It is helpful to use a standard rubric or checklist when evaluating apps. I downloaded this checklist and evaluated the Educreations app. Here is a screenshot of the checklist.
Finding Apps
You wouldn't think that finding apps that are appropriate for Art would be difficult...and it's not, really. The problem is that there are so many! There are several sites and blogs that review educational apps. These are great resources and help narrow down your search. I used Teachers With Apps to find three new apps to try in the art room.
BugArt is a creative app where kids can draw and create with a variety of tools. Guided drawing practice is also a feature in this app. This app costs $.99.
Drawp for School is an interactive app where students can create drawings and share them with their teacher or classmates. This app is free.
Mini Monet is a creative app that provide motivators for keeping student interest and the self-satisfaction of making original art. I downloaded the lite version and decided to upgrade to the full version. You can get the full version for $1.99. In the full version you are able to share masterpieces. There are also many features you can unlock by upgrading.
Here is the evaluation I did of this app with the same checklist I used above.
When I looked up the Mini Monet App in the Apple volume purchase program, it was only listed as the free version. So I'm not sure how that would work if you wanted to be able to use the full version.
I think that using this method of a checklist or rubric to determine the best apps to buy, especially for a whole school's use, is a wise idea. There are a lot of apps available and you want to be buying the ones that are going to promote higher order thinking skills. Also, if there are several apps a school wishes to purchase, the rubric evaluation could really help prioritize the list and help plan for budgeting for money to buy them.
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