Virginia on iTunes U and Apps for Learning

Through iTunes U for K-12 education, students, teachers, and other interested users can “learn on the go" by downloading audio and video content onto an iPad, iPod, iTouch, or iPhone from any computer with Internet access. The Virginia on iTunes U portal is part of a larger effort by the Commonwealth to harness the power of digital media and mobile devices to expand and supplement classroom -based education. “Mobile communication devices are an integral part of the lives of thousands of Virginia students,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Patricia I. Wright. “We can choose to ignore them or we can leverage them as powerful, personal learning devices.” http://www.doe.virginia.gov/news/news_releases/2009/apr07.pdf

To access Virginia on iTunes U directly:

Virginia on iTunes U may be accessed at here if iTunes is downloaded on the computer (PC or Mac). A free download of iTunes is available.

As of March 1, 2011, the following list of courses is available on Virginia on iTunes U:

A Moment in Time
Academic Literacy
African American Trailblazers in Virginia
BackStory with the American History Guys
Civil War in Virginia Series
Creative Learning in the Classroom
Data Driven Decision Making
Discovering Jamestown
Diving Deeper
Dr. Patricia I. Wright, Superintendent
Economics and Personal Finance
English as a Second Language
Family Connections Pre-K
Focus on Virginia: The James River
Fun with Physics
Highlights from George C. Marshall Foundation
Innovate
Internet Safety in Virginia
Introduction to Comics
ITRT Connection
Jamestown: A Fruitful Soil
Learning without Boundaries
Making Waves
McGlothlin Awards for Teaching Excellence
Net Files
Net Safety
Parent Involvement: Keys to Success
Reading Comprehension Strategies
Shaping the Constitution: Resources from Library of Virginia and Library of Congress
Shaping the World: Conversations on Democracy
Share the Skies
Shortie Awards: Student Film & News Festival
Teachers and Teaching
Teaching Mathematics
Tech Tutorials
Technology Integration
Teens in Between
The Empire of Mali Series
The Forest Files
The Story of Virginia
Thinkfinity in Virginia
Three Countries You Ought to Know About
Virginia Currents
Virginia Holocaust Museum
Virginia Pathways
Virginia Trekkers
Virginians at War
With Good Reason

Previous Background Information on Virginia Department of Education

(Press Releases Related to Apps for Learning)
Superintendent Announces SOL Apple Apps Challenge Seeking Apps to Enhance Learning in History, Civics &; Geography

SOL Apple Apps Challenge Winners Announced: Apps Designed to Enhance Learning in History, Civics and Geography Apps for Learning

With nearly 350,000 apps—over 25,000 in the Education category—available in the Apple App Store, the Office of Educational Technology at the Virginia Department of Education is leveraging these mobile technologies to expand learning opportunities for students and families. Mobile devices are an integral part of children’s lives and the majority of children in the United States have access to a mobile device. Virginia is tapping these devices to deliver standards-based, engaging content to meet the specific needs of Virginia’s learners.

Several initiatives are adding to the growing collection of apps. A Virginia Mobile Learning Apps Development Challenge has been conducted for the past two years focusing on social studies and mathematics. Based on the Standards of Learning (SOL) and an analysis of student performance by question test data, apps on key social studies and mathematics priorities have been developed to motivate students and enhance their learning. Internet safety apps have been developed to complement the Professor Garfield Internet Safety and You lessons. Competitive grant recipients through the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program have used a portion of this funding to develop apps to promote student-directed learning and enrichment beyond the classroom. Finally, the Beyond Textbooks initiative is resulting in apps that challenge our thinking about textbooks.

All apps are available as free downloads from the Apple App Store.

Early Jamestown
Beyond Textbooks 2010: American History Games
Beyond Textbooks 2010: American History Test Prep
Beyond Textbooks 2010: World History Games
Beyond Textbooks 2010: World History Test Prep
Westward Expansion
Pass the Past
Governomics
C2C! (Coast to Coast)
European Exploration: The Age of Discovery
Nation Creation
Number Line
Freddy Fraction

Fraction Factory

iCatchSquares

Math Stacker
Professor Garfield - Cyberbullying
Professor Garfield - Online Safety
Professor Garfield Fact or Opinion
Professor Garfield Forms of Media
Computer Carl
Grammar Dragon
Opposite Ocean
Same Meaning Magic
Same Sound Spell Bound
Sticker Shop
History Line
Spelling Cat

Beyond Textbook Initiative

For additional information, please contact:

Betsy S. Barton
Specialist, History and Social Science
Office of Standards, Curriculum, and Instruction
Virginia Department of Education
Email: Betsy.Barton@doe.virginia.gov