Monday, March 12, 2012

Top 10 Useful Mobile Apps for Students

Over Christmas break, many of my students were gifted mobile devices. After the initial excitement wore off, I heard multiple comments and complaints from students who didn't know what to do with their new devices.

Here is my current list of useful apps for teenage students:



Dropbox - While Dropbox is nothing new to the edtech world, many students still don't know about its handy uses. With mobile, web, and desktop apps, Dropbox is truly the one-stop-wonder for file storage. Forget lugging and losing flash drives. Dropbox allows students to access their files anywhere at any time. Free for 2 GB of storage



WordWeb Dictionary - This app simply WORKS. Its intuitive interface makes it simple for students to look up words in seconds. I particularly like the customizable option to instantly look up any word in the definition that is clicked. Fuzzy look-up allows students to guess the spelling. Very handy. Free with optional paid add-ons



GoodNotes - GoodNotes is my go-to recommendation for iPad notetaking. I've been a fan of this app through its many updates (including a name change - it used to be known as eNoteTaker). From Dropbox integration (upload & download .pdfs) to zoom-box handwriting to annotating images, this app does it all. I've tried most of the popular handwriting apps, and I'm surprised that this app doesn't get more attention. It deserves the top spot. I used this app while taking notes at the ISTE Philadelphia conference last year and had many people ask me what app I was using because they were impressed with the usability. If you buy one app for your iPad, it should be this one. Also worth noting, the developer is hands-on and responds quickly to comments and questions. $3.99


Qrafter - QR Code Reader and Generator - One of the biggest projects I do with my Brit Lit class involves using QR Codes to link to web resources instead of a typical MLA works cited list. I find Qrafter to be reliable with a simple, straight-forward interface. While I have only used the iPad version (with great success), I look forward to trying this out on my iPhone, as my current QR code reader is buggy. Free


Flipboard - With its recent update, Flipboard is now available for both iPad and iPhone/iPod users. The beautiful interface begs to be touched. Flipboard arranges web content in a magazine-like interface. While I use my Flipboard for Facebook, Google Reader, a few of my favorite websites, my favorite usage is for Twitter. With Flipboard, I can see a preview of URLs tweeted by those I follow. This means, I don't have to click every link - and sometimes it is difficult to know if you want to click a shortened link. Is it really something you want to look at? Flipboard takes the mystery out of the link with the preview window. I encourage students to use Twitter to connect with others who share their interests. Flipboard & Twitter are perfect partners. Additionally, Flipboard makes it easy to share across multiple platforms. If I find an article I like on my Twitter Feed on Flipboard, I can share it from within the App on Facebook, Twitter, or through an email. Free


Kindle - While I have the Nook and iBooks apps on my devices, the Kindle app gets most of my reader usage because it is accessible across so many different devices and contains a huge library of titles. All of my books are synchronized between my web, iPhone, iPad, and desktop apps. That's convenient! I also like the note-taking features. Recently, I've paid more attention to the crowd-sourced highlighting. I allow my students to read from their devices during Independent Reading. The Kindle app is an excellent way to access both current books and free public domain books. Free



LitCharts & Modern Translations - Wow. This is quite the resource for both teachers and students alike. At LitCharts.com and their various mobile apps, you can download and view useful summaries of classic literature. Everything from characters to themes to symbols is analyzed in helpful visual charts. LitCharts also publishes mobile apps for Shakespeare plays with side-by-side original and modern translations. I have to say, LitCharts puts SparkNotes to shame. Well-done. My only complaint, is that all of their information and pdfs are available for free on their website, but there is a charge per book for the mobile apps. However, for ease-of-use, the price is worth it for the mobile apps. Free to access on mobile browser, $.99 per book app



ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard - Screencasting is a handy way for students to share their learning with others. Students can demonstrate how to solve a math problem, draw a diagram for Science class, chart the lineage of British kings for History, and illustrate vocabulary words to show understanding for English class. To use the app (note - this is only available for iPads) simply click the record button and everything that is drawn on the blank screen is captured along with audio. This screencast can then be shared on the web. I chose this particular screencasting tool to highlight because of its simple interface and its cost. Free



EasyBib - I've used the EasyBib website for quite some time now with my students, but the app is fairly new to me. What a great find! The website handles those pesky citations for websites with finesse. The app provides book citations in MLA, APA, and Chicago formats. Using the camera on your device, the app scans the barcode on the back of most modern books and then provides the citation that can then be emailed. If there is no barcode, users can also use the search function to look up books. Handy. Free

And there you have it - my top 10 apps for students (if you count LitCharts & their Modern Translations as separate apps... which I do!).

Note - there are no flashcard apps listed. I've yet to find a flashcard app that I feel comfortable recommending to students. So many of them are buggy and complicated. If you know of one that you like, please let me know in the comments so I can check it out.

Another Note - I also haven't included any presentation apps (Keynote, etc.) in this list because they are expensive for students to install on their mobile devices. Again, if you know of a cheap presentation app, please let me know!