Apple Applications (for Students)



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iPods are pretty common these days. Most kids that don't have an iPhone have at least requested an iPod touch (which has the same capabilities, minus the calling feature). The newest toy is the Apple iPad, which is a tablet with unbelievable features. Depending on your students' socioeconomic statuses, you may see one or all three of these in your classroom. (And now the Blackberry has apps, too...there just isn't as wide of a variety of apps for the Blackberry yet.)

Since kids love to play with these toys, why not turn them into educational tools? Apple has a ton of apps that can be used for education at any age. It's definitely worth taking a gander on the iTunes application store page in order to find some apps that are tailored specifically to your class's age and subject.

Since I currently teach high school, I will focus mainly on educational apps for the higher-leveled student. Here are the neatest apps I've found so far:

• World Atlas by National Geographic -- $1.99.  Explore the entire world!
• Star Walk --  $2.99. Check out all the constellations
• iStudiez Pro -- $2.99 for the Pro version / FREE for the lite version. Keep track of all your classes, homework, etc. It's made especially for kids in classes. 
• Convert Units For Free -- FREE. This calculator converts units so you don't have to
• Dictionary/Thesaurus -- FREE. Have an entire dictionary at your fingertips. It also includes a thesaurus. 
• CliffsNotes -- [Do a search on "CliffsNotes" to get options of book titles] Most are $3.99. Get modernized summarizes of classic works of literature
• iElements -- FREE. Check out the entire periodic table of elements
• SAT Vocab Challenge -- FREE. Play a synonym/antonym game with SAT words
• Kindle/Nook -- FREE for both. Read books (both free and paid) on your device
• GoodReader -- $4.99.  Read PDF notes and have the ability to make notes, highlight, etc.
• GrammarApp -- $1.99. Learn common grammar mistakes and take a little quiz to test your knowledge
• Shakespeare -- FREE. Access a variety of Shakespeare's most famous plays for free
• Flashcards+ -- FREE. Access hundreds of flashcard decks from Quizlet.com or create a custom deck. You can make flashcards over anything you need (and the decks aren't limited to a certain number of cards), edit whenever is needed, and "check off" cards that you've obviously learned and don't need to practice. This makes me wonder if you can access your flashcards from the Quizlet website...?
• Cramberry -- $2.99 for FREE for limited version. Same deal as Flashcards+, but just a slightly different application. I heard somewhere that you can access these flashcard decks from any device with the internet, but I haven't personally tried it (yet).
• Sundry Notes -- FREE. Take some seriously high-tech notes! Add images you've taken with your camera or gotten off the 'net, add camera or YouTube videos, add symbols, type in notes, "write" notes with your fingertip...it's awesome!
• Writing Prompts -- $1.99. Powered by writing.com, this app gives you ideas for what to write
• WordDot -- FREE. Basically the same thing as Prompts, but with a slightly different look
• To Do -- FREE. Keep track of your to-do list virtually
• Notes -- $1.99. Type notes on various pages of a virtual notebook
• Skype/FaceTime -- FaceTime is FREE with the phone. Skype is FREE. Video chat with students from across the world
• Google Maps -- FREE with the phone. Type in addresses from around the country (White House? Disney World?) and be able to zoom in to see the latest satellite picture of this address. 
• WolframAlpha -- $1.99. An answer machine. Much more reliable than ChaCha. ;)
• iHandy Translator Pro -- $1.99 or limited version for FREE. Translate languages flawlessly
• The World Factbook 2011 -- $0.99. Gives information for more than 250 countries and territories
• Animoto Videos -- FREE. Submit pictures and create a customized (and fancy-looking!) photo slideshow set to music. 
• Graphing Calculator -- plot equations on the graph
• Wolfram Pre-Algebra Course Assistant -- $1.99.  Same as WolframAlpha, but geared toward algebra
• Fractions App -- $0.99.  Learn your fraction with simple, everyday objects
• Art -- $0.99.  Review tons of famous works of art. Comes with the ability to save directly to your device's picture album.
• Anatomy and Physiology -- $3.99.  Colored diagrams help you learn more about anatomy
• ASL Dictionary -- $2.99.  Over 4,800 American Sign Language signs at your fingertips (no pun intended)
• Mathemagics -- $1.99. Mental Math Tricks -- teaches people simple tricks for fast mental math
• 115-in-1 Math Solver -- includes algebra, geometry, statistics, and trig
• Dragon Dictation -- FREE.  Speech-to-text app that translates words to written word on the screen. Students could use this app before writing to get all their ideas out....or some could even use it as a note-taking tool in the classroom.  
• MyHomework -- FREE. Easily keep track of homework assignments and upcoming exams in a calendar view. 
• American Wordspeller -- $4.99. Phonetic dictionary. Great for little ones or students who have trouble reading/writing/spelling.
• InClass -- FREE. Organize schedules and share notes. 
• Words With Friends -- $1.99 without advertisements; FREE with advertisements. It is a game, but it's like virtual Scrabble. I can be on-board for games that help strengthen vocabulary!

And these aren't even all the available apps...these are just the ones I thought sounded really cool and educational! If you're wondering if there's an Apple app for your particular topic (even if it's not mentioned above), just search for it in the search bar! You can do this on Apple.com, in iTunes, or in the App store on your Apple device.

If you're an Apple-junkie like I am, you know that not all apps that work for iPod Touch are necessarily the greatest for the iPad, and vice versa. So here are some more ways to use iPod Touch in the classroom, and here are some more ways to use iPad. 

The great thing about Apple's apps is that they are always being updated...and there are always new apps being added. I believe Apple has truly revolutionized the way students these days learn and keep track of school obligations. Educators just need to utilize this.

::Edit:: Just stumbled onto the Show Me app, and I'm loving what I'm seeing so far! Click the name of the app to be taken to a website that has a nifty intro video. How AMAZING would this be for use in math or science classes?? I mean, really, all disciplines could probably find a way to use it, but math would REALLY benefit. Wow.