Share This
It is that time of year again when students all over the world are trying to cram as much information as possible into their brains for their upcoming exams, be it mid-terms or finals. Therefore, it is also time to review some educational apps starting with Poems By Heart from Penguin Classics. This 12+ rated app was just recently added in September 2013, which features four free poems such as Shakespeare’s sonnet ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day’ and ‘Eldorado’ by Edgar Allan Poe. It tests you to memorize poetry and helps you enjoy them at a deeper level by reciting them. Truly this app celebrates the art of poetry. Adventure, Horror, Romance and so much more, what English student or poetry fan would give up on a chance to use such a great app?
Next, on our educational list, there is an app called Cell and Cell Structure. First posted in November 2011, this biology app has three main functions: All About Cells, Interactive Activities and Videos, all geared towards student’s age 10-15 years old. I highly recommend this app for any students studying for their biology GCSE as the All About Cells option offers you an in-depth understanding about cells, cell structure, the cell life cycle, individual organelles and their functions using vivid imagery and engages the student using the Interactive option that is complete with quizzes, word searches and detailed flashcards. Each topic engages users with a question format offering short, detailed answers. The only downside to this app is that it doesn’t cover other biology topics, which would be useful for students during this time.
Moving on we will now look at DragonBox Algebra 12+ that basically, as its name states, is a tool used to improve your knowledge of math. It covers materials such as Parentheses, Substitution, Factorization and more and is available in a number of different languages. Dr. Patrick Marchal who has a Ph.D. in cognitive science, and Jean-Baptiste Huynh, a high school teacher, created DragonBox Algebra 12+ as an intuitive, interactive and efficient way to learn algebra. It allows the player to learn at his or her own pace by experimenting with rules that are introduced gradually. The best part is that the layers growth is illustrated with the growth of a dragon with each new chapter. Learning has never felt so fun; with its 20 progressive chapters (10 for learning and 10 for training), 357 puzzles and many other features, math teachers will never again have to deal with lazy students.
Lastly, we will finish off with Duolingo. This app serves to teach students Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese or even English. Starting off with the basics of introducing yourself, the players can then work their way through the ranks using real world texts whilst competing with your friends. This addicting way of language learning will have anyone speaking his or her ‘español’ (Spanish) perfectly in what may feel like no time at all. It tests the players reading, speaking, hearing and writing all from the convenience of their phones. Not only does it teach you simple day-to-day phrases, it also teaches you how to convey your opinions on topics such as politics or even just eases the burden of shopping in another country. This is possibly one of the best apps to use to improve a person language skills in the most enjoyable manner. The only problem with all of these educational apps is that you may never get the student to look away from them once they start.
