App Friday: iTunes School

After watching the Apple Keynote about how textbooks arrived on the iPad, I was eager to download “Life on Earth” so I could talk to you about learning biology. But I can’t – because it’s still downloading. Then, I wanted to unleash my inner writer, and create a story using iBooks Author. But I couldn’t, because I write on Windows. Then I checked the courses on iTunes University, which look very cool. Multimedia curriculum, delivered via iPad, now available for teachers and schools in grades K to 12. I’ll deliberate further before I call today’s announcement a revolution, because there is work to do to accommodate gigabyte transfers and open platforms. But envisioning “iTunes School” as way to supplement our public school, with lessons (which will hopefully integrate apps) that map to our grade – well, that makes an impact. Enjoy this App Friday, we’re happy to have you!

Featured Apps (Click the image to read the app descriptions in iTunes. App Friday promotional pricing lasts until 8pm US PST Friday, unless extended by the developer.)

2BME Firefighter, $.99 for App Friday. With an easy-to-follow interface and useful tutorial, the stunning graphics in this app take you through a comprehensive journey of the firehouse. Along your way you get to explore the fire station, drive the firetruck, save a cat, and put out a fire. When I leave an app saying, “I can’t wait to see what they make next”, that’s a good sign. Visit 2BMe anytime, at http://www.2bmestudios.com/.

Smart Speller English HD, $.99 for App Friday, and Smart Speller English (iPhone) is FREE for App Friday. Choose your theme (numbers, shapes, transportation, etc.), and spell words according to difficulty level. Pleasing, polished graphics, with a drag and drop capability that’s easy for little fingers. Spend time getting familiar with the flow and navigation before handing off. Once you do, it’s a nice experience (in my opinion). Also available in multiple languages, and on ANDROID! Check http://www.edukidsapps.com for details.

Visual Math 2, by Weily Apps, $.99 for App Friday. Visual Math 1 and What’s Next Pattern Game, both FREE for App Friday. The Visual Math apps are aligned with national core math standards for Kindergarten, and put concepts like patterns, time and measurement into visual activities and representations.

Spanish Verbs, $.99 for App Friday. Mandarin Verbs, FREE for App Friday. The Lux Language apps (branded as “Jam Language”) are reference tools for several languages. Today they are featuring Spanish and Mandarin, but they also have content for Portuguese, Cantonese, and Arabic.  Check the LuxHQ site for more details.

Noodle Words by KwiqApps, $1.99 for App Friday. (And Rapunzel by KwiqApps, FREE as a special treat, this App Friday). The Noodle Words bugs are so cute you just want to bundle them up and turn them  into plush toys. Their expressions are giggle inducing, and their motions are all interactively related to the meaning of the featured words. I’m not surprised by the awards this app has received.

We hope you enjoy this selection of apps. Please take the time to leave a review on the iTunes App Store if any of these make a positive difference in your home or classroom. 

Firefighters On Facebook

We’ll be gathering at the 2BME Firefighter Page on Facebook at 10:00am Pacific Time / 1:00pm Eastern Time – to share app news and deals. Please stop by to join the fun. If you miss the 10:00am slot, head over Moms With Apps for anytime news.

Startup Weekend Bay Area

Friday January 20th marks the beginning of Startup Weekend in Palo Alto, with a theme focused on mobile. Go Go Mongo is one of the event organizers and sponsors. We can’t wait to check it out Ahmed! Here are the details: http://bayarea.startupweekend.org/

The Link Exchange

Add links to your favorite apps, blog posts, Facebook pages – or any link that covers family-friendly apps. Please include the app name (or page name) in the Link Title, your email, and a URL. Thanks for participating!