Mitosis

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Cost: Free

UDL Guideline (1.3) offer alternative for visual information
Mitosis allows high and middle schools students to learn the process of cell division by providing interactive images, video, or text. It provides more description ( text).

General Critique
This app provides physical object which student can zoom the pictures, and it has an interactive model . It also represents the information in many ways.

Base Ten Number Blocks

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Cost: $0.99



UDL Guideline 5.2- Use multiple tools for construction and composition
Base Ten Number Blocks app provides opportunities for students to reach success through virtual manipulatives in learning place value concepts, regrouping in ones, tens, and hundreds places by providing alternatives in offering students' choices in resources and challenge. Blocks may be regrouped by dragging a virtual manipulative and double-tapped to separate into smaller units.

General Critique
This app provides an alternative tool for hands-on-math using base ten blocks to explore place value, addition, subtraction as well as number theory. This simple app is excellent for illustrating sometimes difficult concepts and preparing students for the future with current tools.

Doodle Buddy

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Cost: Free




UDL Guideline 5.1 - Use multiple media for communication
Doodle Buddy app provides various methods for student response including painting, stamping with or without sounds, creations using photos, chalk, glitter, stencils, text to speech, as well as multiple modes for sharing creations. Interactive alternatives allow all learners to express themselves.

General Critique
Students can easily navigate in this simple to use app providing alternative media for the manipulation of backgrounds, photos, photography, text, speech, and much more.

See example below.

Oregon Trail

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Cost: 4.99



UDL Guideline 8.2 Vary demands and resources to optimize challenge
Oregon Trial is an excellent app for varying demands and resources to optimize challenge. This app allow students to engage in risk-taking, decision-making, and problem-solving fun while learning historical facts and concepts. Students are able to differentiate the degree of difficulty throughout gameplay, and this app emphasizes competition and rigor.

General Critique:
Students using this app are active in their learning process. They can manipulate their journey during gameplay and connect the concepts to real-world experiences and problems. Finally, students can connect and collaborate via Facebook during and after gameplay.

U.S. Geography by Discovery Education

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Cost: $.99

UDL Guideline 2.5 - Illustrate through multiple media
U.S. Geography by Discovery Education is a good app for presenting U.S. Geography information to students through multiple media. This app gives students text, audio, and video options for their learning.

General critique
Navigation in the app is simple and easy, as U.S. Geography by Discovery Education has fixed tools at the bottom of the interface.

See below for example:

School Time

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Cost: Free


UDL Guidelines 7.3 Minimize threats and distractions
School time is a perfect app for minimizing threats and distractions in the learning environment. This app help students with their schedule, their exams and assignment due dates, and important notices concerning their education. The alerts on this app help students anticipate changes in their schedule, create routines, and have visible cues for their daily activities.

General Critique:
This app is an amplification of a generic classroom planner but goes beyond this concept due to the push notifications that send visible and audible reminders for students prior to their due dates. The simplicity of the design of this app allows multiple users to track their schedules and assignment due dates.

Animal Math

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Cost: Free/ in app purchases available



UDL Guideline 7.2 Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity
Animal Math is an excellent app for optimizing relevance with preschool and elementary age students as it provides activities that are socially, age, and ability appropriate. This app allows children to play with 100 math games full of music, animation, and positive reinforcers.

General Critique:
This app allows students to be active in the learning process. This app acts as the instructor, but teachers or parents can adjust the difficulty and other settings to scaffold instruction. The curriculum expands in the app as students master concepts, and while this app has concepts that are fundamental in nature, the digital components amplify these arithmetic concepts in a simple mobile application.

Evernote

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Cost: Free




UDL Guideline 6.3 Facilitate managing information and resources
Evernote assists in managing information because it lets students take notes, snap photos, and record their voice reminders as needed. Evernote is searchable, and syncs across the internet on computers and mobile devices. It meets this UDL guideline because it creates an external organizational aid to keep information organized. Also, students can categorize their notes which helps with managing their classroom information.

General Critique:
Evernote has simple tools in a centralized location with icons that are clearly labeled for all users. This simple design allows users to use the app functions whenever pertinent, and can have relevance outside the classroom as well.

Click here for an example

Signed Stories

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Cost: Free with in-app purchases




UDL Guideline 1.2 - Offer alternatives for auditory information
Signed Stories app is an excellent choice for conveying information in multiple ways including learners with auditory disabilities and processing delays. This app is accessible in sign language, subtitles, narration, animation, and music allowing for the reading of books to be enjoyable for all learners.


General Critique
This app is free with one story included free, The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Other stories are available with in-app purchases including savings through purchasing bundles. Extra features include a sign language video dictionary and two sign language games per story.

A Novel Idea

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Cost: Free/ 2.99 upgrade





UDL Guideline 5.2 Use multiple tools for construction and composition
A novel idea is a perfect tool for construction and composition. It is a simple interface to create characters, locations, scenes and generate ideas for a novel or short story. It meets this UDL guideline because it provides sentence starters, story webs, a spelling and grammar check feature, and concept mapping tools to assist students in creating any story's plot.

General Critique:
This app is perfect for high school or middle school students, as prior knowledge in literary terms like plot or motivation is needed to be successful using it, as instructors can scaffold instruction while maintaining individuality and creativity.

See below for an example

iMovie

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Cost: 4.99



UDL Guideline 5.1 Use multiple media for communication
iMovie embodies using multiple media for communication and is an excellent tool for instruction in any classroom. iMovie allows students to create HD movies and trailers to tell a story using pictures, video, and music or voice for narrative effects. The guideline states that instructors allow students to compose in multiple media such as film, visual art, video, or etc., and iMovie can do all of this and more.

General Critique:
This app is excellent for teachers that would like their students to exercise creativity while scaffolding their instruction. Students are able to engage actively in a curriculum that is relevant, organized, and geared towards addressing real-world problems or experiences.

Click here for an example (several primary sources obtained through The Library of Congress)

Dragon Dictation

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Cost: Free



UDL Guideline 4.2 Optimize access to tools and assistive technologies
Dragon Dictation is a perfect app to optimize access to tools and assistive technologies throughout the curriculum. This app allows students to use their voice to dictate their words and ideas into written text. Using this app as a tool for writing because it provides assistive technology to complete any tasks requiring written information.

General Critique:
This app is designed with simplicity and convenience in mind. With simple tools in a central location and clear instructions into their functionality, this app's design all students to use its features anytime they need it.

Dragon Go!

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Cost: Free


UDL Guideline 4.1 Vary the methods for response and navigation
Dragon Go! is an app that varies navigation on mobile devices for all users. This app allows students to search for online content from a variety of sources and websites using their voice as the navigational tool. Using this app provides alternatives for physically interacting with classroom materials, as all students may not have the physical capabilities to engage with the curriculum or the devices.

General Critique:
This app incorporates UDL and RTI principles as this technology supports student academic needs in all fields, and equalizes the academic playing field.

Readability

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Cost: Free/ $9.99 upgrade

UDL Guideline 7.3- Minimizes threats and distractions
Readability re-formats web pages to reduce unnecessary clutter (visual stimulation) for students. This experience is heightened by the great font controls available in Readability.

General Critique






Readability creates optimal instructional environments that reduce threats and negative distractions for all students to create a safe space in which learning can occur.

ComicBook

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Cost: Free

UDL Guideline 5.1- Use multiple media for communication
ComicBook provides a unique way for students to communicate academic concepts. It is a creative way for students and teachers to express and share their ideas. Features include text, importing photos (one or more), resizing photos, and the ability to customize critical features within the comic.

General Critique
This alternative media reduces barriers of expression among learners with a variety of special needs, but also increases the opportunities for all learners to develop a wider range of expression in a media-rich world.

See below for example (primary source provided by Library of Congress).


Go to the Educations app review video example (by Courtney O'Dell- the last 55 seconds of the video) to see how to incorporate this "Imperialism" theme into your American History classroom.

Educreations

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Cost: Free



UDL Guideline 2.5- Illustrate through multiple media
Educreations is an excellent app that presents concepts in an alternate form and in an entertaining fashion. It allows teachers to record and highlight critical features of a concept while using an interactive whiteboard. Included features are handwriting, moving and resizing photos while recording, making multiple pages, and exporting your video easily.




General Critique
Educreations is a user-friendly app that reduces the barriers in learning environments and increases access to curriculum and instruction for diverse learners.


Click here for example.

See also for another example of how to use this app with UDL principles. 

iPrism

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Cost:  Free

UDL Guideline 9.2 - Provide differentiated models, scaffolds and feedback for managing frustration, developing internal controls and coping skills, and use real life situations or simulations to demonstrate coping skills.  This app allows users to "map" out relationships and sources of conflict using the emotional impact of color and distance.  It can be valuable tool to help students visualize how they see these relationships and how to manage the impact.

General Critique
When it comes to social stress and its impact on learning, all children are susceptible to such stresses.  iPrism allows students to visualize, manage, and cope with real life situations within the classroom.  This app can help to identify complexities that might have been overlooked in the past decade of UDL.

Product

In this example, I could have helped a student understand why he was picking on another student because of other challenges in his life.  He loves his father who is gone most of the week and feels challenged by the new relationship with his stepfather and new sister.  It is easy to see why the "red" circle catches his attention when he feels angry or frustrated.  Using this model, he can begin to see how to distance himself from the classmate and deal with his family relationships more appropriately.

SkyView Free

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Cost: Free


UDL Guideline 3.3 Guide information processing, visualization, and manipulation
SkyView Free is an excellent app for guiding information processing, visualization, and manipulation because it allows students to interact with curriculum and concepts using real-world models. This app lets students point their mobile device to the sky to identify stars, constellations, and satellites. The student can then identify celestial objects in the sky regardless of time. This indicator states that instructors should provide multiple entry points through the content, and that instructors should guide this exploration into new understandings.

General Critique
In support of learner-centered class environments this app encourages students to use their mobile devices to activate their prior knowledge of stars, constellations, or the sky to enhance their understanding of celestial bodies.

Heat Pad Lite

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Cost: Free


UDL Guideline 9.2- Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies
Heat Pad Lite promotes relaxation. It allows a student to deal with stress in choosing and trying an adaptive strategy for managing and directing their emotional responses to external and internal events. Features include relaxing background music and a calming light up doodle pad.  Not only will teaching coping skills improve kids self-confidence and self-esteem, it will help students to become more independent and assertive.


General Critique
Heat Pad Lite is a great drawing app that has nine screen effects, such as flame, rainbow and glow, that your child or student can choose from. Calming music plays in the background, with the option to turn it off if the user chooses.  If you upgrade to the full version, the user can choose from eighteen themes and is free from advertisements.

Educreations

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Cost: Free


UDL Guideline 3.2 Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships
Educreations is an excellent app for highlighting patterns, critical features, big ideas and relationships because it turns your device into a whiteboard that can be used to create video tutorials for any concept. This can help students with homework and teachers can use it to record lecture notes while accessing the handwriting tools. This guideline states that instructors should make information more accessible through prompts, and educreations can be used to accomplish this task.

General Critique:
This app amplifies instruction by allowing educators to use its features to scaffold instruction to students. The app allows lessons to be shared on social networks, embedded in a blog, or posted on a website.

Google Drive

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Cost: Free

UDL Guideline 8.3- foster collaboration and communication
Google drive encourages and supports opportunities for peer interactions as well as constructs communities of learners engaged in common interests or activities. It allows you to share individual files or whole folders with specific people, your entire class or the entire school domain. You can share documents, videos, images and other files that are important to you. You can sync, store and access your files anywhere – on the web, on your hard drive or on the go.



General Critique
In Google drive, students can view any kind of file - Photoshop, Excel, PDFs, movies and more, they  can also edit files and the changes are instantly saved through the Drive desktop application. There is no need to upload or download. It's just there in Drive. You can also access Drive from anywhere when you install it on your mobile device. 

Freedom Center

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Cost: Free



UDL Guideline 2.5 Illustrate through multiple media
The Freedom Center app is a self-guided tour of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Ohio. This UDL concept suggests that educators provide alternatives to text by using more than one form of representation to present information. This app is a perfect example of illustrating through multiple media because it provides video content, musical soundtracks of the era, firsthand interviews, and archival photography that allows individuals to supplement their own visit to this museum  or take a virtual tour from any location in the world.

General Critique:
This app is designed with clearly labeled menus that are easy to navigate for any users. This app is a perfect supplement for educators visiting the center or for teachers unable to visit the center.

Spanish-English Dictionary

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Cost: Free



UDL Guideline 2.4 Promote understanding across languages
The Spanish-English Dictionary app transforms your device into a language translator, and is a great way to promote understandings across languages in curriculum planning. Instructors could utilize this app to provide information or key vocabulary in multiple languages to accommodate diverse students, communities, and classrooms.

General Critique:
This app supports community-centered spaces by encouraging students and instructors to respect other cultures and languages that are apart of their communities. This app would be excellent in communities where Spanish speakers are in great numbers.

Planbook.com

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Cost: Free


UDL Guideline 6.1- Guide appropriate goal-setting
Planbook.com allows the teacher to post and share the classroom schedule, plans, and objectives online. Lessons can be viewed by day, week, or subject (can also print lessons). Templates can be created to use for each subject, morning meeting, and/or homework assignment. Lessons can be adjusted by bumping them to the next day or extending lessons for more days. The lessons can be easily shared with fellow teachers and even to students if they are absent. This definitely makes team teaching and collaboration much easier.  To share lessons with others, you create a password which is referred to as the "student key" and share the "student key" with colleagues/students you want to have access.  It is also possible to share only certain parts of the plans that are relevant to the viewer (lessons, homework, event). 

Guided Critique
Although the app is free, you must first sign up for a subscription online at www.planbook.com. There is a 30 day risk-free trial, but after that it is $12.00 dollars a year. Lessons and plans can be accessed anywhere and anytime on the computer or using this mobile app.  With one click, daily plans can be adjusted to make revisions and changes based on new events, student learning, and the every day disruptions that occur in the classroom. A very helpful feature is that you can download attachments (tests, homework, activities, and quizzes) and choose to make them private or public. That way you can access your attachments easily and have them in a safe place.  I love that the digital record of the plans for the year are saved, and they can be referred back to for reflection, instruction, and for future planning. 

See below for example.

Read Quick

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Cost: 9.99



UDL Guideline 1.1- Offer ways of customizing the display of information
Read Quick is perfect for customizing the display for information because this app allows students to import just the text from articles, reports, and books on most web sources. Read Quick then allows for adjustments in the size, rate of speed, font, and background contrast of the text based on individual preferences. While the app is titled Read Quick, it has settings that can slow down the delivery of words as well.

General Critique:
This app supports UDL principles by allowing students to remove typical website distractions (such as pictures and embedded video/audio) so that they can focus on the text of the article. The ability to easily access the tools associated with this app encourages its usage in academic and personal endeavors.

Montessori Crosswords - Spelling With Phonics Alphabet

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Cost: $2.99

UDL Guideline 2.1-  Clarify vocabulary and symbols
Montessori Crosswords allows primary school children the opportunity to pre-teach vocabulary in ways that promote connection to the learners' experience and prior knowledge. Young children can practice their literacy skills by dragging letters around in a moveable alphabet and practice linking phonetic sounds to letters, while older learners can expand their vocabulary in the higher with three levels of difficulty.




General Critique 

Montessori Crosswords for phonics asks children to drag and drop phonetically-enabled letters into blank squares that make up crossword grids along with pictures of the items and spoken audio of their names when tapped. Written hints are available, and the empty letter squares make their assigned sounds when tapped.  When each crossword is completed children get to play with a flowing animation screen. The app also includes a moveable alphabet that makes phonics sounds when the letters are tapped to place them on the board – letters can be moved, resized, rotated, removed etc.  

PBS Parents

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Cost: free

UDL Guideline (5.1) uses multiple media for communication 
PBS Parents allows elementary students to go through the series of steps for constructing a story including Setting, Characters, Sequence, Exposition. It also allows them to express them selves with interactive these Characters.

General Critique
this app helps students to create the enviroment and the charcters which help them to express and present what they learned in many ways.

MonkeyMath

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Cost: $1.99


UDL Guideline 7.2- Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity
MonkeyMath allows preschool learners to be engaged in active participation, exploration, and experimentation of math concepts. It specifically introduces numbers, shapes, and patterns in a fun and energetic way. The main character, a monkey, navigates the game with the learner and even shows and proves why the student got the right answer.




General Critique

There is a “For Grown Ups” settings area (protected by two finger swipe actions) which allows you to change settings for individual players via a “Player Settings” tab. You can turn music on or off, turn on or off various activities, and manually adjust the difficulty for each player, if desired. The activities are fun, engaging, and educational.

Reading Raven

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Cost: $3.99

UDL Guideline 3.1- Activate or supply background knowledge
Reading Raven allows the student to receive critical prerequisite concepts of reading through demonstration and interaction. It is a comprehensive, phonics-based app that includes game-style interactive reading activities for children from ages 3-5 that are completely customizable, spanning five progressive lessons.  Each lesson has its own fun theme, from the garden to the circus, and even into space.  These lessons move from introducing a handful of consonants and a short vowel, some basic sight words, and simple punctuations rules are also introduced to strengthen early reading skills. As the student moves through each lesson with their own individual activities, he or she earns stickers and rewards to decorate their own multi-story treehouse with.

General Critique
In Reading Raven each lesson is displayed on a map and the students journey along a path of learning. This app has a wonderfully simple options page where changing settings is easy and understandable. There is also a teacher's guide in the app and on their website. 

The Phrasal Verbs Machine

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Cost:  Free

UDL Guideline 2.4:  Embed visual, non-linguistic supports for vocabulary clarifications (pictures, videos, etc.).  Students can select a verb phrase on this app and it will show them an illustration demonstrating the meaning of the  phrase and a written explanation to further clarify meaning.  This app has been used in English as a Second Language classrooms and for older struggling readers.


General Critique
The concept behind this app is engaging and it appears to fulfill the function of illustrating confusing verb phrases (generally those with multiple meanings). I would be interested to see if the use of this app would make a change in actual performance.  For example, do students who use this app score higher on vocabulary assessments?

Inspiration Maps

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Cost: Free




UDL Guideline 6.3 - Facilitate managing information and resources
Inspiration Maps is a free app that provides a variety of graphic organizers and planning templates that students can use to brainstorm, organize their thoughts, and record information. The templates are separated into categories by subject, making it easy for teachers to quickly find a graphic organizer that best fits the content.

General Critique
Design of curriculum and a lesson is an important aspect of implementing UDL and teachers can take advantage of tools, such as Inspiration Maps, to help improve the design of their lesson and the delivery of the curriculum.

BrainPOP

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Cost: Free

UDL Guideline 3.1- Activate or supply background knowledge
BrainPOP is a great resource for activating and supplying background knowledge in any classroom. Content is mapped to Common Core, aligned to academic standards, and easily searchable with online standard tools. It allows teachers to provide pre-requisite content or activate prior knowledge in an entertaining and relevant way. Ideal for both group and one-on-one settings, BrainPOP is used in numerous ways in classrooms, at home, or on mobile devices.

General Critique
BrainPOP creates animated, curriculum-based content that engages students, and supports educators. The library has over 1,000 animated videos for students K-12 and there are spotlight videos that are free to view each month. Although this app is free, an online subscription will cost $195.00 dollars per year for a classroom or $995.00 dollars per year for your entire school to use the program.

Voice Generator

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Cost: Free


UDL Guideline 1.3 - Offer alternatives for visual information
Voice Generator allows the user to type text, press play, and a computerized voice will read the text aloud. The user can save frequently used phrases for easy access. This app could be beneficial to increase communication for students with hearing loss or students who don't feel comfortable talking in groups.

General Critique
The student is in control of what information is shared via Voice Generator and the text is read in a timely fashion. Teachers do not need to be directly involved with the student utilizing the app, but should serve as model by accepting communication through Voice Generator and encouraging student participation.

TeachMe: Kindergarten

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Cost: $1.99

UDL Guideline 7.2-  Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity
TeachMe Kindergarten allows preschool learners to be engaged in active participation, exploration, and experimentation of basic math, reading, and spelling concepts. Select content (sight words, addition, subtraction, and spelling, and writing and reading numbers) has three different difficulty levels. The main character, a mouse, navigates the game with the learner and gives hints, corrective feedback, and encouragement. 


General Critique
Teachers can select which subjects they want, set different difficulty levels, and even choose specific questions. They can review performance history for each subject to check how their students are doing. This app keeps children engaged with a unique reward system where children earn a coin for every three correct answers. Coins can then be used to purchase stickers to place in fun sticker scenes, or to buy fish for the virtual aquarium. The activities are fun, engaging, and educational.

Paperport Notes

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Cost: free




UDL Guideline 5.2 - Use multiple tools for construction and composition
Paperport Notes has multiple tools--such as spellchecker, audio recorder and speech-to-text software--that can assist the user with taking notes. Users can record notes on digital lined notebook paper or import a document and add notes directly to the document.

General Critique
The technology used in Paperport Note expands the user's ability to take notes beyond simply using paper and a pencil. Technology is essential for implementing principles of UDL and the benefits added to Paperport Note, via technology, are a perfect example of that by giving students options and support for construction of notes. Additionally, the design of the app is very clear, with picture labels representing the different tools available in Paperport Notes.


See below for example.

LearnZillion

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Cost: Free

UDL Guideline 8.2-  Vary demands and resources to optimize challenge
LearnZillion allows all learners to find challenges that are optimally motivating. Balancing the resources available to meet the challenge is vital. This app also allows personalized learning to happen anytime and anywhere. Students can get lessons anytime, freeing up class-time for the application of skills and content. Students can receive personalized assignments, so that they get exactly the lessons they need when they need them. Video lessons can be saved on the device and watched later--even when the internet isn't available.





General Critique
LearnZillion provides teachers and parents with high quality video lessons and teaching materials--produced by top teachers from around the country. Each lesson highlights a Common Core standard and can be assigned directly to students or used to plan high quality lessons. 

Alphabet Tracing

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Cost: free

UDL Guideline 7.1. Optimize individual choice autonomy. The app demonstrates best practices in writing letters and allows students to make decisions about which letters to trace. Most students choose their name as a starting place. Screenshots can be made to document success in practice. Numbers are included.

General Critique
Alphabet Tracing is easy for a five-year-old to navigate. It is a simple, but effective site for student practice.  All tools are clearly marked and easy to use.  Choices include capital letters, small letters, and numbers.  Most emergent writers show a preference for writing their own name or names of friends/family.

Product

These are examples of a student of mine who is learning to write her letters.  These represent before and after images and allow her to visualize the expectations of the activity.  She has been allowed to choose her own letters and to do them as often as she needs.

Now What

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Cost: Free





UDL Guideline 7.3 - Minimize threats and distractions
Now What is an app designed for those who need aid in transitioning during their day. Learner's with individual needs would benefit from the organizational features provided including next event highlighted in color, timer, saving of daily templates, printing, editing, and deletion.



General Critique
Now What provides user-friendly features of supportive tools that allow for the creation of class routines for a safe environment that reduces negative distractions.


See example below.

ClaroSpeak

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Cost: Free

UDL Guideline 1.3 Offer alternatives for visual information

ClaroSpeak US is a text-to-speech app that allows the learner to type or paste content into, then tap the play button to hear the audio. This provides options for learners with visual disabilities or gives personal preference to the learner. The app can also save content as audio or text files, and send files via email, or text message. It also has built-in features such as highlighting and varied rate of the speaking voice.

General Critique
 ClaroSpeak is a user-friendly app that can accommodate for disabilities and heighten learning for others. It may allow a student who is copying a rough draft of a report to listening to the spoken playback to make easy corrections. There is also an option of an in-app purchase for different voices in 27 languages.