Study hall should be a time for further processing as well as the comprehension of new information learned during the day. Unless a school bans smartphone or tablet usage, these apps are amazing tools for studying, organizing and writing.
StudyBlue Flashcards (Free, Android Handheld, Android Tablet)
StudyBlue Flashcards uses user-generated content to provide students with an unparalleled study experience on Android devices. With a user account, students can easily create their own flashcards or share with friends. The cards can include pictures and text (but there’s no audio support). Once students have either created their notecard set or selected one from the user gallery, the flashcards are stored in their account for future use in a “backpack.” Once students have created or selected their flashcard set, they are ready to begin studying.
Curated by Kate Peila
iStudious Lite – Flashcards w/ Handwriting and Rich Text (Free, iPad)
iStudious Flashcards is a feature-packed — yet easy to use — flashcard creator that allows you to import flashcard stacks (or decks) from Quizlet.com or Dropbox; you can also create your own decks. Best of all, iStudious Flashcards gives you a variety of options when it comes to the design of cards you create. Looking to study a foreign language and want to include a recording of how a word is pronounced? iStudious Flashcards can do that. Want to include a picture of a land formation or part of a plant to be identified? iStudious Flashcards can do that. Do you want to handwrite the question or answer, perhaps to learn a math formula? iStudious Flashcards can do that, too.
Curated by Keith George
Chronicle ($1.99, iPhone)
While there is no instruction in this app, this is a great way for students to practice writing. Students can password protect their documents, and export them via email or Google Docs for further editing. This app simply gives students a private place to write. Since they can password protect the app, there is no worry that someone will come across information that they don’t want to share. Students can add photos from their phone, and they can add icons to visually sort their entries.
Curated by Megan Samarin
The Homework App – Your School Homework Task Planner List & Assignment Schedule Organizer Tracker (Free, iPhone)
The Homework App is a great implementation of a single purpose app. Middle school students are often challenged by the sudden increase in homework combined with the change in the expectation for students to stay on top of assignments without significant prompting from teachers. The Homework App sports a fresh looking interface that features a clear, easy to read home screen that provides a great summary of pending homework assignments. You will want to spring for the full version so that tasks can include sub-tasks, reminders can be set, and assignments can be easily shared from one user to another.
Curated by Keith George
SAT Up (Free, iPad)
We can’t say enough about how much we love this SAT prep app. It’s free to download and has real free content including practice tests in reading, writing and math, and insight into incorrect answers. The app also uses a game-like interface to allow students to build a career total score, earn achievements and even see what questions trending with other students studying in real time. The app has a wealth of features intended to make it easy for students to collaborate with each other or teachers, and the in-app purchases are reasonable and add both educational and re-use value. Our favorite feature, however, is that the app indicates how a student performed compared to others giving them a sense not only of their potential score, but the always more important factor, their potential percentile.
Curated by Lisa Caplan
(This content was originally posted at appoLearning.)