Tuesday, review of My Spelling Test and Merriam-Webster apps

          From the Preparation section, I have chosen to review My Spelling Test (non-dictionary app) and Merriam-Webster (dictionary app.)
          My Spelling Test is essentially a digital teacher administering a spelling test. This eliminates the paper-pencil aspect of the typical spelling test and allows students to punch in the correct letters from the iPad keyboard. Some prep work is required by the teacher before this app can be used, however. As the student takes the test, he/she hears the word (it is not shown on the screen for obvious reasons!) and a sentence containing the spelling word. Then, he/she can type in the correct letters to spell the word. Before the spelling test can be taken, the teacher must record his/her voice into the app so that the student can audibly hear the word and sentence containing the word. After each word, immediate feedback is given so that the student can see whether he/she got the word spelling correct or incorrect. If the student misspells a word, the app will show him/her how the word is spelled correctly. After the test is completed, all the spelling words are shown in a list and whether the word was spelled correctly or incorrectly. This app can be especially useful as a means of allowing students to take spelling tests even while the teacher is absent, or is simply busy with other students or other tasks around the classroom. New spelling tests can be created, and past test scores are recorded and kept by the app. This helps teachers assess how students are doing even when teacher cannot be present while the test is being taken. This app can also be done on the SmartBoard.
          The Merriam-Webster app is a digital dictionary that can be accessed anywhere that internet is available. This is a useful app because it allows the user to search any word, just like a printed dictionary, by simply typing the word into the search bar. Even if you do not know how to spell the word, as you begin typing, options will pop up underneath the search bar to assist you. Once you have found the word for which you are searching the app provides an audible playback option for you to hear the word spoken. Another useful feature is that the user can touch any word within the definition of the searched word, and can automatically be transferred to the new word's definition page. Each page also includes additional information such as examples, part of speech, origin of the word, synonyms, and the syllable breakdown (pronunciation). The app also allows the user to do a voice search. For a voice search the user speaks the word into the microphone, and the app will look up the appropriate page.
          Both the Spelling Test app and the Merriam-Webster app could easily be incorporated into daily classroom use. The Spelling Test app is a great way to have students practice spelling words even when the teacher is unavailable for direct instruction. The Merriam-Webster app can be an awesome motivator to encourage students to look up unfamiliar words rather than just guessing a meaning. It is also a good way to teach students about the printed dictionary and the features that are included for each word.