Smartphone Apps: Technology in Education

Smartphones and apps have become integrated into our daily lives; in fact Arbitron and Edison have found that over half of mobile phone users keep their device within arm’s reach 100% of the time. This penetration does not stop at adults, teens are notoriously glued to their phones and it’s definitely not uncommon to see a young child attached to a smart phone or tablet.

While there are many people who attribute this to the downfall of face to face interaction, imagination and the countless other social changes that new technologies have brought to the table, apps and smartphones aren’t necessarily all bad.

When a device like a tablet or a smartphone are brought into lessons, engagement increases, children respond better, pay more attention and are genuinely more interested. Although this isn’t the only way to ensure a better response from a classroom it’s a method worth bearing in mind, particularly for certain lessons.

Apps are also great ways to help encourage learning out of the classroom. There are so many free and educational apps that children can play and gain arithmetic or literacy skills with at the same time.

Here are a few examples:

There are countless apps on the Android and Apple store that can be used to help improve arithmetic, counting, fractions and numeracy in general. These are often free and are usually in a game format meaning that young people are able to develop key skills while they have fun. Here are a few that will develop confidence in maths: iMathematics, Kids Learning Numbers, Maths Trainer and Trigonometry Mathematics.

Apps are also a great way of improving language skills, whether it’s English or a second language, there are plenty apps available for a small cost and for free that are designed to help device owners and teachers alike. Apps like Book Creator Free allow younger children to use their tablet to create their own books, encouraging their creativity and helping improve writing skills. In the classroom, The Story Wall is a fantastic way to inspire younger people to get more involved in writing and team building as a story is collectively written by a class. For older students, word games like Scrabble, crossword puzzles and Scramble With Friends are fantastic ways to improve spelling and vocabulary.

A thermal imaging app is perfect for science lessons – while thermal imaging cameras have been accessible on the market for years now they have never been affordable, particularly in schools. FLIR have developed an attachment to the iPhone, that coupled with the app makes a reasonably priced thermal imaging camera for around $350. Although this might seem a little steep for an iPhone app, it is great for lessons on heat loss and heat transfer, is great fun for the children and can be shared around departments within the school to help spread the cost.

Another fantastic bit of ‘add on’ hardware for apple products is the Piano Apprentice, not only does it help students to effectively learn sheet music and teach piano quickly and effectively but it also is a great way to write music.

So, with mobile devices being on hand almost constantly, make sure that younger people have a mixture of applications on their phones and tablet that helps to develop their brain as well as socialize. Remember, it’s also important not to overlook use of technology in the classroom too.

Image credit: lrs08e

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