Mathew Needleman (@mrneedleman) is a new member of Appolicious who is a teacher and filmmaker from Los Angeles. Browse his 152 apps to find gems for the classroom (Mathew rates all of his apps so it’s easy to find his favorites).
1. Tell us about yourself – where you live, your job, things you like to do.
I’ve been teaching now for over a decade, mostly in the lower grades, K-2. I currently work as a literacy coach and reading intervention teacher, providing support for struggling readers before returning them to their regular classrooms. I’ve always found success in integrating technology in the classroom and have specialized in integrating video production to develop oral language ability, appeal to different learning modalities, and engage students who are unmotivated.
I’m also an Apple Distinguished Educator and have taught educational technology to teachers at the district, county, and university level.
2. Which iOS device or devices do you own?
I have an iPhone 3GS and the original iPad. The 3GS was my first iPhone. I’ve been using Apple products since long before it was cool to do so, but I waited until the iPhone added voice dialing before making the switch to a smartphone. I’ve been happy ever since and am looking forward to the next iPhone.
3. Is there a particular category of apps that interests you the most?
I love trick photo apps, apps for videomakers, productivity enhancements, but am most interested in apps to support language development and reading ability… I have not found my dream apps in this category yet but am excited that it is a growing and developing field.
4. What are your top 3-5 apps and why?
Other than the obvious ones like Facebook and Yelp which I couldn’t live without, my other favorites are Dropbox, NetNewsWire, and Tweetdeck. Plants vs. Zombies and Flight Control are also great fun.
5. What apps are popular among your colleagues and friends?
My friends love Talking Carl and Words with Friends. In school, we love Pages, iMovie, and GarageBand.
6. Give an example of a time an app was truly useful to you.
I’ve used TripIt on vacation and it’s really made taking a vacation far less stressful, having all the information stored in one place. Genius Scan helped me to take the dinner menu with me everywhere I went while on a cruise. And, I also use the Amazon Mobile app every time I go into a bookstore to compile a wishlist of books I want to check out.
7. What other Appolicious member do you admire the most and why?
I follow other Apple Distinguished Educators like Lucy Gray (@elemenous) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) to see what apps they’re using in their classrooms.
8. Do you have a blog? Are you on Twitter?
Yes, please follow me at @mrneedleman or find out more about integrating technology in the classroom, teaching language arts, and video on my blogs at http://www.creatinglifelonglearners.com and http://www.videointheclassroom.com.
Check out mrneedleman’s Appolicious App Library here.
