MLA Annual Conference presentation 2013

1. 50 Apps in 50 Minutes
MLA Annual Conference
October 16-18, 2013
Kara Fredericks *Lisa Martin
Lisa Mulvenna*Alicia Piggott

2. Why do I need to know about apps?
Here are some fun facts:
• 1 in 6 computers shipped in the last quarter of 2012 was an iPad.
• 19.5 million iPads were sold in the first quarter of 2013, which is a 65%
increase over the previous year.
• Experts are expecting tablet growth (not just iPads) to a projected 375
million units sold in 2016.
• Mobile users download around 14 billion tablet apps during the year, 75% of
which are running on an iPad. Android tablet apps account for around 17%
of the market.
iPad Insight and ABI Research

3. Why should I know kids’ apps?
• The number of children reading digitally has doubled over the past 2 years-
a faster pace of growth than seen with adults.
• 75% of parents surveyed reported that they want help finding apps and
ebooks for their children.
Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report, 4th Edition
January 2013

4. How to use kids’ apps?
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the
Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning recommend:
1. Avoid “passive” screen time with young children. Instead use shared tech
time as an interactive experience between caregiver and child.
2. The report highly recommends the use of “interactive media” that
encourages creativity in children.
3. Access to technology for children at day cares, schools and libraries is an
important key in improving their digital literacy.
4. Limits should be in place for children of all ages, and special
considerations are given in working with infants and toddlers.
Appropriate Uses of Technology with Children from Birth through Age 8 from the
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and Fred Rogers
Center for Early Learning. Position Statement, adopted January, 2012
http://www.naeyc.org/content/technology-and-young-children

5. Apps for Work
These apps make our jobs easier. They connect us to new ideas and ways of
doing our jobs for the mobile librarian.

6. 1. Evernote
Why?
• Works through app, from
your desktop, or through
the web.
• Awesome organizational
tool, especially for story
times and regular
programs.
• Uses tags for easy
organization and has a
search box. This is great
for searching through your
rhymes for the word
“truck”. You may find
something old that you
can use in a new way!

7. 2. Pinterest
Why?
• Works through app or
through the web.
• Picture-based bulletin
board.
• Can set up multiple boards
to organize your pins.
Some ideas include Lego
Club, Story Times,
Summer Reading, etc.
• Connect with other
librarians who do the
same types of programs to
share pins.

8. 3. Feedly
Why?
• RSS reader so you can add
content from blogs to see
them in one place.
• Able to add tags to posts
to sort for future use
(similar to folders).
• Post blog posts to various
social media (Facebook,
Twitter, etc.)

9. 4. CloudOn
Why?
• Brings Microsoft Office to
your iPad.
• Links to your Google Drive,
Dropbox, or Sky Drive
accounts.
• Great for taking notes at
conferences or meetings!
Plus, you don’t have to
retype them when you get
back to your computer.
Just pull them from your
saved account and email
them out.

10. 5. Google Drive
Why?
• Storage place for your
files-especially great if you
work on multiple
computers!
• Able to create Google
Docs where multiple
people can work on one
document (like conference
program proposals).
• Each document in Google
Drive has a URL. This is
useful if you want to put
something online (blog,
library web site, etc.)

11. 6. SoundNote
Why?
• Able to take notes on your
iPad, while recording
audio. This means that
you won’t miss anything!
• In addition to typing
notes, you can add
drawings. This is great for
librarians to visualize room
set-ups, program
instructions, and so much
more.

12. 7. Dropbox
Why?
• Storage place for your
files-especially great if you
work on multiple
computers!
• There is a viewing pane
next to your document list
where you can see a file’s
contents.
• Able to create shared
folders where you can
collaborate on documents
with other people.

13. 8. Goodreads
Why?
• This app is a great readers’
advisory tool. Keep track
of books read, ratings,
categories, and whatever
else would be helpful for
you.
• Share your reviews and
recommendations with
your friends! (Feel free to
follow me to get started.)
• It is great for story time &
program planning. I sort
books by how I will use
them.

14. 9. Common Core by MasteryConnect
Why?
• This is one of the easiest
explanations out there
that list grades, standards,
and what they actually
mean. No technical
jargon!
• Just because Common
Core has stalled for the
moment, don’t doubt that
there will be some sort of
standards (either these or
similar.)
• These help with collection
development, especially
with nonfiction. If the kids
will be needing it, then we
will be buying it.

15. 10. Videolicious
See our video at:
http://video.videolicious.com/a5a6d9fb-
268a-479e-a74b-b55ab85cd859
Why?
• Share videos that you
create through email,
Facebook, Twitter, or
YouTube.
• Use pictures to make a
video. Add your own
words or a soundtrack.
• Great for promotion,
school tours, highlight
reels (in-service or
summer reading), and
more!
• Would also work as a
creation app for kids to
create their own videos.

16. Apps for Story Times
These apps add to our programs, whether through music, felt boards, or
some other method.

17. 11. Feltboard
Why?
• You can preset your board
to have all of the pieces on
the screen, especially if
you have kids who like to
take them all off.
• Works well with “count
down” rhymes where you
take something away.
• Saves time-you don’t have
to cut out all of the pieces!

18. 12. Sock Puppets
Why?
• This is a fun and different
way to present songs and
rhymes. You can also use
it to introduce a letter of
the day.
• Create your own sock
puppet characters and
record what you want
them to say.
• This would also be a fun
creation app for bigger
kids. You could make a
whole program out of it
where they design their
characters, come up with
a script, and put on the
show for others.

19. 13. Old Mac HD
Why?
• This presents a classic
song in a fun and
interactive way.
• You can sing along with
the app.
• Animal names are written
out (see “chicken”). This
works on letter
knowledge, which is one
of those early literacy skills
that we try to include in
our story times.

20. 14. Bunny Fun: Head,
Shoulders, Knees & Toes
Why?
• This is a fun and different
way to present songs and
rhymes.
• You can listen to the song
in four languages-English,
French, Spanish, and
Japanese.
• Words are printed as the
bunny points to a body
part while the words are
sung. This is an excellent
way to work on decoding
and comprehension
(words have meaning), in
addition to letter
knowledge.

21. 15. Wheels on the Bus by
Duck Duck Moose
Why?
• Bright colors, decent
music, & early literacy-
what more can you want?
• You can sing along with
the app.
• The verses are written out.
This is great for
preschoolers and
kindergartners as they
work on early literacy.
• Actions reflect the words.

22. 16. Musical Flash
Cards-Animals
Why?
• Push the animal and hear
their sound.
• Great extension activity
for Polar Bear, Polar Bear,
What Do You Hear? by Bill
Martin, Jr.
• Also fun with Old
MacDonald and guessing
games (see next slide).

23. Old MacDonald
• Play the animal noise first
and have the kids guess
what animal will “pop” out
of the door.
House Guessing Game
• Play an animal noise and
have the kids guess the
animal.
• Then guess which color
window that the animal
will pop out of.
Credit goes to Anna Haase Krueger aka Future Librarian Superhero for
the original ideas!

24. 17. Together Time with
Song and Rhyme
Why?
• Videos show you and staff
how to various fingerplays.
• Created by Kathy Reid
Naiman and Paulette
Bourgeois.
• Fingerplays are great for
early literacy as they slow
down speech like singing
does so kids can hear the
parts of words. Plus, it
works on kids’ motor
skills!

25. 18. Grow a Reader
Why?
• AWESOME early literacy app put
together by the Calgary Public Library.
• Check out videos of fingerplays, songs,
bounces, and lullabies. This is great
for parent education or new children’s
librarians who have to do story time.
• The lightbulb in the bottom left takes
you to early literacy tips in
manageable phrases. These are the
perfect size to add into your story
times.
• The book in the top left takes you to a
picture list of books that fit each of
the 5 early literacy skills.

26. 19. Storybook Rhymes
Vol. 1
Why?
• Contains “One Two, Buckle
My Shoe” and “The Itsy
Bitsy Spider”.
• Highlights the word in
yellow as it is said/sung.
This is great for early
literacy.
• The pictures match the
words to reinforce
meaning.

27. 20. Preschool Memory
Match (Kids Baby Toddler)
Why?
• Memory game using preschool
concepts, such as ABC’s, 123’s, and
shapes.
• Games and play reinforce early literacy
concepts.
• With smaller groups, you can play the
game together, similar to flannelboard
games.

28. 21. YouTube
Why?
• Watch songs and fingerplays
to learn how to do them.
This is great for visual
learners.
• We recommend searching
for “Super Simple Songs” to
get started. This channel has
a variety of popular story
time songs.

29. 22. Finger Paint
with Sounds
Why?
• Do you introduce a “Letter of the Day”
in story time? If so, then this app is a
great addition to your program.
Instead of just seeing the shape of a
letter (like with a magnet), kids can
watch the letter formation as your
finger moves.
• For children with special needs, this
app is a good introduction to using a
touch screen. Wherever you touch,
paint appears.

30. 23. My A-Z
Why?
• This set of flash cards
matches letters to the
pictures. This is a great way
to reinforce early literacy
skills.
• For extra fun, you can add
your own pictures and
change the text. To the right
is a train in the CMPL
Children’s Department.

31. Apps for Programs-
Little Kids (0-5)
These apps are for little kids to use in various programs or for a librarian to
use with little kids.

32. 24. Elmo Loves ABC’s
Why?
• Early literacy! This app is
excellent at promoting letter
knowledge, practicing the
shape of the letters, and
showing pictures of words
that start with those letters.
• Personalize this app by
adding your own pictures for
mom, dad, library, etc.
• As an added bonus, your
child is practicing both
uppercase and lowercase
letters.

33. 25. Little Sky
Writers
Why?
• This is another great early
literacy app. This one
concentrates on letter
formation. The airplane
leaves smoke behind to form
the letter as your finger
moves.
• Switch between uppercase
and lowercase letters.
• Hear the letter sounds.

34. 26. Colorforms
Revolution
Why?
• The colors and shapes give
you lots of creative options
for your masterpiece.
• Colors and shapes are
important concepts that
young children learn. This
app uses both!
• I like to make creations and
then talk about them, which
works on early literacy for
younger children.

35. 27. Peekaboo Barn
Why?
• Early literacy! You see the dog,
you hear its noise (woof!), then
you see the spelling of “dog”.
• Just like the name implies, you
play peekaboo with the barn
doors and the animals hiding
behind them. This makes a fun
guessing game.

36. 28. Uncle Sarah
Why?
• Jam packed with stories, songs,
and games-all of those things
that we children’s librarians look
for in a great app.
• We get to sing the ABC song!
• The Don’t Wake Sarah game is
great for story time or as a
program filler. Kids can take
turns poking a sleeping Sarah to
try and wake her up.
• Quirky. Will hold both the
children’s and the adult’s
attention.

37. Apps for Programs-
Big Kids (5-12)
These apps are for big kids to use in various programs or for a librarian to use
with big kids.

38. 29. Lego Instructions
Why?
• Walks you through how to build
around 150 Lego creations with
step-by-step instructions (and
pictures!).
• This is a fan-created product.
Can you imagine what your little
Lego creators could come up
with to make something similar
for your library?
• A perfect Lego Club resource.

39. 30. How to Make
Origami
Why?
• Craft programs are BIG at our
locations.
• This app walks you through many
different origami creations with
illustrations. This is great for you
as an instructor or for kids as the
creators.

40. 31. How to Make Paper
Airplanes
Why?
• Craft programs are BIG at our
locations.
• This app walks you through many
different paper airplane creations
with illustrations. This is great for you
as an instructor or for kids as the
creators.
• When you are done creating your
airplanes, try flying them to see which
models fly the farthest. This would be
a good science lesson (hint-SRC 2014).

41. 32. My Story
Why?
• A great app for a writing workshop.
Books are able to be created, shared
via email, or read once completed.
• Kids are able to record their voices
reading the story.
• Illustrations are created by the kids
through drawing, stickers, and photos.

42. 33. StoryBuddy
Why?
• Another great book creation app.
This is a good addition to a writing
workshop.
• Kids are able to write their text and
illustrate their pages using drawing
and photos.
• For a cost, this app will let you publish
your creation so you can flip through
actual pages.

43. 34. Superhero
Comic Book Maker
Why?
• Another great writing workshop idea
with a twist-graphic novels! Plus, who
doesn’t love superheroes?
• Build your comics with various scenes
and characters. Then, narrate the
story.
• Make note of this app for SRC 2015!

44. 35. Drawing Pad
Why?
• Art programs are popular!
• This is one of the best apps that we
have found for drawing. It includes
many different mediums, from
colored pencils to paint, which makes
it perfect for an instruction program.
Plus there is a large rainbow of colors
to choose from.

45. 36. Hopscotch
Why?
• This is a beginning coding program.
Hopscotch is a great addition to any
computer programming workshops
that you offer.
• Kids drag and drop blocks of code.
Then, they can see what happens.
• This gives kids the fundamentals of
computer science while having fun.
• Another great addition to SRC 2014!

46. Apps Based on Books

47. 37. Barnyard Dance
Why?
• Choose a “read to me” or
“I read” option.
• Words are highlighted as
the narrator reads the
story.
• Pictures match the story.
Plus, there are fun things
you can do to “play” with
the illustrations.
• Really, you can’t beat the
Sandra Boynton book apps
for quality.

48. 38. Go Away, Big
Green Monster!
Why?
• The app presents a simple version of
the classic book by Ed Emberley, which
is narrated by the author.
• Additional options allow you to read
with a friend, by yourself, or to sing the
story.
• The parts of the monster’s face are
interactive.

49. 39. Mr. Brown Can
Moo, Can You?
Why?
• Popular kids books to apps are
always great fun.
• If you have the story narrated, the
text is highlighted as the story is
read. This is great for early
literacy.
• For more fun, you can touch the
characters and the reader says
their name, while text is displayed.
For example, if you touch Mr.
Brown, you will hear “Mr. Brown”
while you see the letters “Mr.
Brown” floating across the page.

50. 40. Don’t Let the
Pigeon Run This App!
Why?
• Create your own Mo Willems’
story with Egg, Chick, or Big
Pigeon. This one is interactive-you
will need to talk into the iPad.
• Learn to draw the Pigeon with Mo.
He walks you through your
drawing with step-by-step
instructions and guidelines on the
page.

51. 41. Picture Book for
Toddlers-Funny Animals
Why?
• This is a really simple book-perfect
for your youngest users.
• Kids can touch the animal, her the
animal name, and hear what noise
they make.
• This would also make a good
guessing game in story time. You
can ask “What noise do you think a
penguin would make?” Then
listen to their sound.
• This app would also pair well with
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do
You Hear? by Bill Martin, Jr.

52. 42. Storia by
Scholastic
Why?
• This free eReading app was developed by
Scholastic is the winner of an Editor’s
Choice Award from the Children’s
Technology Review.
• New accounts get 5 free preselected
ebooks.
• Includes a wide variety of titles from the
Scholastic library, including popular
series, fiction and nonfiction with a list
that keeps growing for children from
birth through teens.
• Special features include a built-in Storia
Dictionary, highlighting, and notetaking.
Narration is optional.
• Many titles include music, sound effects
and enrichment activities like puzzles
and quizzes.

53. 43. Three Little Pigs by
Zubadoo
Why?
• Simple animated version of the classic
story that includes text at the bottom of
each page.
• Options include read to me, auto play
or read by myself.

54. 44. Interactive Touch
Books for Toddlers (ITB)
Why?
• Three short interactive original books
are free with this app with a large
library of additional books available for
.99 and up.
• Options include having the book
narrated, having music and sounds only
or recording your own narration.
• Books include many interactive features
and sound effects.

55. 45. The Adventures of
Captain Underpants
Why?
• David Pilkey fans won’t be
disappointed with this app! It
includes a digital copy of The
Adventures of Captain
Underpants. Each time a page is
turned, the books comes to life
with sound effects and really
makes it fun. Limited text on
each page makes it a perfect
choice for reluctant readers.
Narration is optional.
• Five games are also included.
Sounds ‘n Fun includes great
potty sound effects that kids
love. Stretch-o-Rama has a fun
game based on Space Invaders.
Other games include fun with
interactive mazes and avatar
creation.

56. 46. Magic School
Bus: Dinosaurs
Why?
• Can you ever go wrong with dinosaurs?
This is a great app for your dino-
fanatics and for your early elementary
kids.
• This app ties into the Common Core
Standards.
• In addition to the story, there is a lot of
interaction to extend the reading
experience. You can go on dinosaur
digs, assemble dinosaur bones, or play
dinosaur games.

57. 47. Spot the Dot
Why?
• While it doesn’t have a lot of text, it
has a lot of “I Spy” features. It also
reminds me a lot of Press Here-The
App.
• Learn colors and shapes as you play.
• The various screens give you a lot of
colors, shapes, and designs to explore
as you play. This gives you and your
child a lot to talk about, which
practices early literacy skills.

58. 48. Press Here-The
App
Why?
• This app is based on the picture book
by Herve Tullet and includes 15 original
games, each represented by a colorful
dot from the book. The activities
encourage creativity, critical thinking
and are fun for children of all ages.
• An app review from the New York
Times states that the dot games are
“…tactile and imaginatively designed
activities rendered with perfectly
pitched colors, graphics, and music
sound effects.”
• The app does not include a digital
version of the book, so the games
could be an enrichment activity after
the child listens to the story.
• If you try out the Music Box game, it is
not broken! (Keep trying.)

59. 49. TumbleBooksToGo
Why?
• There are many TumbleBooks apps
containing one to six interactive e-
books titles based on classic books.
Examples include books by Doreen
Cronin, Robert Munsch, nonfiction
titles and characters like Caillou. They
are bundled as a value price.
• Options include a read-to-me or read
by myself. The stories are not
interactive, but are true to form to the
original books.

60. 50. Bob Books #1:
Reading Magic
Why?
• This app brings Bob Books to life with
interactive activities and learning
games. Highly recommended for
beginning readers.
• Activities focus on rhyming words, sight
words, and left-to-right order. The
books are read to the child. Grown-ups
can set options for each game, such as
spelling with phonics (letter sounds) or
letter names.
• Levels can increase in difficultly as
children successfully complete levels.