Develop an Android App Without Coding

It's almost as if I wished for something and Google developed it last night. Last night after spending many, many hours experimenting/ hacking the html behind Free Technology for Teachers, I mentioned that next I'm going to tackle developing an Android and iPhone app. I even said to someone on Twitter that I hope there's an Android App Development for Dummies (there is by the way Android Application Development For Dummies). Well this morning Google made an announcement that will make that book a little less valuable.

This morning Google announced the beta launch of App Inventor for Android. App Inventor for Android will allow anyone to design and develop a mobile application for Android. App Inventor for Android does not require you to have any coding skills at all. It's a visually based, drag and drop development tool much like design tools commonly found in blog and website development tools. See the App Inventor for Android in action in the video below.


Right now App Inventor for Android is available on an invitation-only basis. You can apply for access here. A couple of things to note before applying; you must have a gmail address (get one here if you don't have one) and Google seems to be especially interested in the development of apps for education as they do ask if you have an association with a school.

Applications for Education
App Inventor for Android is an exciting development for educators and students. Now teachers will be able to develop mobile applications specifically for their classes. Better yet, students will be able to develop applications that they can use to enhance their own learning experiences. With rumors abounding that the Android OS will be used for tablet devices the App Inventor for Android could really push 1:1 and mobile computing into the hands of more students and teachers than ever before.

I know I'm looking forward to developing apps for my social studies classes. How do you see App Inventor for Android impacting education?