Top 10 FREE education apps

Technology has progressed at an extremely fast pace. Not only can we communicate from around the world but we can also access any information, at any time using tablets and smartphones. This aspect holds a great amount of potential for education -- and with the power of mobile devices, it’s possible to teach using more involving and interactive means. The prevalence of mobile devices and their lowering costs also makes it possible to bring information to those who may not be able to access it. From biology to astronomy to even viewing the links between different academic sources, there’s always an app for it.

Check out our picks for ten amazing education apps, available on iOS, Android or both. Of course, all of them are for free and for those willing to put down a small amount of cash, there are other exciting apps out there as well.

Instinct

Instinct isn’t an iOS or Android app. Rather, it’s a free app that can be accessed online. But it’s well worth it for what it teaches: How to play the guitar. There are three volumes of songs online right now, with both beginner and intermediate lessons.  As you play, the app will detect the pitch of the notes you’re playing and instruct you on which are correct to the song you’re playing. A range of influences is available for learning.

(Available at www.getinstinct.com)

ClassDojo

A free app for iOS, ClassDojo is a great teaching tool for providing feedback on classroom behaviour. After making an account, teachers simply apply points to different children whose behaviour they wish to reward. The overall data and trend of behaviour in the classroom is then compiled together.

This allows teachers to monitor the progress of students in real time and share this information to teachers.

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Wikipedia

This one is obvious. Officially available for free on both iOS and Android, Wikipedia is the source for finding out everything you need to know about anything.

The app caters to hundreds of languages and contains references, sources and in-depth information about everything known to man. If there’s any information missing, you can either add it on your own or just wait for the dedicated community to add it in.

You can even check out the home page for “On this date in history”, which provides a list of different events that occurred on the same day.

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How to draw and paint

Created by Future Publishing for iOS, this series teaches individuals how to create digital art using Photoshop. For casual artists, it teaches you how to draw in different styles, starting from the basics to more advanced sketching.

Despite being a quarterly publication, each lesson is interactive and helpfully showcases all the steps necessary for learning. The best part is, it’s free and still being updated (the last update was on March 6, 2013).

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DailyArt

Ever wanted to appreciate paintings and works of art from the past at random intervals in the day on iOS or Android?

DailyArt does just that, by sending a push notification each day with a single masterpiece and enough information about how it was created, why and the artist responsible. With the new updates, you can also view paintings in landscape mode to better appreciate the details.  You’ll also be able to quickly return to the present and view excellent works of art being created today.

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IBM Think

Based on the exhibit of the same name held in New York City, the free IBM Think app showcases the evolution of various technologies in the world. Divided into 5 interactive “modules”, you can look through a detailed timeline, analyse different maps of the world, track the progress of different invention and much more -- all presented in high resolution images and HD video.

You can even listen to world readers give their own take on belief and constructing the same worldwide.

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EarthViewer

Suppose you want to track the progress the Earth not just in terms of technology but also in geological terms. EarthViewer allows you to go back millions and millions of years and view the progress of the Earth over this period.

Whether you want to view climate changes or understand how certain natural wonders came to be, you can see it all -- in real-time, over 4.5 billion years of the Earth’s existence.

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Pocket

One of the best free apps for iOS, Pocket allows you to take any web page, article or video that you find online and save it later for offline viewing. It also arranges everything you save into an easily accessible interface so you can access all the information later without any trouble.

Pocket also syncs saved pages among different devices, so you can save something on your iPad and conveniently check it out on your computer later.

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Virtual Manipulatives

Learning math can be a drag, so why not find a way to make it both fun but interactive and involving for kids? Virtual Manipulatives does just that and allows teachers to properly showcase how fractions, percentages and much more work by allowing students to visualise them as solid objects.

These objects can then be snapped together and easily arranged depending on the requirements. Perfect for teaching children about the fundamentals of mathematics without relying too much on abstract concepts.

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Google Earth

If you want to learn more about the Earth in its present state, Google Earth is the app for you.

Google Earth allows access to maps, roads, tours and even phenomena such as earthquakes. You can even enter into a virtual mode to experience the sites you’re seeing as if you were there in real time.

Using this, people can go to places they’ve never been before and explore it first-hand. It’s also an incredible tool for allowing individuals to revisit their childhood homes.

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