Dictionary app

As part of the warm-up I have the students do, I include a compare and contrast.  Since over half of my students are classified as ELL (English Language Learners), this type of exercise helps my students develop their vocabulary.  Research indicates that many mathematical terms have both an English and a specialized definition while others are specifically mathematically oriented.  I am hoping my students knowledge of mathematical terms increases.  One of my students asked if I could get a dictionary app put on the iPads so they can look up the definitions.  This is a nice request.  Currently many of my students automatically head to the internet to look up information.  I also allow them to check the internet to help them answer standardized test questions.
I also had my first period students take a quick quiz on ratios using Thump Ultimate.  Most of them didn't do any better than the first time they took this same quiz.  I also had them take a quiz on fractions and decimals.  Something else they need to work on.  The nice thing about this app is that it explains why the choice was wrong.  They get to try the problem again.
As I check the various quizzes in this app, I am finding more and more quizzes that I can use in all of my different classes.  This makes it even more valuable to use in the classroom.

levels and depths

Yesterday, I discovered that one of the apps I chose had more depth than I anticipated and my students are developing some patience.  I used a free app called Thump Ultimate which has several quizzes grouped according to areas such as number sense, basic algebra, etc.  I discovered that each quiz in various area checks for something different.  I found that one quiz under number sense checked for knowledge of ratios which is what we just started in one of my classes.  I had my students take it and the results range from 2/10 to 6/10.  I am thinking of having students retake the quiz at the end of the unit so that I have done a pre and post assessment.  The great thing about yesterday was simply for the first time, my students actually stopped and read the explanations when they missed a questions.  Last time they used this app, they just closed the explanation boxes and moved on, this time they read the explanations.  I do like that about this app.  When a student selects a wrong answer, a dialogue box pops up to explain why the student missed the problem. 
This is a group who up until this year has always rushed through anything that required reading.  They have been slowing and discovered when they slow down and actually read the material, their scores go up.  This is a major step.