Ask any kid what their favorite piece of tech is and they’ll probably say it’s their phone. Actually, scratch that. Ask any kid what their favorite piece of tech is and they probably won’t hear what you said because they’re busy playing with their phone.

And who can blame them? With unlimited access to their favorite shows and games, numerous ways to communicate with their friends, and the world’s largest library just a Google search away, kids have the world in their hands.

So how do we bridge together their love of their phones with creative learning skills? That’s where MAD-learn comes in.

MAD-learn: the mobile app development tool

MAD-learn is a mobile app development program that uses the design thinking process to prepare students for tomorrow’s careers. With its user-friendly web-based platform, students can create their own apps within minutes following the MAD-learn design thinking curriculum.

The process of creating with MAD-learn is simple:

• Ideate: Students brainstorm their app ideas and decide which idea they want to pursue.
• Plan: Through research and creative thinking, students determine what they want their app to do and what functions they want to include.
• Design: Here is where students will edit and create their own images and logos to brand and create the feel of the app.
• Build: Using the web platform, students will build each screen of the app and determine where they want to place each of the app functions.
• Test: Students can preview their app, troubleshoot any issues, and receive feedback from their teacher and peers.
• Launch: Students can proudly present and pitch their app to their peers. If ready, students can publish their app to the MAD-store, MAD-learn’s exclusive app platform

This curriculum model will help students and teachers feel supported every step of the way. After coding their own app and seeing it come to life, students will begin to appreciate the apps that they themselves use on a daily basis.

Make cross-curricular connections

Many teachers and schools struggle with incorporating STEM into their lessons. There is often too much content to cover or too heavy an emphasis on preparation for standardized exams. Where this is the case, STEM can become a simple task or game tacked onto the end of a unit. MAD-learn can help teachers integrate STEM seamlessly into any class. Because of the open-endedness of MAD-learn, students can build apps for any class. Whether it is a determine-your-ending narrative game they build in ELA, or a walking tour app of the Gettysburg battlefield for social studies, students can bring design thinking and coding into all subject areas. The cross curricular nature of projects like this can lend themselves to collaboration among faculty and students working on their apps in multiple classes. However you choose to get students working with MAD-learn, you’ll be amazed at what students can create.

A user-friendly solution for blended learning

Teachers are using a variety of different blended learning models to help students be successful in physical and virtual classrooms. MAD-learn allows students to access their work anywhere via the web-based platform, which also allows students to use the device of their choosing.

The MAD-learn platform is not the only thing that students can access anywhere. MAD-learn’s YouTube channel boasts dozens and dozens of helpful video tutorials that can help students master every aspect of the app creation process. These videos are perfect for sharing with students online. This can help empower students to activate their problem solving skills and tackle challenges as they arise.

MAD-learn also makes it easy for teachers to learn the platform and facilitate lessons. According to Sarah Parham, 7th grade humanities teacher at the Lovett School, “having access to the teaching slide decks was a game-changer; we were able to modify those and then provide normed language and instructions across 10 classrooms during our design work.”

Want to learn more about MAD-learn? Check out our Mad-learn OTIS course, with more courses to be added to the platform in the near future. Also, check out our information page to learn more about how Teq can help you bring MAD-learn to your classroom today!

For more tips, tricks, and tools for teaching in and out of the classroom, check out more articles on the Teq Talk blog.

We also offer virtual professional development, training, and remote learning support for educators with OTIS for educators. Explore the technology, tools, and strategies that can spark student success — no matter where teaching or learning are happening.