- It’s encouraging for students to see their own app on a device they use everyday.
- Seeing the app on a phone or tablet rather than on a computer screen makes students feel like they’re learning useful skills.
- You can use old Android phones with App Inventor since no cellular plan is necessary for the apps students create to work.
- However, it is sometimes necessary to use newer phones if projects have many images or music files.
- If you buy a new android phone for you class, Rosato recommends the Blu Phone, which can be purchased for less than $100.
- For alternatives to using android phones, students can also use an emulator, a simulation of an Android phone on the computer.
- The App Inventor website provides an emulator that can be downloaded on a computer.
- However, the emulator tends to have more problems than a real Android device.
- If the emulator isn’t working, the problem can often be solved by restarting it.
- The sooner students can get their device or emulator working, the more they can focus on their app.
- Tablets can be helpful for students to see the user interface at different sizes on larger screens.
- Learn more about App Inventor from the App Inventor website.