Analyzing

VideoScience
Formed in partnership with the Science House Foundation, teacher Dan Menelly has created over 100 short video clips of science experiments. These films are not only fascinating but contain the elements of the scientific method. When students create a science fair project, they design their experiment around an outline of these principles. The teachers present the appropriate procedures and the children follow the formula. Consider reversing this teaching process. Use VideoScience to present an experiment and have students identify the scientific method. This will increase their understanding of the scientific method, and ask them to start analyzing the content in films.

sling Note
sling Note lets users extract portions of digital content and re-organize them in a notebook. By putting a web-browser and notebook side by side, students can highlight, cut, and paste content directly onto a blank page. The notebook's drawing tools are useful for quickly sketching graphic organizers that contain relevant information pulled from an article. These diagrams can reveal the organization and hierarchy of content. Consider having the class annotate evidence of bias, an article's point-of-view, or an author's intent directly onto a website. Write comments on top of photographs from the web, camera roll, or taken with built in camera. Usually text is fixed and static, but using an app like this promotes the digital deconstruction and manipulation of ideas.

MindMash
Like sling Note, this notebook lets users insert content and "mash-up" a new form. This is great for selecting the important elements of an image, or piece of writing. The interface is less complicated and may be easier for elementary students to use. There is a drawing tool, option to type, take and import photos. It does not house an accompanying browser page. It does let students organize ideas visually with their finger.

Popplet
This is a MUST HAVE app! Popplet is a graphic organizing tool that is uncomplicated and straightforward. The interface is so clear and intuitive kindergarteners will be able to use it. It lets children organize ideas by drawing, writing, or importing imagery. This app is perfect for creating diagrams, flowcharts, mind-maps, webs, and outlines. Students can select the most important events from a story or historical event, and present them on a timeline made with Popplet. They could also insert photos of the parts of a plant, or of a simple machine, and then create a flowchart about how the parts function together. The online feature lets students collaborate on the same organizer at the same time and share their work with others.

iCardSort
iCardSort takes individual ideas and places them on notecards for sorting Teachers can pre-create a deck of note cards from a text file and share them through WIFI or download them from the iCard website. This is a great tool to help students' examine the relationship between ideas from a reading passage or separate a thesis statement from supporting details. Invite students to work in teams and discuss how they discriminate between given elements. Having the ability to move and manipulate ideas with your finger will help students to understand that this same process occurs when we are thinking.

Notability
This notetaking app does it all! It imports photos, takes pictures, records audio, types, sketches, and inserts webclips. The interface is clean and intuitive to use. When typing, an option to create an outline with either bulleted points or numbers shows up on the toolbar. Students can use this to create an outline of concepts when they are researching, analyzing a video, or observing a science experiment. Within an outline, students can insert writing, imagery, drawings, or auditory notes. Notability makes it possible to merge and organize material form multiple sources. Having a variety of media options for students to choose from is a great way to differentiate students learning and honor their product preferences.

ReplayNote
Create screencasts with PDF files imported through the GoodReader app. Once a document is loaded onto the screen, students can record a narration of themselves commenting on the text. Their screencast can discuss elements within the file that reveal the author's point of view, point out evidence of bias, or uncover the underlying motive behind an article. ReplayNote can also display images and drawings. When the screencast is complete, save it and then share the show with the class. Upload the video clips to YouTube and then embed them on your class website or blog. Watching and commenting on student created screencasts will not only develop critical thinking skills, it will spice up class discussions.