Using the iPad in the Middle School Language Arts Classroom
Whether it is one iPad or many, this page is dedicated to the use of the iPad in the middle school Language Arts classroom. We have our ideas, but we'd love to hear yours. Click HERE to email us your great ideas for integrating the iPad into your middle school Language Arts classroom. To download the apps, simply click or press on the name and it will take you directly to the app store!
Dictionary***FREE***
This dictionary app is a wonderful tool for students to use because is contains both a dictionary and a thesaurus. Students can speak a word into the iPad and this app will look up the correct spelling. There is also a helpful feature that will pronounce the word for students. Definitions contain word origins as well.
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Dragon Dictation***FREE***
Have students use this app to publish their writing. Students can speak their essays and the app will transcribe the words with incredible accuracy. Since the app does not always differentiate between homophones, facilitate to structured editing opportunities and careful proofreading. When finished, copy and paste into Pages and print.
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Educreations***FREE***
Assess student mastery of standards by having your students capture an image of a test question, then record their voice as they explain their answer choices and the process of elimination/reasoning they used to arrive at their conclusion. Students can annotate over the image of the test question to illustrate their point. Click HERE for examples.
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Idioms Illustrated***FREE***
The Idioms Illustrated app is a really high impact way to introduce the origin and meaning of many common English idioms. The idioms are explained in comic strip format with incredible illustrations that will instantly engage students. Use this app as a "center" when teaching middle school students about figurative language, or project the app on the LCD for a whole class.
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iBrainstorm***FREE***
iBrainstorm is an app that combines sticky notes with cork board backdrop that students can write on using their finger or a stylus. Sticky notes can be color-coded and arranged in a variety of Thinking Maps. When used in conjunction with iBrainstorm Companion, students can "send" sticky notes to your iBrainstorm to totally revolutionize the way you review concepts, access prior knowledge, pre write essay topics, and more!
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Creative Book Builder***$3.99***
Even though this is a paid app, it is worth every penny! If your school has multiple iPads, take advantage of Apple's Volume Discount Purchasing to order 20+ apps at half price. This app allows students to literally write their own book - the kind you can read and interact with using iBooks! The book is published as an epub document instead of PDF - the advantage of which is that students can generate and embed their own audio clips and movies which can then be played/viewed by readers.
This could be a great way to assess students mastery of standards or complete project-based investigation. Download the file below for a sample outline of a student created book about first and third person narration. 
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Explain Everything***$2.99***
Create short movies to define literary terms or story elements. Combine videos clips and text slides to retell stories, summarize main events, respond to literature, or illustrate literal and figurative meanings of sentences. Explain Everything is a more limited video program than iMovie in terms of creative and aesthetic choices for students.
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iMovie***$4.99***
Have students create movie trailers about literary elements or use propaganda strategies in commercials about made-up products. iMovie is very similar to Explain Everything, but gives students many more creative options in terms of appearance, soundtrack, effects, etc.
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Comic Life***$4.99***
Put some punch into boring grammar concepts by having students create comics utilizing certain grammar concepts. For example, direct instruct the uses of a colon, then have students write and illustrate their comic using Comic Life. The only expectation? Use each colon rule at least once. For EL students, retell text in a new way to check for comprehension. This is a must-have app!
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Qwiki***FREE***
Build background knowledge using the Qwiki app, which instantly conglomerates web-based media (images, video clips, and text) into a short, narrated presentation about any given topic. Essential when stories mention historical, geographic, or cultural aspects with which students are unfamiliar. Make this app part of your "Pre-Reading" routine.
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