Taylor Manrique

App Research Project

T&L 445
11/29/18
Duolingo
Which 3 apps did you explore? Which app did you choose to review? Why did you decide
to review this app? (Please choose apps that are new to you, not ones that you have already
discussed in previous assignments)
 Duolingo
 Talkulator
 News-O-Matic
The three apps in which I chose to explore were the three I listed above. I chose to explore the
Duolingo and the Talkultor apps because they are useful for all students, whether that be an ELL
student, a student with a disability, or a student learning a new language other than English. I
wanted to discover News-O-Matic because I believe is it very important for students to stay
connected with world-wide news so that they can be aware and educated. The app that I chose to
review, however, is the Duolingo app, because it is an app that can be easily utilized and
navigated by not just children with disabilities, but students who are learning English or any
other language. This app can be easily accessed by students in and out of the classroom.
Which grade level and content areas does this app focus on? (for example, math, English,
Social Studies etc.)
The great thing about this app is that it is not limited to any particular grade level, so being rated
for ages four and up makes it accessible for students at all grade levels. Although the app is very
kid-friendly, it still makes for a great learning resources for older students because it is easy to
use and understand. The app does focus primarily on English Language Arts for its content area,
and although it is mainly for students learning a language, it is a great tool for students to use in
the classroom when learning sentence structure, reading skills, and how to pronounce and spell
words.
List 3 learning objectives this app would help meet, based on the ISTE NET standards.
1. SWBAT use this technological resource to achieve personal learning goals in a way that
reflects their achievements and progress in relation to the learning targets
2. SWBAT communicate difficult content through the use of digital tools and models
3. SWBAT understand how to utilize a variety of tools through this technological resource
in order to demonstrate meaningful connections to other content areas
Describe 3 things about this app that you like and why.
 1. This app, as I mentioned previously, is a tool that can be utilized by students of all grade
levels, therefore allowing instructors to use it no matter how many different grades they
teach. There are tools within this app that are user-friendly no matter what age of student
is using it. For younger grades, students will most likely take advantage of the app’s fun
and interactive mini lesson, which include educational games with pictures and models.
For older grades, students will most likely take advantage of the tool hat helps you
identify letters and match them with their sound.
2. This app allows students to track and manage their own goals, allowing them to see their
achievements and their progress. For example, if a student has achieved learning the
pronunciation of words, then they can move on to another section, keeping track of that
particular aspect that they have achieved. Students can become more motivated to move
through the process of learning aspects of a language if they have goals to work towards,
and they do not have to be overwhelmed with having to achieve too many goals because
they set them themselves.
3. Despite the fact that this app offers thirty languages that students and others can learn
from, the app allows students to communicate their reading, writing, speaking, and
listening skills through conversations with the Chatbots that the app provides. These
Chatbots allow students to hear, see, and practice what letters and words sound like and
look like. This hands-on resource that students are allowed to access through this app
allows them to get effective practice when it comes to learning all aspects of a new
language. Also, through the app, students are allowed to communicate with other users to
learn effective and appropriate communication skills through new languages.
Is this app user-friendly? What makes it so? How will it engage students and help them
develop a deeper understanding of a particular concept or subject?
This app is very-user friendly, especially since it for almost all ages, meaning that it has to be
easy to navigate and understandable for kids to use, as well as easy for users who have
disabilities or no experience with technology. When you are just beginning to use the app, it
takes you step-by-step through the process of creating a profile, which is customized by what
language(s) in which you are working towards to learn and what goals you have when it comes
to the learning process of the language you are learning. Once you have created a profile, you are
able to track how may lessons you have completed and see what exactly you need to work on.
The app has a place holder for each and every objective that students need to learn in order to
achieve being fluent in a language, and track how far they have come to achieve each one. You
are also to track how many lessons you have gone through and how many more that you need to
complete. The organization and simple navigation of the app allows it to be easy for young
students, users with no technology experience, and students with disabilities be able to easily
learn and effectively use the app. The app is able to engage students through the use of
competitive games that include models and images. Also, being able to earn medals and achieve
a goal is something that students will be able to work towards, as well get excited to do. Being
engaged in the learning objectives that this app exposes students to, then allows students to want
to learn and want to achieve more than even their goals that they have set. Students will even
want to take their engagement outside of the classroom, getting even more practice with learning
a new language.
Would this app be useful for learners with special needs, ELL students or gifted students,
If so how?
This app is very useful for learners with special needs, ELL students, and even gifted students
because of the simple fact that learning a new language is a difficult task for everyone, no matter
what age or academic level the student is at. Considering that this app is so easy to navigate and
can be changed to any students first language to help with comprehension, it allows any and all
students to be able to use it easily and effectively. For those who may not be able to navigate
technology easily, students can access the youtube video in which walks students through how to
navigate every aspect of the app. The listening, speaking, reading, writing, and spelling resources
allow all students to focus on the objective in which they struggle the most with. For example, if
a student with a reading disability needs assistance reading a sentence fluently, they can use the
reading tool in English to help them listen to sentences and read them back to a Chatbot. All of
these tools are very helpful for students at all levels with all kinds of abilities.
Considering application, please provide an example of how you could see yourself using
this app in the classroom? How will the app help your students gain additional information
or re-teach a concept?
I would use this app within my classroom specifically for practice and trying to get struggling
students towards being able to achieve learning an objective for English Language Arts. I want
this tool to be heavily utilized not just by my ELL or special needs students, but by all of my
students who believe or show that they need improvement in a certain area. I would allow my
students to access this app during free time or during things like silent reading time, that way
they can get extra practice. Also, I would use this app as ‘take home work’ so that they can
complete fun games and practice instead of completing a boring worksheet. This app allows
students to authentically and effectively learn and work through new concepts of their primary or
second language. By having full access to this app, it will allow students to access new
information and information in which they have already learned but are not comfortable with.
Does this app provide feedback, of some kind, or an assessment tool for you as the teacher,
If so how?
Considering how the app keeps track of student’s progress and exactly what they have achieved
in relation to the goal, teachers can access student accounts and see how or if they are improving
and at what pace. Since the app provides these tools for students and teachers, they ultimately
provide feedback as to how and if the student is progressing and how much more they need to
achieve. The activities show students how many they get wrong in relation to how many they
have answered, showing their strengths and their weaknesses. The app, for every objective,
shows how close students are to completing the goal, and turns the representative a color to show
when they have fully achieved it. Considering that the app is all quiz-like activities, it is all
assessment-based and shows exactly what an informal assessment should, for both the student
and the teacher. Parents can also access their student’s accounts to see their child’s work and
achievement. This app is all about working towards a goal and achieving it, therefore provides
student will all the feedback they need to throughout the entire learning process so that they can
be successful in learning a new language, or improving upon their primary language.