1

Common Assignment:
Theres an App for That
Dilraj Grewal
Medaille College
EDU 671 - Information Technology and Literacy
Professor Ami Alderman
August 2, 2014











2

EDU 671: Information Technology and Literacy
Theres an App for That Assignment
Subject Area: ELA Reading
App Title: Sight Words
App Price: Free
Languages: English
Rationale: Learn to read with more fluency and accuracy using Sight Words which is an integral
tool in learning how to read. The Sight Words list contains 315 words that are broken down into
appropriate age groups. It is important for young readers to be able to instantly recognize these
high frequency words in order to be proficient and confident readers. Students are constantly
increasing their vocabulary by adding troublesome and frequent words to their bank which is
easily accessible and is constantly growing.
Standards:
New York State P-12 Common Core Standards
Standard Strand: Reading Standards for Literature 6 - 12
Grade: 8
Topic: Craft and Structure
Item number and statement: 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of
specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other
texts.
New York State Learning Standards English
Standard: 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining
technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape
meaning or tone. 5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs,
and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and
the whole.
Ontario Curriculum Expectations
CWC: Reading For Meaning
Overall Expectation: recognize a variety of text forms, text features, and stylistic elements and
demonstrate understanding of how they help communicate meaning.
Specific Expectation: 1.1 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a
text. 1.6 extend understanding of texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, by
connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other texts, and
to the world around them

3

EDU 671: Information Technology and Literacy
Theres an App for That Assignment
Subject Area: ELA Writing
App Title: Jumbled Sentences 3
App Price: Free
Languages: English
Rationale: Jumbled Sentences is a series of five free iPad apps designed to help students learn to
construct sentences. The apps provide students with drag and drop activities in which they sort
jumbled words into sentences. The app is an excellent interactive tool that provides immediate
feedback with a narrator as correct answers are awarded with virtual coins to track progress and
unlock more puzzles.
Standards
New York State P-12 Common Core Standards
Standard Strand: Writing Standards K-5
Grade: 3
Topic: Production and Distribution of Writing
Item number and statement: 6. With guidance and support from adults, use technology
to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and
collaborate with others.
New York State Learning Standards English
Standard: 6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to
interact and collaborate with others.
Ontario Curriculum Expectations
CWC: Using Knowledge of Form and Style in Writing
Overall Expectation: draft and revise their writing, using a variety of informational, literary,
and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience.
Specific Expectation: 2.3 use words and phrases that will help convey their meaning as
specifically as possible. 3.5 use parts of speech appropriately to communicate their meaning
clearly, with a focus on the use of: proper nouns for titles.





4

EDU 671: Information Technology and Literacy
Theres an App for That Assignment
Subject Area: English Language Learners (ELL)
App Title: Dragon Dictation App
App Price: Free
Languages: English, Spanish, French and many more
Rationale: Dragon Dictation allows users to record and send written text in dozens of languages
via email, Facebook, Twitter, SMS, or cut and paste. Simply tap record, speak, and dictate as
many notes as youd like of up to 60 seconds each. While theres no formal language instruction,
kids can benefit from its use as a tool for writing or assessing speaking. This app is particularly
useful for English language learners who can speak their native language into their device and
have a translated audio or textual playback of their desired language. This app can save teachers
and students plenty of time in the classroom and at home, allowing more opportunity to complete
additional language based tasks with ease.
Standards
New York State P-12 Common Core Standards
Standard Strand: Speaking and Listening Standards 6 - 12
Grade: 8
Topic: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Item number and statement: 4. Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points
in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-
chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
New York State Learning Standards Language
Standard: 4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can
follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience. 5. Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to
express information and enhance understanding of presentations. 6. Adapt speech to a variety of
contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or
appropriate.
Ontario Curriculum Expectations
CWC: Speaking to Communicate
Overall Expectation: Use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with
different audiences for a variety of purposes.
Specific Expectation: 2.2 demonstrate an understanding of appropriate speaking behaviour in most
situations, using a variety of speaking strategies and adapting them to suit the purpose and audience.

5

EDU 671: Information Technology and Literacy
Theres an App for That Assignment
Subject Area: Students With Disabilities (SWD)
App Title: Learning Ally Audio
App Price: Free
Languages: English
Rationale: Learning Ally is a non-profit app for the Blind & Dyslexic and is committed to
making reading accessible for all who learn differently. They provide over 75,000 audiobooks,
audio textbooks, and other recorded books to help anyone who experiences difficulty in reading
print material succeed. This app provides assistance for students who struggle with textual
recognition and phonological awareness. The voiceover tool, variable speed control and the
bookmark features allow the user to personalize the app and accommodate for those with reading
or visual disabilities.
Standards
New York State P-12 Common Core Standards
Standard Strand: Reading Standards for Informational Text 6 - 12
Grade: 6
Topic: Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
Item number and statement: 10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary
nonfiction in the grades 68 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as
needed at the high end of the range.
New York State Learning Standards English
Standard: 11 a. Self-select text based on personal preferences. b. Use established criteria to
classify, select, and evaluate texts to make informed judgments about the quality of the pieces.
Ontario Curriculum Expectations
CWC: Reading for Meaning
Overall Expectation: Use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently.
Specific Expectation: 1.1 read a wide variety of texts from diverse cultures, including literary texts.
1.7 analyse increasingly complex texts and explain how the different elements in them contribute to
meaning. 3.1 automatically read and understand most words in a range of reading contexts.



6

EDU 671: Information Technology and Literacy
Theres an App for That Assignment
Subject Area: English
App Title: The Poetry App
App Price: Free
Languages: English
Rationale: Explore poems through text or audio, and create some of your own. Students are
introduced to a select group of poets, each with a brief biography and several poems. Students
can discover 16 poets from the past, including Emily Dickinson, T.S. Eliot, and Robert Frost and
access over 100 of their poems. The recording tool that the app supports make it possible for
students to create, share and publish their very own poetry, introducing themselves and others to
classic and contemporary pieces.
Standards:
New York State P-12 Common Core Standards
Standard Strand: Reading Standards for Literature 6 - 12
Grade: 8
Topic: Craft and Structure
Item number and statement: 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of
specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other
texts.
New York State Learning Standards English
Standard: 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining
technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape
meaning or tone. 5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs,
and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and
the whole.
Ontario Curriculum Expectations
CWC: Reading For Meaning
Overall Expectation: recognize a variety of text forms, text features, and stylistic elements and
demonstrate understanding of how they help communicate meaning.
Specific Expectation: 1.1 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a
text. 1.6 extend understanding of texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, by
connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other texts, and
to the world around them.
7

EDU 671: Information Technology and Literacy
Theres an App for That Assignment
Subject Area: English
App Title: The Shakespeare App
App Price: Free
Languages: English
Rationale: The complete works of Shakespeare (41 plays, 154 sonnets and 6 poems, including
doubtful works) and a searchable concordance to find the exact word or phrase youre looking
for (with relaxed searching to find words close to your search term). This handy resource can
help students identify and define the complex language used in all Shakespeares works in a
quick, simple and interactive manner. The user can customize their reading experience by
allowing images to be displayed and used as a narrative tool. The app also includes a breakdown
feature of each scene and character as an overview of events that occur in each one of
Shakespeares plays.
Standards:
New York State P-12 Common Core Standards
Standard Strand: Reading Standards for Literature 6 - 12
Grade: 11
Topic: Craft and Structure
Item number and statement: 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a
key term over the course of a text.
New York State Learning Standards English
Standard: 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining
technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape
meaning or tone. 5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs,
and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and
the whole.
Ontario Curriculum Expectations
CWC: Reading For Meaning
Overall Expectation: read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of informational,
graphic, and literary texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning.
Specific Expectation: 1.3 identify the important ideas and supporting details in both simple and
complex texts. 1.6 extend understanding of texts, including increasingly complex or difficult
texts, by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other
texts, and to the world around them.
8

EDU 671: Information Technology and Literacy
Theres an App for That Assignment
Subject Area: English
App Title: Reading Trainer
App Price: $2.99
Languages: English
Rationale: Reading Trainer is an app designed to increase both reading speed and retention
using eye exercises that its developer says will improve mental capacity. It starts by assessing
teens' current reading speed in WPM (words per minute) and then takes them through about a
dozen units of study with several exercises each to train their brains to read faster by focusing
only on important characters or information. The app contains an assortment of simple and
challenging reading exercises, quizzes and games that are designed to help with textual
comprehension and help students identify and define challenging words all while being timed
and having their progress rewarded. The app encourages students to read more often by using
games and unlockable stories that are aimed towards the interest of teenagers.
Standards:
New York State P-12 Common Core Standards
Standard Strand: Reading Standards for Literature 6 - 12
Grade: 11
Topic: Craft and Structure
Item number and statement: 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a
key term over the course of a text.
New York State Learning Standards English
Standard: 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining
technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape
meaning or tone.
Ontario Curriculum Expectations
CWC: Reading For Meaning
Overall Expectation: read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of informational,
graphic, and literary texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning.
Specific Expectation: 1.3 identify the important ideas and supporting details in both simple and
complex texts. 1.6 extend understanding of texts, including increasingly complex or difficult
texts, by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other
texts, and to the world around them.
9

EDU 671: Information Technology and Literacy
Theres an App for That Assignment
Subject Area: English
App Title: The Poetry App
App Price: $1.99
Languages: English
Rationale: When students are asked to take part in creative writing exercises, where they are
free to write on any topic, this writing prompt generator will inspire students to comment on
current events, situational occurrences, poems, sketches, speeches, and many other genres and
writing types. The app contains 600 creative writing prompts so you've got them right at your
fingertips, online or off. Writing Prompts has many features such as the ability to shake your
device or swipe across the screen to change prompts. You can also add the prompts you like best
to your favorites and revisit them at any time.
Standards:
New York State P-12 Common Core Standards
Standard Strand: Reading Standards for Literature 6 - 12
Grade: 8
Topic: Craft and Structure
Item number and statement: 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of
specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other
texts.
New York State Learning Standards English
Standard: 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining
technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape
meaning or tone. 5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs,
and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and
the whole.
Ontario Curriculum Expectations
CWC: Using Knowledge of Form and Style in Writing
Overall Expectation: generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an
intended purpose and audience.
Specific Expectation: 2.1 write complex texts of a variety of lengths using a wide range of
forms. 2.2 establish a distinctive voice in their writing appropriate to the subject and audience.