{"id":1988,"date":"2010-08-16T05:37:48","date_gmt":"2010-08-16T05:37:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.slj.com\/neverendingsearch\/?p=1988"},"modified":"2010-08-16T05:37:48","modified_gmt":"2010-08-16T05:37:48","slug":"essential-research-apps-what-would-you-download","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.slj.com\/neverendingsearch\/2010\/08\/16\/essential-research-apps-what-would-you-download\/","title":{"rendered":"Essential research apps? Creating a library"},"content":{"rendered":"

As iPhones and iPads and other mobile devices enter our classrooms and our learners’ backpacks and pockets, I’ve been wondering what types of little libraries they might be building to support their learning.\u00a0 And how we as\u00a0 librarians might help them select and build those libraries.\u00a0 This gathering of worthy apps may be especially timely with Apple’s news this week of a bulk purchasing option for education<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Back in the spring, I excitedly shared about Gale’s new database apps in AccessMyLibrary School Edition<\/a> and Gale and Buffy (a little more on the AccessMyLibrary app).<\/a><\/p>\n

Since those posts I’ve been considering what a personal app library might include.\u00a0 We are able to broadcast our reference suggestions through our web-based pathfinders.\u00a0 But, right now, we cannot easily broadcast to our learners’ mobile devices.\u00a0 We will need to make some suggestions.<\/p>\n

Oh, I know there are equity issues.\u00a0 But, for the many of my kids who have devices now, and for those students who do have school-issued iPads, I am thinking that this fall we will create a little list for learners and their parents of research apps too good to miss.\u00a0 Here are a few suggestions, none costing more than the price of one or two songs on iTunes.\u00a0 Please add others in your comments!<\/p>\n

(Full disclosure note:\u00a0 I long for, but do not yet own an iPad. I need your help here. I am working largely on how these apps look and work on my iPhone.)<\/p>\n

GALE- Access my Library<\/a> (free) for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. I’ve probably said enough in those prior posts. We buy it for them.\u00a0 Our students should have this quality material available<\/em> to them.\u00a0 We need to make sure these apps are loaded. I am hoping the other database vendors follow Gale’s lead.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

World Factbook 2010<\/a> ($0.99) for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.\u00a0 This regularly updated ready reference tool covers more than 250 countries and territories of the world, with a sweet country comparison feature.\u00a0 Does not require a network connection for use.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Dictionary.com<\/a> <\/strong>(free) for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, BlackBerry. <\/strong>Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, this hugely popular tool offers both a dictionary and thesaurus, phonetic and audio pronunciation, example sentences, non-standard uses, word origin and history.\u00a0 Shake your device to see a randomly-selected word. All but the audio pronunciations are available offline.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Advanced English Dictionary and Thesaurus<\/a> ($0.99) for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Blackberry<\/p>\n

Searches all 1.4 million English words, as well as biographical and geographical information. Great for writers struggling with ideas, the AED shows how words are linked to each other, offers lists of more general and more specific words, as well as synonyms, antonyms, meronyms, hypernyms.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Wikipedia<\/a> (free) For iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.<\/p>\n

This basic app provides mobile access to Wikipedia articles, a starting point for research, and very handy for ready reference.\u00a0 But consider . . .<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Wikipanion<\/a> (free) for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad and Wikipanion Plus<\/a> ($4.99)<\/p>\n

The updated versions are a bit faster and easier than the basic access version, offering the following features focusing on zooming, media, and multitasking:<\/p>\n

Streamline your browsing with history grouped by visit date, and bookmarking that not only bookmarks individual entries, but individual sections within an entry. Featuring intelligent features such as:
\n– Table of contents browser that knows where you are in the page
\n– Multiple search methods including Smart completion with entry preview, Google searching and a full text Wikipedia search
\n– Dual language searching and language switching (hiding languages you don’t care about)
\n– Bookmark, including bookmarking individual sections of pages
\n– History, grouped by last visit date
\n– Full in-page searching
\n– Wiktionary dictionary term looking without leaving the current page
\n– Table based category browsing
\n– Interactive font resizing
\n– Image saving to the Photo library
\n– Ogg vorbis audio playback for dictionary pronunciations and other audio content available on Wikipedia
\n– Contextual knowledge for sending links to specific sections in a Wikipedia entry
\n– Easily turn on automatic focusing of the search field on launch<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The slightly pricier Wikipanion Plus<\/a>, at $4.99, adds Queue Mode, for keeping track of entries for accelerated future browsing and reading.<\/p>\n

WorldBook This Day in History<\/a> (free) for iPhone and iPad.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The interactive, multimedia calendar is a handy tool for history teachers and students.\u00a0 It presents little know interesting facts and its media-rich offerings include photos, illustrations, music, and speeches.<\/p>\n

U.S. Historical Documents<\/a> ($0.99) for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad\u00a0 This one is a must for those AP DBQers and other history buffs.<\/p>\n

An in-the-works pro version will have more features, but this this little package allows you to walk around with more than 200 influential documents to search, annotate, bookmark, and highlight and scroll in either portrait and landscape views.<\/p>\n

Locations are remembered and font size and colors are adjustable. Docs are stored directly for reading offline.\u00a0 Among the included documents:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Christopher Columbus Letter
\n\u2022 Virginia Charters
\n\u2022 Mayflower Compact
\n\u2022 First Thanksgiving Proclamation
\n\u2022 Stamp Act
\n\u2022 Declaration of Arms
\n\u2022 Declaration of Independence
\n\u2022 Fugitive Slave Law
\n\u2022 The Federalist Papers (all 85!)
\n\u2022 US Constitution
\n\u2022 CSA Constitution
\n\u2022 Gettysburg Address
\n\u2022 Emancipation Proclamation
\n\u2022 I Have A Dream
\n\u2022 All Inaugural Address of All Presidents
\n\u2022 State of the Union Addresses
\n\u2022 9\/11 Documents
\n\u2022 The USA Patriot Act
\n\u2022 President Obama’s Inauguration Speech
\n\u2022 Over 15 Landmark Supreme Court Cases
\n\u2022 Pres. Obama’s 2009 Speech to the Joint Session of Congress<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Alternately, students may need separate apps for the Constitution<\/a> or the Declaration of Independence<\/a> (free) for iPhone and iPad, for easy access to those essential founding documents.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Famous Speeches<\/a> ($0.99) for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.<\/p>\n

Includes many of history’s most influential speeches, among them the words of Susan B. Anthony, Napoleon Bonaparte, Winston Churchill, Dwight Eisenhower, Queen Elizabeth I, Mahatma Gandhi, Lou Gehrig, Patrick Henry, Adolph Hitler, Victor Hugo,\u00a0 John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Vince Lombardi, Nelson Mandela, George Marshall, Richard M. Nixon, George Patton, Pericles, Eleanor Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, William Shakespeare, Harry Truman, Woodrow Wilson, and Malcolm X.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

History: <\/a>Maps of World<\/a> (free) for iPhone and iPad.<\/p>\n

\n

This lovely free app provides a rich collection of high-resolution historical maps, searchable by category, era, and keyword, with zoom and rotation options.\u00a0 It does not require a network connection.<\/p>\n

Included are:<\/p>\n