App Ed Review
About App Ed Review
App Ed Review was born in the spring 2012 semester, when Dr. Todd Cherner was teaching a graduate-level literacy class at Coastal Carolina University. As part of that class, Todd set aside time for “app-etizers” that were mini-lessons about apps. Because the school district where the majority of his students worked provided each of them and iPad to use in their classroom, Todd’s students were very interested in these mini-lessons. Then, during one of these app-etizers, a student asked him, “What makes an app good to use in the classroom?” Although Todd had been using apps as part of his teaching for two years at this point, he had never considered the worth of an app. In response, Todd investigated if there was a research-based app evaluation rubric and he found that a comprehensive one had yet to be developed. At this point, Todd met with Dr. Corey Lee and discussed how they could create such a rubric. During the remainder of that semester, Todd and Corey collaborated to create that rubric, which would eventually be vetted in an article published by the Journal of Information Technology and Teacher Education.
After creating the rubric, Todd and Corey used it to evaluate the quality of apps. However, they soon realized that an app’s quality and how it was used are two different key areas. As such, they developed a framework to review apps, which included: (1) An original app description, (2) a comprehensive app evaluation, and (3) instructional ideas for using the app. Todd and Corey saw these elements as being the information teachers needed to use apps quickly and effectively. With this framework in place, Todd and Corey began to review apps over the summer of 2013. By the end of that summer, 30 apps had been reviewed, and Corey created the App Ed Review website that launched in September of 2013. From there, App Ed Review quickly took off!
During the 2013-2014 school year, Todd and Corey put extensive effort into developing App Ed Review from being a project to a full-fledged resource for teachers. To do so, they presented App Ed Review at multiple conferences, appeared in both the Technology Horizons in Education and The Atheneum publications, were awarded a $5,000 grant, and had a peer-reviewed article published by the Current Issues in Technology and Teacher Education journal. With these successes in place, Todd and Corey saw great potential in App Ed Review and applied to a business incubator to sustain App Ed Review.
In late 2014, the Conway Innovation Center (CIC) selected App Ed Review as its first business venture. Being selected by the CIC was crucial because the costs to maintain App Ed Review were mounting. First, with support from the CIC, App Ed Review redefined its sustainability model. Second, a national board of advisors was recruited to steer the direction of App Ed Review. With their board of advisors, App Ed Review receives support and expert guidance for the direction of the project. Third, App Ed Review gained the attention of Myrtle Beach’s local news media – including television, online, and in press – and Concordia featured it in a podcast. With these accomplishments, Corey and Todd decided to reposition App Ed Review and set April 2015 as its re-launch date.
Major Contributors to App Ed Review
Todd Cherner, Ph.D.
Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief
Since founding App Ed Review, Todd has composed several dozen app reviews, trained App Ed Review’s editorial board members, and authored multiple documents to promote App Ed Review.
Corey Lee, Ph.D.
Co-Founder and Webmaster
Since founding App Ed Review, Corey has worked to construct App Ed Review’s interactive website and strategized methods for sharing App Ed Review with teachers from across the United States.
Crystal Cox, Ph.D.
App Developer
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur dolor amet glavrida tellus, quis lorem ipsum tooltip luctus ligula. Curabitur quis rhoncus tellus, quis lorem ipsum doloripsum tooltip luctus ligula luctus ligula. Curabitur laoreet fringilla lorem ipsum porta. Nullam rutrum velit.
Lauren Santaniello, M.Ed
App Reviewer and App Researcher
Lauren Santaniello is a Graduate Assistant at Coastal Carolina University in the Spadoni College of Education where she is studying Educational Literacy. Originally from New Jersey, Lauren graduated from Ramapo College of New Jersey in 2013 where she received a degree in Literature and Secondary Education; she currently holds a New Jersey teaching license. At Coastal Carolina, Lauren works in The Center for Educational Research & Evaluation where she spearheads a college magazine, helps organize and promote educational forums, and assists professors in studies by collecting and analyzing research material. Lauren is the author of a young adult series titled Death of Ignorance, which was published by the New Jersey based company, Stories to Tale.
Alex Fegely, M.Ed
App Reviewer
Alex Fegely is a social studies teacher at The Academy for the Arts, Science, and Technology, a STEM school in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In addition, Alex serves as an adjunct instructor for Coastal Carolina University where he teaches Computer Technology and Instructional Media. Alex received his bachelor’s degrees in History and Secondary Education from Temple University and his master’s degree in Instructional Technology from Coastal Carolina University. Alex is certified in secondary social studies education in both Pennsylvania and South Carolina, and he has also taught middle school English and high school Digital Media.
Judy Dix, M.Ed
Assistant to Editor-in-Chief
Judy has supported App Ed Review by promoting it to teachers, ensuring the quality of its posted reviews, assisting in research efforts, and contributing to scholarly works. Judy is passionate about supporting efforts that aid teachers with integrating technology into their instructional practices, as well as serving as being an advocate for the profession. She holds an undergraduate degree in Telecommunications Management and recently completed a graduate degree program in education with an Instructional Technology concentration.
[/vc_column_text][dt_gap height=”20″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][dt_gap height=”20″][/vc_column][/vc_row]