Post #1: My Experience with New Communication Apps

         Digital technology has taken over how we operate in our daily lives. We are all aware that the technology we use is constantly changing at a lightening fast pace. While we may not be able to fathom the digital resources that will be available in the future, it is important to understand and know how to use digital technology so we can continue to be active participants in our society. This is why educators need to explore different technology options that can be used in the classroom to help prepare students for their future in a digital world. 

    I grew up when schools were beginning to invest in computers. We only had one or two computers in our classroom, if we had any at all. When I went to college in the early 2000s, I had a laptop, but the only programs I used were Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, and I occasionally used the internet to research. Today there are many applications available for any type of business you need to conduct. Although there are many options to explore, I chose to research Canva, iTranslate, Penultimate, and Adobe Spark Video.

    Canva is an online resource that can be accessed through a website or downloaded as an app on your device. It offers many template options for projects, such as presentations, infographics, social media posts, videos, or website design. The templates have descriptions in textboxes to help guide the user so they know what type of information to include to make the project flow. Although the templates are preset, there are many options to shift images, change text, and add additional elements to personalize the project. There is also an option to share the project so you can collaborate with peers. There are so many options to make a fun, visually appealing project for free. I think this site is easy to understand and would be a great resource to allow students to use to create presentations of their newfound knowledge. It will also give them great practice in creating professionally designed presentations which is an essential skill for many professions. The following is a ten-minute video that shows the basics of operating Canva.

Screenshot of iTranslate text

    Another app that I researched is iTranslate. As the name suggests, this app is used to translate one language to another. The free version is limited, but still has many common languages available. In the first box, choose which language the phrase is in, and in the second box choose which language you want to translate to. Once the translation is complete, the screen shows the written form and has a speaker icon to select to hear the phrase. There is also an option to select preset, common phrases. Although the free version is limited, I still think it could be a useful tool in the classroom to communicate with English language learners and their families. Another downfall to the free version is that all communication has to be typed, so it probably would not be beneficial for long conversations, but it is still a useful tool. It could also be used in the classroom as a practice tool. If the teacher is in small groups, and the students in centers finish their work, it could be an option to practice hearing and saying sounds, as well as learning small phrases to communicate with peers in their native tongue.

Screenshot from Penultimate

    If you are lucky enough to be in a classroom that has iPads, then another app that could be a useful tool is Penultimate. Penultimate is a free note-taking app, but it is only available on Apple products. It has the option to create notebooks. From there you can choose which type of paper or layout style would be appropriate for what needs to be accomplished. There are lined or graphing paper, music sheets, calendar formats, and planners to name a few. Along with being an Apple-only app, another drawback is that it also recommends you have a stylus to write with. Using your finger is possible, but if it is chubby like mine, the notes do not come out neat. Personally, I like this app because it can help reduce the clutter of composition notebooks and loose-leaf papers that get shoved in the back of desks, but it also still has the traditional pen-and-paper feel. I think that is important, especially for younger students that are still building fine motor strength. 

    The final app I chose to research is Adobe Spark Video. This app can be downloaded from the app store, but it is also possible to create videos on the website. Like any new program, it takes a minute to explore and figure out how everything works, but it was very simple and self-explanatory. I recently had the opportunity to create an introductory video and it did not take long at all to learn how to operate the app. There are several templates to help you get started. Similar to Canva, these slides also include guiding questions to help the user know what type of information to include to make the story flow. Due to the simplicity of this app, I think it would be a good introductory app for young users that are learning how to create digital presentations.