to Understand
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Analysing Texts 1.7 identify and explain the importance of significant ideas and information in oral texts

(e.g., rank information in order of importance; compare key aspects of two oral texts using a Venn

diagram; represent the main elements of an oral text on a web organizer or story map)

Speaking to Communicate

Appropriate Language 2.4 choose a variety of appropriate words and phrases, including descriptive words

and some technical vocabulary, and a few elements of style, to communicate their meaning accurately and

engage the interest of their audience (e.g., use alliteration for emphasis; use comparatives such as like,

instead of, however, the same as, compared to, unlike to clarify similarities and differences; use

appropriate technical terms when explaining a scientific investigation)

Grade 4

Developing and Organizing Content

1.6 determine whether the ideas and information they have gathered are relevant and adequate for the

purpose, and do more research if necessary (e.g., discuss material with a peer or adult using a

KWHLW organizer: What do I know? What do I want to learn? How will I find out? What have I

learned? What do I still want to know?; compare their material to the content of similar texts)

7. Choice - ELA

App Title: Epic!

Links: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/epic/id719219382?mt=8 (Epic! Creations Inc., 2013)

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https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/epic-unlimited-books-for-kids

Subject Area: ELA - Reading

App Price: Free Download (offers in-app purchases)

Languages: English, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, French

Rationale: This app is a place where kids have unlimited access to 25,000 high-quality e-books,

audiobooks, learning videos and quizzes. The recommended age range is 4 to 12 years old. There

is a home version for families. It is free to download a 30-day trial and after that it costs

$7.99/month USD (includes up to 4 child profiles per account). There is a school version for

educators and librarians for whom it is free in Canada and the US. The app motivates young

readers with badges and rewards. The app can be used to assign books and track each student’s

reading progress. Some of the sources of the material in the app are Scholastic, National

Geographic, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Smithsonian and many more. It’s been called the

“Netflix of kids’ books”. Commonsense media says the collection includes Spanish/English,

Chinese/English, and French/English bilingual books.

Standards

ISTE Standard for Educators

6. Facilitator (b) - Manage the use of technology and student learning strategies in digital platforms,

virtual environments, hands-on makerspaces or in the field.

ISTE Standards for Students

3. Knowledge Constructor (c) - Students curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools

and methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or conclusions.

NY State P-12 Common Core Standards

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3RF4: Read grade-level text with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

3RF4a: Read grade-level text across genres orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and

expression on successive readings.

3RF4b: Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding,

rereading as necessary

Ontario Curriculum Expectations:

Grade: 3

Reading

1. read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, graphic, and informational

texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning;

2. recognize a variety of text forms, text features, and stylistic elements and demonstrate

understanding of how they help communicate meaning;

3. use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently;

4. reflect on and identify their strengths as readers, areas for improvement, and the strategies

they found most helpful before, during, and after reading.

8. Choice - Media Literacy

App Title: iMovie

Links: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/imovie/id377298193?mt=8 (Apple, 2010)

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Subject Area: Media Literacy

App Price: Free Download (offers in-app purchases)

Languages: English, Arabic, Catalan, Chinese (Hong Kong), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish,

French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay,

Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai,

Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese

Rationale: This app allows students to tell stories and communicate their knowledge by

recording video that can be watched and shared in a movie format. The app allows for clipping

of larger video files, it contains pre-made graphics and musical accompaniments. Students can

create their own musical accompaniments and narration. They can combine photos and videos in

the “dropzone”, use slow motion, fast forward, picture-in-picture and split-screen effects. Videos

can be touched up, sent my mail and messages, shared with social media, saved on iCloud Drive

and streamed to HDTV.

Standards

ISTE Standard for Educators

7. Analyst Provide alternative ways for students to demonstrate competency and reflect on their learning

using technology.

ISTE Standards for Students

6. Creative Communicator (b) - Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital

resources into new creations.

NY State P-12 Common Core Standards

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas (Grade 3 and 4)

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3SL5: Include digital media and/or visual displays in presentations to emphasize certain facts or

details

4SL5: Include digital media and/or visual displays in presentations to emphasize central ideas or themes.

Ontario Curriculum Expectations:

Grade: 3

Media Literacy

Producing Media Texts

3.4 produce media texts for specific purposes and audiences, using a few simple media forms and

appropriate conventions and techniques (e.g., a series of video stills or photographs about a topic of their

choice to display to the class)

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References

Apple. (2010, July 31). iMovie on the App Store. Retrieved August 3, 2018, from

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/imovie/id377298193?mt=8

Duolingo. (2012, November 13). Duolingo on the App Store. Retrieved August 3, 2018, from

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/duolingo/id570060128?mt=8

Epic! Creations Inc. (2013, November 21). Epic! on the App Store. Retrieved August 3, 2018,

from https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/epic/id719219382?mt=8

ICDL Foundation. (2009, September 10). StoryKit on the App Store. Retrieved August 3, 2018,

from https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/storykit/id329374595?mt=8

Khan Academy. (2012, March 11). Khan Academy on the App Store. Retrieved August 3, 2018,

from https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/khan-academy/id469863705?mt=8

Stop Breathe, & Think. (2017, May 04). Stop, Breathe & Think Kids on the App Store.

Retrieved August 3, 2018, from https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/stop-breathe-think-

kids/id1215758068?mt=8

Visible Body. (2014, April 17). My Incredible Body - Guide to Learn About the Human Body

for Children - Educational Science App with Anatomy for Kids on the App Store.

Retrieved August 3, 2018, from https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/my-incredible-body-

guide-to-learn-about-human-body/id853953105?mt=8

File last updated: August 4, 2018