The Common Core State Standards
emphasize the importance of students
making sense of word problems in math
and explaining how they solved them.
Educreations is a whiteboard app that
helps students meet these standards, as
well as many others, because it allows them to create video
lessons to share what they have learned with others.
Students can use the app to write out the strategies they
used to solve math problems, take pictures of their manipulatives, and record their voices explaining the process. In
the past, my students would work hard to figure out math
problems using their own strategies, only to have the bell
ring before they had a chance to explain their thinking. By
the time we met again, they had forgotten how they had
solved the problem. Now they can save their work—and
their thinking—using this easy-to-access free app.
Educators can share links to the videos with parents, embed
them in a blog or an e-portfolio, or share them on Facebook.
If they want to keep the gallery private, they can do that too.
Platform: iPad
Cost: Free
Meet Common Core Using Educreations
Got an app for that? Email a description of your favorite app to dfingal@iste.org.
Carrie Hillman is a K– 12 technology coach at
Oelwein Community School District in Oelwein,
Iowa. She oversees technology integration and
professional development for the district, which is
moving to a 1: 1 environment. She was previously
an elementary teacher for 11 years.
Here are more apps to help students meet the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).
Blogger: Compose a post, embed images,
add tags, and more to meet writing standards.
Android, iOS; free
LearnZillion: Watch videos and use teaching
materials that highlight CCSS.
iOS; free
Common Core Standards: Find standards by subject,
grade, and subject category.
Android, iOS; free
Numbers League: Assemble a team of superheroes
to conquer villains and practice CCSS math concepts.
iOS; $3.99
Futaba: Build CCSS language skills with this word quiz
game for four players.
iPad; free
Scootpad: Practice CCSS concepts in this adaptive
learning environment.
Android, iOS; free
Intel Visual Ranking: Rank concepts in order
according to pre-established criteria.
Android, iOS; free
TI-Inspire CAS: Master algebra using this advanced
computer algebra system.
iPad; $29.99
Reading Comprehension Camp: Help kids improve
reading comprehension and monitor their progress.
iOS; $19.99
Evernote: Record thoughts, compose, rewrite, and
share to address writing standards.
Android, iOS; free
Geoboards: Stretch bands around pegs to form line
segments and polygons and make discoveries.
iOS; free
Skoolbo Core Skills: Practice CCSS literacy and
numeracy in this 3D immersive world.
Android, iOS; free
