App Ed Review
The App Teacher journal is dedicated to supporting and sharing how teachers and teacher educators are using apps to advance PreK-16 student learning. As school districts from across the United States and around the world invest heavily in tablet technologies, apps are rapidly emerging as one of the most unique instructional technologies. It is the mission of The App Teacher to become the leading practitioner publication dedicated to chronicling and disseminating best practices for using educational apps.
Background
The App Teacher is a double-blind, open-access journal that is published online. The inaugural edition of The App Teacher is scheduled for publication in January 2016.
Editor
Editor: Dr. Douglas Smith is a Professor of Education with over two decades of experience in instructional design, delivery and research methods. He was also a public school teacher for 10 years prior to entering higher education. Smith has published in and served as guest editor and reviewer for several educational journals.
Time Frames
The App Teacher Journal is published quarterly, with editions being published in January, April, July, and October. Manuscripts are accepted on a rolling basis and must be received at least three months prior to an upcoming edition for publication consideration. For example, manuscripts for the January edition must be received by October 1st of the preceding year.
The App Teacher: Scope of Articles
The four major types of articles The App Teacher publishes are described below. The App Teacher requests that all articles are double-spaced, formatted using the most current APA style guide, and are typeset to Times New Roman size 12 font.
Top App Lists (1-3 pages): 3-5 Top App Lists will be included in each edition of The App Teacher. Each Top App List should include 5-10 thematically-related apps, and the list should open with a description of the learning task(s) that can be enhanced by using these apps or why teachers should use these apps. Next, a bulleted list that ranks apps in descending order, from highest to lowest in quality, and hyperlinks to the App Store or Google Play should be included. With each entry on the list, the author(s) should include a maximum 200-word original app description and commentary about the app’s strengths and weaknesses. The App List should conclude with 1-3 paragraphs that offer or recommend further advice for using these apps in the classroom.
App Narratives (3-5 pages): These articles describe how teachers are currently using an app successfully with students. The article includes anecdotal evidence that discusses: (1) the specific designed purposes and intended uses of this app, (2) how the teacher researched and selected this app, (3) how the teacher integrated this app into his/her teaching practice OR how the teacher taught students to use this app, (4) the types of learning students experienced by using this app, and (5) reflections about using this app with students, changes to how this app was used, and/or advice for using this app more effectively in the future.
Trend Articles (3-10 pages): These articles highlight trends related to teachers’ and/or students’ experiences when working with educational apps. Submissions in this category should seek to raise awareness of school or district policy issues associated with app use, challenges faced when using apps, or how using apps in the classroom supports/advances teachers’ instruction and/or student learning. These articles may include anecdotal or empirical evidence, but they are to be written from the perspective of a practitioner.
Research Articles (7-30 pages): These articles use qualitative, quantitative, or appropriate mixed research methods to explain phenomena related to educational apps use in instructional settings. As appropriate for the article, the author(s) are encouraged to include: (1) an introduction that explains the article’s topic, (2) a review of literature that draws on previously conducted research related to the article’s topic, (3) a theoretical framework that connects the article to educational or technological theory, (4) a methodology that explains how the research was conducted, (5) a findings and/or discussion section(s) that highlight the information and knowledge learned about the topic, and (6) a conclusion that summarizes what was learned about the topic, makes a connection to current educational practices that are related to apps and/or other emerging technologies, and recommends areas for future research.