Brain Pop Jr. for iPad

While I was teaching Kindergarten and First Grade, Brain Pop Jr. may have been my lesson planning best friend (other than Courtney and Trish, of course).  Brain Pop provided an easy way to integrate technology through the use of colorful, animated multimedia that closely matched many of the concepts I was teaching at that time, whether it was for math, reading, health or history.  I could not envision my classroom without it. BPJr. follows Annie and robot Moby through a vast array of learning topics.  Each video lasts only about 5 minutes which gives you, the teacher, ample time to set up an activity (or clean up one!).  Using the videos also provides transitions in the lesson.

Here's what you need to know about Brain Pop Jr.

Like Brain Pop (Sr.), it requires a subscription to get full access.  This means all the videos on MLK, counting by 10's, nouns, George Washington, and exercise are neatly tucked away until you're willing to shell out some cash.  If your school has a subscription already, take advantage of it!  It's worth every penny and may not be there forever.  While the cost is not unreasonable, its impractical for a teacher to pay out of his/her own pocket.  At the very least, you can use it for upcoming holidays and historical events, which are typically featured for free during the week of the event. 

Pros

• Short, engaging videos
• Easy Tech-integration tool
• Follow-up quizzes (easy/hard)
• Topics familiar to Kinder-2nd Grade curriculum
• Catchy music, corny jokes
• The App is Free...

Cons

• Paid subscription needed for full access
• Post-video activities are weak
• Students can print scores from Quizzes, but cannot send digitally to teacher
• Catchy music, corny jokes

In closing, I feel without a subscription, this app will be quickly forgotten due to its limited features.  However, since it doesn't take up much space on the device, it's worth keeping if you have a few iPads in the classroom to use as a holiday lesson.