Tag Archives: Best Apps for Teaching & Learning 2019

School Media Specialist, Tech

AASL Recommended Apps: PBS Kids Scratch JR.

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their picks for Best Apps for Teaching & Learning 2019. “Apps recognized foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration and are user friendly to encourage a community of learners to explore and discover. “

If you are interested in the best apps for your library, media center, or classroom, you can read our 2019 series here or find all past apps discussed in our archives.

“PBS KIDS ScratchJr is a creative coding app where learners can create their own interactive stories, games, and animations by snapping together colorful programming blocks to make their favorite characters move, jump, dance, and sing. Learners are empowered to solve problems, design their own projects, demonstrate knowledge and develop computational thinking skills that are foundational for later academic success.”

Platform: iOS & Android 
Grades: K-2
Cost: FREE

The PBS website has this page of five lesson plans to use with the app. Coder Kids has this great article with more details about the pros and cons of using the app and includes several projects. Finally, this video shows you how to use the app to create a race and a maze game.

Watch this video to see the app in action:

Check it Out:

AASL Recommended Apps: Object Viewer for Merge Cube

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their picks for Best Apps for Teaching & Learning 2019. “Apps recognized foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration and are user friendly to encourage a community of learners to explore and discover. “

“With Object Viewer from Merge Cube, students and teachers can convert their 3D designs into augmented reality (virtual) objects they can hold and preview on the MERGE Cube. Students can also preview their creations prior to 3D printing to ensure accuracy. Teachers can use Object Viewer to convert 3D models from popular libraries such as Google Poly and Remix 3D into virtual objects to illustrate complex topics and bring lesson plans to life.”

*Just a note that when you reserve a VR kit from CMLE, you also gain access to technology similar to Merge Cube. Our VR kits include AR technology called the ARCube, which you can learn more about here. Reserve your kit today!

Platform: iOS & Android
Cost:  Free, but need to purchase the Cube
Grades: All

The Merge website has a ton of information for educators, including ways to incorporate the Cube into STEM projects and makerspaces. The Grantwood Digital Learning site has this article sharing ideas for using the Merge Cube in your classrooms as well as other integrations to try with the app. This article from ISTE shares other ways to use the app in your classroom.

This video (2:50) shows a few examples of using the Object Viewer with the Merge Cube:

If you are interested in the best apps for your library, media center, or classroom, you can read our 2019 series here or find all past apps discussed in our archives.

Check it Out:, School Media Specialist, Tech

AASL Recommended Apps: Mixerpiece

Learn art history and make your own creations with this cool app!

“Mixerpiece is a sort of digital magnetic board, with more than 200 items and shapes which you can use and combine to create new works of art while learning art history. Have students demonstrate their understandings of the art elements – line, shape, color, form – using original masterpieces. Students can learn to identify similarities or differences in pieces of artwork by putting them together into something new. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.”

Platform: iOS  
Grades: All
Cost: $2.99

Best Apps for Kids has this review of the app which also includes suggestions for using the app for education and fun. Mixerpiece is included in this article from App Ed Review featuring the best apps to use for Social Studies. Finally, this post from Parents’ Choice gives some details regarding the art history used in the app.

Watch this 30-sec video to see how your students can learn art history while having fun with this app!

School Media Specialist, Tech

AASL Recommended Apps: iCell

Explore cells with this informative app!

(Also called HudsonAlpha iCell)
Using the iCell app, “students can choose between animal, bacteria, or plant cell from the main screen. Explanatory text has three options: basic, intermediate, or advanced. Students can zoom in or out and can rotate cells for a 360-degree view of the cell. Basic text typically gives one or two short sentence descriptions of structures, intermediate gives longer descriptions with additional vocabulary, and advanced gives very detailed descriptions with challenging vocabulary.”

Platform: iOS, Android, Windows  
Cost: FREE
Grades: 5-12

The Tech Edvocate includes the app in their article on recommended tools for teaching biology. It’s also included in this STEM series sharing the best science apps for iPad. Finally, this review of the app from Emerging EdTech includes several instructional ideas for using the app in the classroom.


School Media Specialist, Tech

AASL Recommended Apps: Nearpod

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their picks for Best Apps for Teaching & Learning 2019. “Apps recognized foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration and are user friendly to encourage a community of learners to explore and discover. “

“Nearpod is an app that helps you create interactive lessons in a 1:1 setting. Save prep time by easily importing existing lessons (pdfs, jpegs, ppts) and adding interactive features such as Virtual Field Trips, 3D Objects, Quizzes, Polls, Open Ended Questions, etc. Customize every lesson to meet the needs of your students.”

Platform: iOS & Android
Cost: FREE
Grades: All

Nearpod has a blog with many ideas for using the app in the classroom. This article from Apps in Class explains the app with more details specifically for teachers. Class Tech Tips goes through several ways to create interactive lessons, including one specifically focused on reading, in this article. Finally, Teach Beyond offers this intro to using the app with suggestions for ways to begin without getting overwhelmed.

Watch this video (2:37) to see how the app works:

https://youtu.be/g3GVkM_GVa4

If you are interested in the best apps for your library, media center, or classroom, you can read our 2019 series here or find all past apps discussed in our archives.