Tuesday, October 27
4:30 PM-6:00 PM
EDT
Room 1

Use App Inventor to Build Mobile Learning Apps that Run Without Internet Connection

Workshop ID: 58118
  1. aaa
    Lyra Logan
    Florida Education Fund

Abstract: The recent sudden move to online education has worked well for some, but not so well for many students around the world who cannot access essential Internet connections or computers. Given this critical lack of access, which threatens to widen disparities, instructors must be able to provide options for students to develop essential skills whether they are connected to the Internet by computer or not. One such option is to have students practice skills using mobile apps that do not require Internet connection once installed on a student’s mobile phone or device. This workshop teaches participants how to create such apps using MIT App Inventor, an intuitive, visual, blocks-based programming environment that enables users to create feature-rich mobile apps fairly quickly, without using a tedious traditional text-based computer programming language. In this workshop, participants will learn how to use App Inventor to produce their own educational technology; become familiar with fundamental programming concepts necessary for creating high-quality educational apps; and build two of their own apps, including a multiple-choice quiz app. Participants will need a google account (Gmail or other) and must bring their own two devices: a tablet/laptop for building apps and a different Android smartphone/tablet for testing them.

Objectives

Workshop participants will 1. Engage with and learn to use the App Inventor programming environment by building two practice mobile apps. 2. Examine sample projects created with App Inventor to explore the potential for using the platform to develop mobile apps that present students with high-quality learning experiences. 3. Learn key fundamental computer programming concepts and structures necessary for creating effective mobile educational apps. 4. Create your own mobile teaching and learning app. 5. Practice sharing your apps with others/students. 6. Receive resources for continuing to create apps with App Inventor.

Topical Outline

I. Exploring App Inventor A. Planning a New App B. Laying Out the “Hi, World!” App in App Inventor’s Designer C. Live-Testing the “Hi, World!” App D. Programming “Hi, World!” in App Inventor’s Blocks Editor II. Examining Sample Educational Apps Made with App Inventor III. Programming Mobile Device Events IV. Using Variables to Store App Data A. Understanding Variables B. Declaring and Initializing Variables C. Laying Out the “Guessing Game” App D. Programming “Guessing Game” V. Making Decisions with Code A. Understanding the Selection Control Structure B. Laying Out the “Multiplication Station” App C. Programming “Multiplication Station” VI. Creating and Using Lists to Store Multiple Related Values A. Laying Out the “History Quiz” App B. Programming “History Quiz” VII. Helping Students Install Your App VIII. Reviewing App Inventor Resources

Experience Level

Beginner

Qualifications

The Instructor is an MIT-certified Master Trainer in Educational Mobile Computing (App Inventor) who develops mobile apps using App Inventor, PHP and MySQL and is a certified Python, Perl, JavaScript, Database Design and Web Development professional. She also holds graduate certificates in Instructional Technology: Web Design and in Online Teaching and Learning, earned her BA from Fisk University and JD from Harvard. Currently, the Instructor is Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Florida Education Fund (FEF), a nonprofit that creates and implements educational programs for underrepresented groups. In addition, the Instructor directs FEF’s pre-college programs, which include after-school and summer coding camps for elementary, middle, and high school students in Florida. The Instructor is the author of the recently published Learn to Program with App Inventor ( https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/597931/learn-to-program-with-app-inventor-by-lyra-blizzard-logan/), which teaches readers to code as they create several apps featuring some of today’s most exciting mobile technology. As an App Inventor Master Trainer since 2017, the Instructor has trained instructors and secondary students at Florida Gulf Coast University, the University of South Florida, and numerous middle and high schools to develop mobile apps while learning the universal fundamentals of computer programming that they will use when programming apps either in a blocks-based environment like App Inventor or with traditional text-based programming languages.

Topic

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