The last of the turkey’s gone, the tinsel’s been packed away and the tree’s headed for recycling. All that lies between you and spring are several dozen long, cold, dark winter nights. And there’s nothing on the telly. Thankfully, you have an iOS device to help relieve the boredom… Whether you want to get organised, learn a new skill, flex your creative muscles or just entertain yourself, there are tons of apps to help.
So many, in fact, that deciding which to download could take you until next winter, but that’s where we come in. We’ve compiled a list of 10 great apps for ipad and iphone guaranteed to make those winter evenings more fun, more productive, and much, much more exciting. Whether you want to make a claymation movie, record a hit or dazzle your friends with card tricks, there‘s an app here for you.
Make an animated movie using whatever’s on your desk
Whether you fancy yourself as the next Nick Park or just enjoy messing around with plasticine, then iStopMotion is essential. You’re not limited to claymation, either you can choose to animate almost anything you can think of. Whether it’s an empty Coke can slowly crumpling or beer bottles dancing on a table, the only limit is your imagination.
iStopMotion works on iPad 2 or later, and it opens with a claymation video of its own that demonstrates its features. You can shoot video with the iPad’s front or rear cameras, and record in 1080p if you use the rear camera on and iPad 3 or 4.
With help from a companion app, you can even shoot from a separate iOS device. You choose exposure, focus, and frame rate inside the app, and add one shot at a time. The previous frame is shown underneath the one you’re about to shoot, so you can see exactly how much or little you should move your subject. When you’re done, you can add music and share your animation on YouTube, or save it to your Camera Roll.
Given how long it takes to make stop-frame animation movies, this can happily provide you with a whole winter’s worth of entertainment!
2. Foldify ($4.99, iPad)
Get creative with folded paper models
Combine colouring, cutting, folding and making cute cut-out characters, and you have yourself a winning craft app. That’s Foldify, and it’s the easiest way imaginable to create your own foldable paper toys.
The strength of Foldify is the way it allows you to edit the flat, unfolded model while viewing the finished, 3D model beside it on screen. You can rotate the model around its vertical axis to see how your changes look.
You can either choose one of the pre-made models (such as a yellow New York cab, or a cuboid superhero), or begin with a basic 3D shape. You then draw and paint on the surfaces to create your model. There are a good selection of ‘stickers’ – think eyes, noses, and moustaches – and more can be bought as IAP.
Once you’re happy with your design, you can print it to an AirPrint-compatible printer, or email it as a PDF so you can print it from a computer. From there, with the cutting marks and tabs in place, it’s time to get the glue and scissors out. Foldify is a beautiful, fun, and educational.
3. iTunes U (Free, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)
Expand your horizons with courses from famous institutions
Acquiring new knowledge and learning new skills are two of the more productive ways to spend your winter nights (aside, perhaps from catching up on that Breaking Bad box set), and there are few better ways to do both than iTunes U on iOS. With courses on everything from architecture to zoology from some of the top universities in the world, you’ll find something of interest with teaching materials second to none.
Course materials come in the form of text, audio, and video lessons, and you can make notes on each. Subscribe to a course and it appears on your bookshelf. Open it and you can see the available materials at a glance, ready to be downloaded.
You can search by topic, and view courses by category or by academic institution. Courses aren’t limited to those from colleges and universities, either; the National Geographic Society, and the New York Public Library provide content, too.
The free public courses don’t offer assignments or feed back – only for enrolled students at private courses – but there’s plenty here to get you started on deciding what to pursue further on a more formal basis.
4. GarageBand ($4.99, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)
Create your own song, or just sit down and jam
If you’re musically- minded, creating and recording your own composition can be a rewarding experience. Thanks to GarageBand, you don’t have to be accomplished in multiple instruments in order to put together a track.
Start with the included Apple loops and lay down a drum beat from the selections on offer, then add a bass line. You’Il see these represented by coloured bars in the track list, and you can stretch them with your fingers to cover infinite bars.
Smart Guitar allows you to choose from different models and you can add note or chords by tapping or swiping the screen, but the ability to plug in your own guitar with a suitable adaptor such as IK Multimedia’s iRig and then choose from the wide variety of amplifiers, speaker cabinets and effect pedals is impressive.
Even if you never get as far as completing a song, there’s lots of fun to be had just playing around with GarageBand, even if it’s just with friends or family.
Learn a language and be prepared for your summer holiday
A great way to spend a winter’s evening is to plan a summer holiday, but what’s the best way to maintain that feel-good holiday spirit? How about learning a new language?
WordUP has a series of apps for languages ranging from Arabic to Vietnamese. We’ve chosen the Iberian Spanish version, but there’s also Latin American Spanish if you’re traveling further afield. It uses tried and tested methods such as flashcards and quizzes to help you learn, but also allows you to record your own voice speaking words and phrases and compare it to a native Spanish speaker. There are 10,000 words and 2,000 phrases in the app, all with accompanying voice recordings, and you can look them up using the search function. If there are words or phrases which you find tricky, or that you specifically want to learn, you can compile them in a playlist and listen to them whenever you like.
WordUP is beautifully made and well thought out, which is important in an app where repeated use is essential to achieve your goal.
Put yourself at the heart of the action with your own comic
The recent closure of The Dandy in print is a reminder that today’s kids don’t feel the same way about comics as many of the older generation did when they were their age, but Comic Life is a great way to show kids how fun comics are.
Grab photos from your Camera Roll or Photo Library, shoot some with your iPad’s camera, or, if you’re artistically- minded, draw or paint panels from scratch in an app like Procreate. Once you’ve mapped out your story, you can add speech bubbles, narrative text, and the kind of ‘KAPOW’ graphics that make comics such a visually dynamic medium.
Comics can be saved for working on later, and once you’re finished you can send them to Dropbox, share them over email or social media, or print them to an AirPrint printer. You can even open them as PDFs in iBooks.
You can start with a ready- made template to which you need add nothing more than pictures and text, or select just a basic layout of boxes. Editing can be fiddly, but you can zoom in to make it easier.
7. iPhoto ($4.99, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)
Organise, edit and share a whole year’s worth of snaps
If you’re anything like us, you’re bound to take plenty of photos. iPhoto is brilliant for its ability to organise, edit, and share your images.
If you use iCloud, iPhoto will automatically display all the photos in your PhotoStream, as well as those in your Photo Library. You can also import images using the Camera Connection Kit. The app can organise your photos automatically into categories such as Faces, Places, and Events, or you can do it yourself using albums.
Your editing can be as simple as cropping, straightening and adjusting contrast, but the app can also remove red-eye and add special effects. when you’re done, you can share your images in a journal, which can be uploaded to iCloud as a web page, and, of course, you can post images to Facebook or Twitter. We’d like the ability to create Apple’s lovely photo books from within the app, but other than that, it’s ideal for organising and sharing photos.
8. Hummingbird Bakery ($4.99, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)
Bake a cake as fast as you can with this ingenious recipe app
What’s the most fun part of cooking? Baking cakes. The Hummingbird Bakery is a London chain that specialises in the kind of cakes and desserts that have your tooth enamel cowering in fear, and cupcakes are its speciality.
Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days is an app that’s as tasty as the sugary delights it helps you make. It has 85 recipes for cupcakes, layer cakes, pies and cookies, and along with photos and step-by-step instructions there are videos to show you exactly how to bake them. There are tons of tips on what to do if your cakes don’t rise or your pastry lacks the necessary puff. You can save ingredients to your shopping list, but our favourite feature? You can clap to move onto the next step in a recipe, thus saving your iPhone’s screen from sticky fingers.
lf spending an evening baking cakes sounds like your idea of fun, this is essential.
9. Magic Tricks Pro (Free, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)
Practice these sleights of hand and amaze friends at parties
There are few satisfying than confounding your friends with a magic trick. There are two elements to performing a magic trick: knowing how to do it, and practicing until it’s second nature. Magic Tricks Pro helps with the former, you’ll have to use those long winter evenings to do the latter. The app is a collection of video tutorials for popular magic tricks, given by professional magicians. There are 11 tricks included, and another 17 which can be bought as IAP. You can watch a trick being performed before you decide whether to pay for the tutorial. The videos are polished and professional and, most importantly, easy to follow. lf you want to learn the burnt match trick or ring and rubber band, you only have to download the app. More exotic tricks such as spoon bending or levitation will cost you $.99 and $2.99 approx respectively.
Transform your iPad’s photos into a stunning album for iBooks
Forget cutting, sticking and binding: thanks to Book Creator for iPad, all you need to create your own book are photographs and a vivid imagination.
There are a range of formats (landscape, portrait or square), and it’s a good idea to sketch out a plan beforehand to make notes of the outline of your story. Then, when you’re ready, you can import images from your Photo Library and add text boxes. Text can be re-sized, rendered in two dozen different fonts and placed over images.
Handily, there are guides that appear as you drag an image or text box around, so you can see when it’s lined up with those already on the page. You can even add sound!
The finished book is in ePub format, which is great for iBooks but we’d like to see an option to save it as a PDF so you could print it easily. Book Creator is a great way to use your photos.
If you're looking to boost your workday productivity, that smartphone in your pocket can help. The mobile app revolution has produced hundreds of apps to help ease the stress of everyday life. These apps perform both simple tasks, such as managing your to-do list, and complex ones, such as allowing you remote access to your computer.
TeacherKit is a personal organizer for the teacher. It enables the teacher to organize classes, and students. Its simple and intuitive interface enables teachers to track the attendance, grades and behavior of students.
Tablets and smart phones are becoming increasingly popular amongst educators. The availability and sheer number of educational apps makes them almost irresistible to many teachers today. Most apps aim to teach children (and adults) in a fun and games based way. This post will have a look at the app phenomenon that is occurring, look into why apps and tablets are so popular and point you in the direction of a couple of lists of good educational apps out there (including free ones).
The Benefits
That info graphic gives some statistics of app, tablet and smart phone usage in education. It also suggests some reasons for their popularity. Another list from Teach Thought argues that the ‘iPad Revolution’ means that learning will never be the same again. They argue that the reasons for this are that iPads:
- Are simple to use – they are intuitive and are difficult to break (in terms of software), so you can let young children loose with little cause for concern.
- Have a wealth of apps – iPads (and other tablets) offer a huge amount and variation of apps that are child friendly and suitable for education.
- Make learning fun – most educational apps come in the form of a simple game or a fun puzzle. Children are more likely to want to play with the apps and they might not even realise the educational value of what they are doing.
- Are not just for kids – there are lots of apps aimed at older students and adults, both educational or not. For example, here is a list of 10 iPhone apps for medical students (http://edudemic.com/2013/01/11-useful-iphone-apps-for-medical-students/).
Eve argues that: “The iPad has the potential to change education for the better, making learning more enjoyable and engaging while giving both teachers and parents the tools needed to provide a fuller, more rounded education to their child. It could one day replace textbooks and computers altogether as an all-in-one learning device.”The Technology Enhanced Learning Research Group, lead by Kevin Burden from the University of Hull, investigated the use of iPads at eight schools in Scotland. The research found that teachers using iPads changed their approach to teaching. Pedagogical shifts included:
- More collaboration
- More creative expression
- A strong learning community
- Better support for students of all abilities
- Students take it upon themselves to teach and coach each other
- Higher quality of teaching perceived by students
- Teachers give better feedback to students about their learning
The study also found that "personal 'ownership' of the device is seen as the single most important factor for successful use of this technology." Ownership is fundamental for increasing students levels of motivation, interest, and engagement, promotes greater student autonomy and self-efficacy and encourages students to take more responsibility for their learning.Still a bit unsure?
Many educators are nervous for one reason of another about bringing tablets into their classrooms. This excellent article from Edudemic answers ten of the biggest questions about iPads in the classroom.
This document, ‘Getting Started: Classroom ideas for learning with the iPad’ is a resource booklet for schools which includes tips on how to integrate tablets, ideas on how to use the tablets and how to collaborate online.So What Apps are Out There?
The We Want Apps App is a good place to start if you are looking for educational apps. You can search for apps by category for children up to age 14. The link above also gives information of a few apps specifically designed for special needs students.
This great article from InformED gives a list of 20 apps (games) for play based learning. Apps are a great way for children to reap the benefits of games based learning from an early age and this list covers a wide range of subjects.
This list covers a wide range of free educational apps. They have been categorised into different subject areas as well as different platforms: iPad and Android.
Playful Learning have created a list of ’10 Math Apps for the Little Ones’ and HowStuffWorks have created this list of ’10 iPad Apps for Teaching Kids to Read’.
That covers most bases, but it is inevitable that many more apps will be produced over foreseeable future, so it is a good idea to stay as up to date as you can if this area interests you. There is a wealth of information available online and lots of it can be found on Pinterest. Have a look at our ‘Technology in Education’ board for more information, advice, lists of apps and so on.
And don’t forget to follow @paulladley on Twitter and like games-ED’s Facebook and Google+ pages for blog updates and other interesting games based learning things.
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Atualizado pela última vez em: março de 2012
Today’s guest post was originally published on Getting Smart.
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Part 1: 44 Smart Ways to Use Smartphones in Class
This week an online article grabbed my attention. Its title read “94 Percent of High School Students Using Cellphones in Class.” I immediately scoped out the heading and thought to myself, “Finally, teachers are beginning to embrace the powerful little gadgets.” However, it did not take me long to realize the researched article took quite a different slant.
One quotation in particular caused serious professional introspection on my behalf. The article quotes the researchers as stating, “‘The potential damage stemming from heightened cell phone use during class casts a pall on the entire educational system, on the school atmosphere, on the educational achievements of the class, on the pupil’s own learning experience and on the teacher’s burnout having to cope with discipline problems in class.’”
I understand the tougher task of using regular cell phones in class versus internet ready smartphones, however , I could not disagree more with the above quotation. Although there is no doubt the very same scenarios mentioned in the above article are occurring in various classrooms around the globe, I now encourage all students to bring their cellphones or smartphones to class. Just a few years prior, my colleagues and I were struggling mightily with how to integrate the crafty handheld tools.
A blessed trip to the ISTE 2011 conference in Philadelphia helped me devise a BYOD classroom management plan and opened my eyes to the infinite educational potential of smartphones in the classroom.
However, one of my toughest baseball coaches once said, “Potential and a dollar will get you a Coke.” With this in mind, a simple, but effective, “Traffic Light” BYOD classroom management plan was born. Check out this post to read more about it.
I believe the potential of smartphones, supported by a strong classroom management system, can be summed up with what I call “The Five C’s.” Collaborate, communicate, create and coordinate/curate. Of the forty-four ideas below regarding smartphones, twelve can be accomplished with a simple cellphone. Take a look below at this enormous potential.
Use Smartphones to Collaborate
- Have students peer-assess their classmates’ essays through a Google Form embedded on teacher page, and allow them to view real-time constructive criticism. Afterwards, polish up the spreadsheet and share with students. Believe me, they will be interested. Click here to see how successful this strategy can be.
- Allow texting in class to peer-edit and offer constructive criticism for writing projects. Just imagine students sharing thesis statements and introductory paragraphs without ever saying a word. This is just one of the strategies we use to create a quiet and successful writing atmosphere in Studio 113. Check it out here.
- Make brainstorming visible via a projected image with Polleverywhere.com andWallwisher.com. Using these two sites really is too simple. Although Wallwisher requires an internet connection, students may use a cellphone for Polleverywhere.com.
- Create a shared list of notes by making a Google Form available. I usually embed Google Forms on my teacher page for easy access. Afterwards, I make the spreadsheet of notesavailable to all students.
- Have students post relative links of videos, websites, etc. for a unit of study. I like to think of this as the Army of Talent completing a task in a fraction of the time it would take one teacher hours to finish. This strategy is highly effective as it invites students to co-create their learning environment and unit. A Google Form would easily serve this purpose.
- Make thoughts visible by having students post videos and text or by having them phone in their answers to Voicethread. Check out our recent Voicethread here.
- Engage readers in real-time as they work through the assigned reading by collaborating with their peers via a Twitter hashtag, Polleverywhere.com, Todaysmeet.com, orWallwisher.com.
- Have students call in-class peers during an interactive learning structure. Click here to see a cool idea.
Use Smartphones to Communicate
- Use FaceTime on the iPhone to add outside audience members during class discussion or learning activity. This is perhaps one of the coolest things we have recently done in class.
- Allow students to read from their smartphones during SSR (Silent Sustained Reading) while sharing interesting articles via Polleverywhere.com.
- Allow students to video or audio record your assignment instructions.
- View student exemplary products from school YouTube channel.
- Augment lessons with excellent videos from Ted.com or RSA.
- Use a Twitter hashtag to augment the in-class lesson or extend the conversation after class. Click here to read about a tri-state conversation about a Presidential debate.
- Establish a Twitter class account to share class assignments and reminders. If students do not want a Twitter account, make it easy. Embed the Twitter feed on your teacher page.
- Send students reminders in-class/after-class through ClassParrot and Remind 101.
- Have a silent discussion via Todaysmeet.com.
- Capture learning moments. Ever had a student raise a hand, make a connection, and say, “Have you seen the video that….?” Ask students to e-mail pertinent links during class and show the video in minutes.
- Have students assess the teacher through a Google Form.
- Use Google Translate to break down language barriers.
- Use Instagram or Twitter to advertise class projects.
Use Smartphones to Create
- Write with apps such as My Writing Spot and Evernote.
- Set up a portable writing station by connecting a keyboard to smartphone via Bluetooth.
- Use dictionary and thesaurus apps.
- Use Dragon Dictation for struggling writers. Interested? Click here.
- Write on-the-go during a field trip or active lessong on campus with Tripline.
- Create “How-To” guides using apps such as SnapGuide.
- Write to Blog Post via the Blogger app.
- Peruse playlists while double-checking the lyrics on the internet to create a soundtrack that applies to current studies.
- Create Twitter parodies of certain characters, historical figures, chemical equations, geometry theorems, and animals of study in Biology class.
- Create a mini-presentation, skit, or formal response to a prompt and e-mail the video to teacher’s Posterous blog spot.
Use Smartphones to Coordinate/Curate
- Relax and write with apps like Nature Music or iZen Garden.
- Listen to music as source of inspiration for creative projects.
- Have students access their peers’ blogs by sharing a Symbaloo webmix on teacher page. Check out this one.
- Point students in the right direction for creative tech tools.
- Save time and paper by accessing documents on teacher’s website.
- Share spreadsheets of notes with Google Drive.
- Get to know your students by having them complete a Google Form.
- Research key sites to bolster students’ projects.
- Manage students’ knowledge of current lessons by having them take a quiz directly from their smartphones via Socrative.
- Allow students to check their grades via on-line gradebook or learning platform.
- Have students question peers outside class and send their recorded opinions toVoicethread or Posterous.
- Use apps like Reminders and PocketLife Calendar to plan study times and project times. The Weather Channel app is handy for avoiding weather conflicts during outside project time.
- Use the calculator app to calculate scores during gamified learning structures.
- Use the stopwatch and timer apps to manage class time.
I hope these ideas help others appropriately manage and integrate cellphones and smartphones in the classroom learning environment. When used properly, smartphones act as handheld computers, not just overly priced texting gadgets. Please check back in two weeks for Part 2 of “Smart Ways to Use Smartphones in Class.” At this time, I will discuss using smartphones for videos, pictures and more. In the meantime, please share your thoughts below.
GettingSmart
Getting Smart™ is a community passionate about innovations in learning. Their blog covers formal and informal topics in higher ed, such as research, technology, entrepreneurs, methods and more.
iOS: The iPhone has a ton of great to-do apps, most of which will cost you a few bucks. One of its best, TeuxDeux, is available for free right now.
TeuxDeux isn't our favorite to-do app (that honor goes to Orchestra, with Wunderlist in second place), but it's a great option if the other to-do apps are just too complicated for you. TeuxDeux is simplicity and minimalism at its finest, letting you add tasks, check them off, and not worry about anything else—though there is a handy "Someday" folder for items that aren't too urgent.
If you're still on the hunt for the perfect to-do app, it's worth grabbing while it's free—even if you don't plan on using it just yet, since we don't know how long the deal will last.
TeuxDeux | iTunes App Store via App Shopper
Thinking Thingamabob is an idea generating app from developer Thinking Thingamabob Pty Ltd. With multiple story characteristics and locking and unlocking capabilities, this app is an easy to use writing tool for even the youngest of authors.
Thinking Thingamabob is a really simple app with few bells and whistles. The app does just what it says it will: it helps create new ideas. The app opens to a modules page where your various modules, or idea generators are stored. The free edition of the app comes with Fabulas Lite, a module for creative storytellers and children's authors. Purchase the full version or the Ideator module in this menu.
The Fabulas Lite module has six interchangeable components, or ideasparks. They seem to revolve around good and bad characters, settings, story starters, props, and other ideas. Shake the iPad to randomly change all of the ideasparks, or lock those you like and swipe to change those you don't. Once you've got ideas that get the creative thoughts flowing, record your thoughts with the My Thoughts button and the microphone component of the device. If you find a great ideaspark or combination of ideasparks, make sure to favorite it with the heart button.
What Fun Educational Apps Liked
This app is a nice educational tool for beginning writers. I can see it being an easy tool for teachers to put into the hands of students. With many different ideasparks and a simple interface, the app lends itself to an elementary writing lesson. Many young writers struggle with idea generation, this app provides an outlet to get those thoughts flowing. I particularly like the recording component of the app. Students can find ideasparks that appeal to them and instead of focusing solely on the writing process, they can talk their way through the story, spinning a tale without the effort that the writing process takes at a young age.
Overall, this app stands out as a solid educational tool for teachers or parents looking to develop creative writing skills in their students and children. The ease of use and the simple layout make this app a tool that students can use independently as they begin their own journeys as authors.
Thinking Thingamabob is available for download via the iTunes App Store - iPad App - Free to try with additional modules via in-app purchase
This app was reviewed by Sarah Emerling, a mom, a special education teacher, and a technology coach. She is a self proclaimed nerd with a passion for incorporating technology into education and you read her findings at The iLesson Lady
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Topics: apps, guide, How To, organization, organizing
If your resolution for 2013 was to be better organized, these apps are recommended for you by the fine folks at Apple. They’ve assembled a sort of toolkit for teachers that aim to make you a better, more informed, and connected educator.
Before you start being an even better teacher, you should take some self inventory and figure out when you’ll have time to take on this task. That means it’s time to get organized. These 5 apps will help you do just that.
OmniFocus
OmniFocus for iPad combines the in-depth task management features of a desktop app with the advanced mobile experience of the iPad. With flexible viewing options, location-aware task lists, and on-the-fly task entry with voice notes and image attachments, OmniFocus for iPad is the trusted system you need for managing everything in your busy life. Use OmniFocus for iPad on its own, or sync through the cloud with your other devices running OmniFocus (also available for iPhone and Mac).
Designed for iPad and iPhone, Flipboard is a personal news magazine filled with everything being shared across the Web, from breaking news to stories on world events, sports, travel and more. Simply pick a few topics and your Flipboard is instantly populated with the news you care about. If you want more, use the search bar to find favorite sources or browse recommended reading from the staff at Flipboard. When you find a new source you love, just tap the “+” to add it to your Flipboard. And if you’re short on time, use the Cover Stories tile to see some of the most interesting stories from all of your sections on Flipboard.
But it’s not just about news. Use Flipboard to flip through social networks. Add Facebook, Twitter to browse articles and photos friends are sharing. Instagram and Flickr photos are beautiful to see in your personal magazine. Now the news your friends share is easy to flip through, with headlines and excerpts that give you an immediate glimpse into everything. It’s a fun way to catch up on all your social news.
Instapaper
Instapaper lets you save web pages for later offline reading, optimized for readability on your iPhone or iPod touch’s screen. Featured by Apple and critically acclaimed by top blogs, newspapers, and magazines! Great for long articles and blog posts that you find during the day and would like to read, but don’t have the time when you find them. Save with Instapaper, then read later when you’re commuting, in a meeting, or waiting in line. Need something to read? You can browse articles that your friends posted on Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr. Or browse the Editor’s Picks, curated by hand from the Instapaper community’s most-saved stories. Sending to Instapaper is supported by over 150 other iPhone and iPad apps! You can even send long emails to Instapaper to read later.
Evernote
Evernote is an easy-to-use, free app that helps you remember everything across all of the devices you use. Stay organized, save your ideas and improve productivity. Evernote lets you take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists, record voice reminders–and makes these notes completely searchable, whether you are at home, at work, or on the go. We’ve covered Evernote and Evernote Peek in the Edudemic Magazine a few different times. For good reason. The app itself is easy to use and quite powerful. I recently bought the paper Evernote Smart Notebook that lets you snap photos of what you write in your book and then instantly view, select, and search your handwritten notes within your Evernote account. It’s like living in the future.
Clear
Life is messy. Keep it together with Clear, a new app for list-keeping that is unbelievably simple, quick and satisfying to use. I’ve been using Clear for a few weeks now and it’s been one of the more fun ways to manage my day-to-day responsibilities. You can add whatever you want to the Clear list and then take great joy in swiping it off as you complete that task. After all, the best part about making lists is checking / clearing them off that list, right?
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Topics: apps, battery, guide, How To, iPad, iphone, online
Even Luddites have to admit the iPhone definitely altered the way humanity interacts with its own devices, making Douglas Adams’ cheeky The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (the eponymous book itself, not the whole Earth being demolished to build an interstellar highway thing) leap from science fiction to science fact.
Because of so much power packed into a sleek handheld, this means some pretty amazing educational implications for gadget enthusiasts. As a result, some innovative developers out there provide hundreds of hours of engaging content meant to get anyone of any age up and learning about the world.
With seemingly endless possibilities for education on the iPhone, there are a lot of great apps that students, educators, and even administrators can enjoy. We’ve shared 100 of the best of them here, and we encourage you to put them to work in the new school year.
Brain Exercises
Take advantage of these games, puzzles, and other brain teasers to build general cognitive skills needed to process and retain necessary information.
Engage with some fun little brain teasers — mostly math-related — to keep the memory hot and the cognitive process chugging along.
For anyone preferring wordy brain teasers to numerical ones, Quordy puts a digital spin on a nostalgic childhood game.
Critics just love this series of 43 small games meant to bolster skills in math, memory, logic, visuals, and focusing; At $4.99, it’s a cheap enough way to keep the mind occupied during long trips and waits in line.
Luminosity.com teamed up with some of academia’s most notable neuroscientists to deliver 10 great games meant to provide a cognitive boost in some of the most important mental areas.
These brain training exercises focus on helping users build their skills in memory, intuition, and concentration based on Dr. Makoto Shichida’s research.
Play challenging, brain-building games encouraging mental fitness either alone or against friendly competitors.
Download Brain Benders for 99¢ and catch daily brain teasers, logic puzzles, and riddles meant to help users with their critical thinking acumen.
Kids and adults absolutely adore The Moron Test and its myriad challenges guiding them through some of the iPhone’s most deceptively difficult puzzle games!
Rather than words and numbers, gamers who pick up this free game keep their mind piqued by figuring out tiled puzzles with no idea of what they’re supposed to be unscrambling.
Quizzes and Flashcards
Whether cramming for a class, heading down the self-taught route, or playing simple games with friends, the following resources bring familiar study strategies into the digital age.
Online or off, StudyCards users enjoy access to more than 500,000 flashcards in more than 65 languages as well as the option to create and share their own sets.
No matter one’s study style, chances are this very useful app — and its integration with Quizlet.com — offers up a comfortable way to soak up the necessary information.
Another app linked up to Quizlet.com and featuring around 7 million flashcard sets and quizzes on pretty much every academic subject imaginable.
Whether a trivia fan or a student looking for a few fun scholastic supplements, the Big Brain Quiz offers up a global competition in keeping general knowledge sharpened.
Make or download quizzes about anything and use them either as flashcards for solo play or a competition with study buddies.
Yet another flashcard-making application option that allows for custom decks and downloads of more than 20,000,000 submitted by other users.
Hit up multiple flashcard websites to see what others might be sharing or create custom cards and quizzes alike using both photos and text.
Math
Overcome math anxiety — or indulge the love — through some of the iPhone’s diverse selection of tools to help that mind crunch some tasty, tasty numbers.
A delightful little Penguin named Newton teaches kids — and maybe even some adults! — all about math via a series of number puzzles.
Transform the not-so-humble iPhone into a fully functioning graphing calculator for only $1.99, far cheaper than a new or used device, to be certain!
Math Ref offers up one of the most extensive digital libraries on formulas, equations, advice, and pretty much everything else students and professionals could possibly need.
Students, teachers, parents, and pros in need of a scientific or financial calculator can probably find everything they want with this wildly popular Reverse Polish Notation app, available for $19.99.
It’s a slide rule. On the iPhone. The description doesn’t need to get more detailed than that, really.
Download Mental Maths when looking to train the brain into serving as a quicker organic calculator through puzzles, games, and other engagements.
Lazy types with 99¢ laying about might want to use the Protractor app instead of heading out to the school store to snag one.
Formul8 boasts over 200 formulas and equations within the listed disciplines, making it a fabulous resource when quickly looking up how to get specific problems done.
One of the most comprehensive algebra iPhone apps around spans simple equations to some of the most challenging around and allows for computation, self-checks, referencing, and plenty more relieving perks – all for just $1.99.
Linear algebra’s many different applications form the crux of the Algebra Helper 1 application, which breaks down problems into their essential components and lets users see step-by-step solutions.
It’s pretty much exactly what the title says it is — a series of quizzes about addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, square roots, and squares of escalating difficulty, suitable for all age and ability ranges.
Put those geometry skills to the test with some of the most detailed flash cards regarding the subject available on the iPhone.
Science
Blind friends, family, and teachers with science after spending some quality time with these applications, which cover a wide spectrum of disciplines.
It’s the best chemistry app around; nothing’s gonna ever bring it down. Every single element on the periodic table bursts to vivid, 3-dimensional life, with detailed information about its properties and uses.
Turn stargazing into a multimedia educational event through the absolutely stunning Star Walk, frequently touted as amongst the best astronomy apps ever developed.
Download this quick and painless application when looking to better understand the different amino acids, what they do, how they form, and pretty much everything else readers need to know.
Delve deeply into the human brain’s inner workings without having to worry about washing all that yucky gray matter off in the sink afterwards. That is how scientists do it, right?
Just as the title promises, Chemistry Formulas keeps an extensive library of chemistry formulas for anyone needing to quickly look up a chemistry formula.
Especially useful for those studying or practicing chemistry, biology, and biochemistry, this app helps out with molecular weight problems, calculating volume and weight, conversions, and the amount of chemicals needed for specific experiments. Among other features, of course.
Ornithology enthusiasts wanting to identify everything that squawks, screeches, clucks, and coos on the continent will absolutely love keeping the Audubon Society’s official digital guide to North American birdies on hand.
Up-and-coming Darwins and Teslas and Feynmans and Curies use this app to soak up a few fun factoids or two a day to share and maybe even further explore on their own.
If one fact a day doesn’t sate the frothing scientific mindbeast, try StuckPixel’s little compilation of thousands instead.
This app tests users’ basic understanding of some basic and not-so-basic scientific principles in all the major fields.
Available for $39.99, biology and medical students needing to know the location, form, and function of the different structures of the human body might consider Netter’s Anatomy Flash Cards an essential download.
Geography and History
Not only does this selection of delectable downloadables help lay out the land, they also make sure users know exactly what names and events shaped them over time.
Because World Atlas is a National Geographic joint, the maps available here pop up in different styles and come partnered with detailed national information, like flags, the most recent economic data, cultural phenomena, and more!
Another great app for cartography and history buffs, this time allowing them to explore how boundaries and geographies change over time.
From Washington to Obama, learn all the basic facts about every man who ever stood as America’s president through an easy flashcard interface.
Train the brain to identify the countries of the world, its flags, its capitals, and other physical and human geographical traits through these most excellent quiz adventures.
World Book offers up a quick and interesting way to snatch a quick peek at history by taping it to a daily calendar, with glimpses into important people and events users might otherwise never learn about.
Americans should probably know a thing or two about their own nation, and the USA Factbook makes for the best start in picking up all the basics, including capitals, flags, topographical and musical maps, and other cool features.
For only 99¢, this bundle brings iPhone users 19 stunning applications covering pretty much everything regarding current geographical data — and that includes both the physical and the human aspects — and even allowing self-quizzes and assessments in the different fields.
Straight outta the CIA comes a resource about all the countries in the world, packed with all the current data students, teachers, businesspeople, travelers, and all-around well-informed citizens need to know. Stay current, because new apps pop up every year!
After soaking up information about America’s state and federal facts and functions, run through the self-tests and see how much knowledge stayed put.
Instead of arguing the Constitution as interpreted by politicians, give it and other integral documents that shaped the United States (including the Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence, inaugural addresses, and dozens of others), a read and form opinions from that.
Conquer the planet — metaphorically speaking, wannabe Napoleans — through comprehensive quizzes about all the countries of the world.
English and Literature
Because reading is fundamental, a listing of the most educational applications for iPhone enthusiasts stands as quite naked indeed without the inclusion of grammar, spelling, and literary love.
Because so much of the world’s literary canon is based on historical and religious storytelling, keeping an encyclopedia of both on hand behooves any ardent bibliophile.
Sign up for the free social media site aimed specifically at book lovers rating reads, writing reviews, and wanting to discover what to pick up and love next.
Whether looking to nestle with a public domain classic or the latest scorching hot bestseller, the iBooks app turns an iPhone into an ebook reader for literature on the go.
Learn proper spelling through some seriously cool games, with tests hitting more than 3,000 of the most common words.
Never confuse a bildungsroman with a bouts-rimes again (not that any of our super genius readers would, of course) thanks to the Oxford’s comprehensive guide to literature’s extensive and colorful jargon.
Stanza acts as an ebook reader connecting users to Project Gutenberg, Feedbooks, and other public domain depositories that also lets them upload their own documents in an impressive array of formats for easy self-curation.
Use Spell Check’s built-in dictionary to check spelling as quickly as possible; best of all, it does not require any sort of internet connection or login to use!
Both native speakers and ESL students benefit from playing the fun and engaging wurdle, as it builds up their vocabulary and spelling skills.
Perfect for anyone learning to speak English, the 20 lessons available here nurture five of the most important language skills and cover common scenarios and topics.
More than 160 of the most common idiomatic phrases in American and British English receive in-depth explanation here, complete with some great drawings making them all the more memorable.
Reference Materials and Open Source
Open source currently surges through the education sector, challenging perceptions of how people learn and the efficacy of traditional systems. Stay on top of the revolution — and don’t neglect those necessary references — with some of these groundbreakers.
Wolfram Alpha exists as the reference app to end all reference apps, with information and articles about every academic subject imaginable – kind of like a multimedia Wikipedia, but without Justin Bieber fans going monkey crazy and sabotaging other musicians’ pages.
One doesn’t need an engineering degree to appreciate and understand the systems that drive daily lives around the world.
Supplement lessons or self-learning regimens with one of the Internet’s most beloved, respected series of lectures about almost every subject imaginable.
For law students, lawyers, and anyone who probably needs a lawyer soon, the $54.99 price tag might very well prove a worthy investment indeed.
Some of the biggest names in higher education, like MIT, Oxford, and Yale join up with beloved institutions (The New York Public Library, Library of Congress, Museum of Modern Art, etc.) to provide iPhone users with one of the biggest, best open source repositories around.
One of the most popular reference apps available combines the latest dictionary and thesaurus updates with word-of-the day, bookmark, anagram searches, and audio perks – and more, of course.
Quickly access Wikipedia and customize the experience using the incredibly handy-dandy iWiki reference app.
Never mangle a common quote again – or get the speaker wrong – thanks to this gathering of over 3000 quotes from over 40 different influential thinkers and writers.
Learn how to identify different pharmaceuticals and administer First Aid (which could come in handy in a crucial situation), find local doctors, and, sigh, check symptoms. Just don’t jump to conclusions that those allergies might actually be malaria, OK?
One of the coolest features of this Wikipedia-streamlining app revolves around calling up location-based reads about nearby history, landmarks, interesting people, and anything else users might find interesting.
Art and Art History
From Lascaux to Judy Chicago, the iPhone’s slew of art- and art history-related resources make it simple to learn about the best and brightest creative minds out there, then channel their inspiration into personal, unique digital works.
Take a little trip and see the Museum of Modern Art without having to shell out money to hit New York City. The venerable collection provides users with digital tours, research materials, artist bios, mini-lessons, and other valuable assets to an artistic education.
Hundreds of high-resolution photos make the works of Old Masters and other artistic innovators stunningly pop, and the Louvre supplements the spectacle with videos, virtual tours, presentations, and information about hopefully someday visiting.
iPhone users with access to Art Envi Deluxe curate their very own exhibits and explore some of the world’s most influential and innovative works through a unique multimedia experience.
At the time of publication, Art features detailed information about 204 highly influential artists, including images, bios, quizzes, slideshows, and trivia, and stands as a great starting resource for anyone looking to learn more about humanity’s visually creative pursuits.
Yes, photographers and graphic designers, Photoshop is better. But for general fans hoping to set up their own digital galleries and share their experiments with color, light, composition, and interesting filtering techniques, Instagram proves a lot of fun.
Take part in a crowdsourced gallery of over 7500 artistic works, where users share, discuss, and curate their favorites to show off to the world — or just their friends.
Photograph anything with the iPhone and turn it into a kaleidoscopic wonder, which also happens to make it double as a lesson in how symmetry works for all those science and math fans out there.
The New Yorker famously featured a cover digitally painted with Brushes, one of the most critically-lauded apps for artists featuring one of the widest arrays of the most detailed, customizable artistic tools available on any smartphone.
Try MyPaint Free when looking for something a little less intensive than Brushes, but still terrifically fun. Whether starting off with a blank slate or a photo from the gallery, it provides plenty of opportunities to let creativity sparkle through.
Typography makes for a wonderful, though so often sadly overlooked, medium. TypeDrawing celebrates it by letting budding designers play around with the way words visually exist and play off one another.
Languages
Great for travelers and anyone learning another language, consider the following when needing to communicate with native speakers, learn and practice vocabulary and grammar, and master proper pronunciation.
When traveling abroad, talking to a native speaker in-town, or looking to bolster vocabulary and grammar in over 50 languages, look to the terribly convenient iTranslate. An additional 20 languages receive audio support!
Anyone learning Spanish, Italian, French, German, Latin, Hebrew, Japanese, Chinese, and/or Arabic might want to think about downloading this incredible app packed with a constantly growing library of vocabulary words.
Because the Free Translate app sits right on top of Google Translate, language learners looking to phase from one to another (or another!) can loop up a confusing word or phrase with ease.
For $2.99, iPhone users needing a translator with voice support incoming and outgoing have one of the best smartphone language tools at their disposal.
Create vocabulary flashcards and audio recordings for self-quizzes in the more than 100 languages Lexicon supports.
The World Nomads Language Guide suite covers 25 languages so far, each of them targeting travelers hoping to remain safe and secure during their globetrotting adventures.
Suitable for travelers and language learners alike, the iSpeak apps — of which there are many in multiple tongues — acts as a both a translator and a great way to soak up some quick lessons in common words and phrases.
The 45 languages Byki covers so all come relayed through recorded discussions with native speakers, Twitter synch, and dictionaries of more than 1,000 vocabulary words. In addition, iPhone owners with the app enabled also enjoy self-assessment tools to help them keep track of their progress.
All of the Gengo WordPower series by Innovative Language Learning, LLC focus on vocabulary building through multimedia flash cards, audio, and pronunciation exercises — complete with progress bar!
Type in a word to see the corresponding sign pop up, or review the alphabet and numbers needed to succeed in American Sign Language.
Productivity
Because an organized education is probably a less stressful education, try some of these apps to make study time roll on just a wee bit easier!
No matter how many devices gadget heads must juggle at any given time, Evernote makes it easy for them to synch their documents and never lose track of notes, reminders, homework, and anything else they deem crucial.
Stay organized and compartmentalized (Hey! Kind of like a bento!) with this digital personal assistant, which helps with keeping things on schedule, storing supported documents, drawing up easy reminders, and every other hallmark of a streamlined existence.
Diligent students will hopefully never miss turning in another assignment if they keep track of all their upcoming papers, worksheets, projects, quizzes, and exams in myHomework.
Despite the name, Google Search provides way more than just the engine what made it famous. Downloading the app also means on-the-go access to Docs, Google+, Gmail, Calendar, and most of its usual suite.
Create, edit, download, and view documents supported by Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, though some features might not be available on some programs. All the same, though, Documents To Go is a cross-platform essential for students and professionals alike.
Thanks to Instapaper, that interesting article posted to a favorite blog or website doesn’t have to get lost along with the wi-fi! Save online pages for offline viewing and never miss something potentially important again — especially if a boss, client, or teacher loves posting resources to blogs, websites, or social media.
Fire up the Student’s Little Helper (well, aside from caffeine, anyways) and preserve precious time for studying rather than seeking out wireless hot spots.
It’s the perfect organizer for those who think organizers waste entirely too much time — and features some pretty sweet synch capabilities, too!
Keep track of what apps might be sucking away at that batter life with this incredibly useful tool that ensures users might not miss another notification, study group phone call, or event.
Store and transfer files between different devices connected to the same Wi-Fi network with the super handy Discover.
This is a cross-post from our content partners at Bachelors Degree Online.
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Notice something new on the Play Store today? Google just added another featured area that should provide just a little more discoverability for apps with slightly narrower audiences, in the form of the "Apps Focus" section.
The first Apps Focus topic? Fashion and Style - bringing together a collection of some of the best apps for the chic-minded. While I can't say this one's up my alley in particular (seriously, what do I know about fashion?), I'm definitely interested in seeing where Google takes the Apps Focus feature in the future.
I've long lamented the state of app discoverability on Android, especially when it comes to stuff literally hundreds of thousands of people haven't downloaded already. The Play Store remains inundated with many apps of debatable value, and curation obviously isn't an option with the open model - so it takes more than a little patience to find good, new apps, especially ones that appeal to a more niche audience.
There doesn't appear to be any associated Play Store update with this new feature, just open the app up on your device and it should appear on the front page.
Don't worry, we won't post anything.
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