There is a great concentration of educators who believe in the power of technology in the classroom and while their ability to create the best, most functional tools might be limited, educators can play a vital role in the development of EdTech.

Educators can make the developers’ job much easier by letting them know what they want in an app. A recent TeacherCast article makes this evident in an article titled, “9 App Features That Developers Should Consider When Creating EdTech Apps.”

“I believe in the power of play in education and the last 2 years spent teaching tech in grades K-5 have really cemented the belief that there are at least 9 app features that should be considered before it enters the classroom environment,” says Sam Patterson of Teacher Cast.  

“I clearly see how well-designed playful lessons support student empowerment and knowledge creation.”

Applications if developed properly can develop social skills along with a wide array of learning skills and information on all subjects. The apps have the ability to engage children and get them enthusiastic about learning but there are nine features Patterson says developers need to take into consideration.

The first feature involves quickly linking students’ performance to assessment. Patterson says that educators want to see how students are performing and responding, that way they can grade accordingly. The capability must also be efficient enough to quickly connect the app-work to the grade book according to Patterson.

One really interesting feature that Patterson points out deals with the limitations that occur when educators don’t have enough resources. Students must then share devices in turn creating the need for a “4 hands” mode as Patterson calls it.

Interactivity is a big key to a students’ development and Patterson says developers should think about creating apps where students can interact in a digital space. He uses Minecraftedu as one of the premiere, compelling social spaces.

Cross Platform and We Availability along with a Teach Dashboard are among a few more of the nine total features in his article. He understands that in order for educators to bring the best out of the technology, they also need to be a part of the overall development process.

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Article by Navindra Persaud, Education World Contributor