Friday "Appy" Hour.....Tools4Students

This week's Friday "Appy" Hour focuses on the organizational app Tools 4 Students created by Mobile Learning Services. I learned of Tools4Students when I began a search for an app that supported the students I work with who demonstrate weakness with the organization of written ideas. These students were being provided graphic organizers in their classrooms, but they were in the traditional print form. Many of these same students struggled with the fine motor aspects of writing or task compliancy. This is where Tools 4 Students came in....

The simplistic interface of Tools 4 Students offers students an easy way to organize and engage with the content being presented. One of the stand-out features of this application is the 25 organizational charts, which help students with analyzing text and pre-writing. Specific charts for literacy include cause and effect, Venn diagrams, problem and solution, summarizing, K-W-L, timelines, fact vs. opinion, pro vs. con, character analysis, and amongst many more. The interactive note-taking templates allow students to customize and organize their ideas for any subject or note-taking need. After working on the desired graphic organizer, students can then save it to the app’s library, email it, or print it. You can also export the files to GoogleDrive, Notability, Pinterest, SnapTypePro, GoWorksheet, as well as many other applications. The ability to do this, allows for the students to create a hub for saving materials.


How It Works?

• Step 1: Open the app, and you can browse through any documents you have previously completed or started to complete on your iPad.

• Step 2: Tap on the page icon on the bottom left hand corner to browse through all 25 organizational charts. Tap on the desired chart to open.

• Step 3: Tap on any box within the chart to enter in text. If looking to dictate the text, then click on the microphone icon to access this feature. Note: Wifi must be on in order for the dictation tools to work.

• Step 4: Once you have completed a chart, tap on the "Open in" or the Upload icons in the top right hand corner of the screen to the exporting options.

Cost...
Download Tools 4 Students for $0.99 in the Apple app store.

**If you're considering this app for middle school to high school aged students, you will also want to check out Tools4Students 2.**