Review: BrainPOP

Name: BrainPOP

Format: Both iOS  & Android

Publisher: BrainPOP

Price in AUD (at time of review): Free version has movies and games - subscription required for expansion topics and wider content.

In app purchases enabled? Full content unlocked with subscription

Age suitable for: Primary School and Secondary School

How can it support learning? Based on videos, games and quizzes across all areas of curriculum. They are sort and fun to keep kids attention and give immediate feedback.

Curriculum links? Many - fits across Australian Curriculum. It is an American resource.

Fiona and Little Tacker’s (LT) Review

We have only used the free version of this on the i-Pad, but really like watching the movies together and working through the quizzes (multiple choice questions). LT does like to sit with his Dad and watch and discuss these videos too. We tend to look at the science topics, but there is a wide range of resources available, including art and music. We would recommend you try the free version and see how useful it is for you and your child/ren before subscribing. Games and other features are accessed via a subscription. I know some schools have invested in BrainPOP, and so may have student subscriptions available - check with your school.  It is a good ‘resource’ and would support homework for upper primary and lower secondary school students. In terms of cyber-safety, it is a good place for kids to explore independently as there are no external web links.

Link to You-tube Trailer:

Rating (out of 5) -  Four stars - we love it, but it would be good to have access to some games in the free version :) 

Australia Day Special Part 2: Australian Geography for kids

It's important to know the geography of our country. So it doesn't hurt to get started at home, especially if you have headed off or are about to head off on holiday to an Australian destination.

In this post I am looking at two Apps that focus on this: Map Me Australia and Australia Puzzle Map. They could be used for fun or as a homework/home learning activity, especially as children in Australian Schools are expected to have an understanding of this in the middle years of primary school.

Apps that help to make learning fun - Liz

I've been using iPads at school and home since they were first released. I think the biggest challenge I've faced is figuring out whether the Apps I'm using are for learning or entertainment, which is a much bigger challenge than it used to be with all of the Apps that are available these days! I can get lost on the App store for hours sometimes!

It's important to think about what your purpose is and what you hope to get out of an App before you use it. It's so easy to get sidetracked and caught up in gaming Apps and forget about the huge potential that hand held devices have for promoting thinking and learning.

Keep in mind that deep learning doesn't magically happen on it's own, by talking with your kids, giving them feedback about what they are doing and asking questions, you can help them to think about what they are doing and why and how they can troubleshoot their way around challenges. This will help the deeper thinking and learning to occur.

Here are a few of my favourites, which I have used at school and at home: