Applets & App Review

Applet #1
Catch the Fly
 http://hotmath.com/hotmath_help/games/ctf/ctf_hotmath.swf
This applet is designed to practice working with x and y coordinates. This is just a quick activity that provides simple practice, this is not an applet that the students would need a lot of time to go through. The premise of the game is that you are a frog and a fly lands somewhere on the coordinate plane. You have to type in the coordinates of where the fly is in order to eat it. The applet itself is on a plain grayish blue colored coordinate plane with the frog a vibrant green color. The answers which are typed in by the students are placed on the plane in red for incorrect answers and green for correct answers. The plane is easy to see and has clear numbers which are easy to read.
I think that this applet can be used anytime when the students finish work early or are allowed to have time on the computers. This applet is perfect for middle school students and I think that the students would be entertained by it. The feedback is very clear, the point which the students selected is highlighted until the correct point is selected. The coordinates are also written next to that point to help them see how they are set up. The feedback is immediate and helpful.

Applet #2
Factor-Tris
http://hotmath.com/hotmath_help/games/factortris/factortris_hotmath_sound.swf 
This game adds a math spin to the traditional game of Tetris. In this game, the students select what size blocks will come down based on their factoring of numbers given. For example, the number 72 will show up on the screen, the students then must select 72 units in some way (a rectangle which is 6x12). That rectangle will then come down the other side of the screen in a Tetris type game. This game is really fun and great for middle school aged students.
The main focus of the game is factoring. This is a great way for the students to keep practicing their multiplication and division skills. There is also some spacial reasoning skills required for the Tetris side of the game. This can be used in the classroom again during free time as a skill builder for students.

App #1
iTooch 7th Grade Math
http://www.edupad.com/itooch/middle-school-app/
This app is awesome! It includes so many different topics all geared toward 7th graders. The app is appealing to children and has many bright, vibrant colors. The topics include; numbers and operations, algebraic structures, statistics, functions, and geometry. Within this app, the player starts out answering a few questions from the selected category. After getting these questions correct, it will allow you to take a test within that category. The student can then unlock new levels and tests to take. This game has great sounds and visual effects. It is fun and exciting to play. This is something that the students can play for a very short amount of time or even a longer time because of the way it is set up. The teacher can select what category the students should play in or the students can select whichever they would like. The app is available for Apple and Android devices.