The app market has exploded in the last few years with the introduction of the iPhone and iPod touch. Blackberry, Android, and other mobile technology companies have all jumped on the app bandwagon. For just about any challenge, there may be "an app for that." Many of these are free to download, though some do cost a small amount.

English & Language Arts Apps

The apps below can be found on iTunes. Similar apps are available for Android as well.

eBooks
Both iPads and Android tablets can run either the Kindle or Nook app to let students read and annotate on their device. iBooks, the app that comes native on all iPads, also has fantastic annotation tools as well as the ability to store PDF files.

Audio Books
A variety of apps allow students to have access to audio books from their device. Examples of free apps include Free Audio Books, vBookz, OverDrive Media Console.

Smithsonian Channel
Designed for the iPhone or iPod Touch, this app puts full episodes and video clips from documentaries straight onto your device.

Google Earth
The app version of the popular software program does not include all features, but does connect to the device's GPS in order to plot a specific location.

Wikipedia
This app version of the website gives students instant access to all Wikipedia information.

News Apps
Most national newspapers, as well as many local news channels, have free apps for their sites. Students can now access the New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, BBC News, CNN, and more on their mobile devices.

More Apps

The list below comes from a Diigo feed maintained by EdTechTeacher. Check back often, as new resources are added on a regular basis.

Resources to Evaluate Apps

With millions of apps available to download, it is often hard to know where to begin looking. These links will take you to "best of" lists of educational and productivity apps:

100 Most Educational iPhone Apps
A blog post listing the top apps for education according to the Acredited Online Colleges Guide.

TCEA iPhone/Apps Member Suggestions
A Google Spreadsheet created by educators during the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) conference.

Best Apps for Kids
A list of suggestions for younger students from Common Sense Media.

IEducation Apps Review
A community of over 500 educators who post, comment, and review apps for education.

Top 10 iPhone Apps for Students
A 2009 blog post by Mashable about the top apps to take back to school

Top 50 Paid Educational Apps
The list includes the top 50 paid for apps according to the iTunes store.

The Top 40 iPhone Apps of 2010
This list was compiled by Alex Ahlund, the former CEO and founder of Appvee and AndroidApps.

25 iPhone Apps for Educators
Recommendations from the CIO Corner blog.

AppGuides
iPhone, iPod, and iPad guides produced by the website, AppAdvice.

iPads in the English/Language Arts Classroom
This wiki provides reviews of apps specific to ELA, and breaks their reviews down by task such as reading, writing and fluency.