Back to school means back to homework, tests, and pop quizzes. Such drastic changes from the freedom of summer to the structure of school can be stressful to students, parents, and teachers. To ease into the school year and beyond, consider studying with technology or an app. Students will segue more smoothly into studying if the technology they used during the summer is similar to that used during the school year.
If a studying app can be easily downloaded to a portable device, students will be able to study anywhere they choose. Mental Case is a phenomenal tool for any subject and can handle multiple grades, subjects, and specific tests. Better still, the information is not a simple flashcard exercise; videos, tutorials, web links, images, and text–along with other websites such as Quizlet–can be downloaded into folders to create the perfect study guide. Currently only for Mac users, Mental Case can share information easily with AirDrop. Teachers are able to capture all the abovementioned materials to create an interactive PowerPoint presentation and AirDrop the information to students with iPads or other Mac devices.
The summer slump is easily overcome with computer games, such as Magic School Bus games to study science and teamwork. Educational websites abound, and are available for any age, grade, or subject. For more advanced subjects, Khan Academy provides science, math, physics, computer programming, and thousands of other short videos to assist in more completely understanding concepts. Books downloaded to E-readers give your bookworm thousands of free or inexpensive texts and a library of knowledge. YouTube, long regaled as a time-eating site, can transform into a venerable storehouse of information with your guidance. Likewise, Pinterest is a fantastic site to inspire creativity–again, with your guidance.
For additional information on technology and educational apps, please continue to browse our news pages. Tell us about the technology you used over the summer to pique the interest of your children and help them during their return to their Orlando school.