Great Apps to help you study !
Hi :)
On the subject of using mobile technology to help us learn, I came across a very interesting article by Julie Halpert, with very positive findings about how to blend technology into the learning experience to add challenge and bolster achievement. This is called "blended learning".
http://mashable.com/2012/08/12/tech-in-the-classroom/
Even though the article focuses mainly on children, children with special needs and how parents can make sure the school they choose is "tech savvy", it provided me with precious insights on how this approach can very well be applied to learning a foreign language and the different age ranges as well.
A very effective way of engaging students with technology for a pleasant learning process is via Apps.
There is such a variety of all sorts of Apps for both IOS and Android platforms.The challenge lies in getting one which can effectively fulfill the user's expectations.
Keeping in mind the learning, practice and organization of the language learner , there are some Apps which from my experience are a must-have and also free. They can be found for IOS & Android devices.
According to wordnet advanced dictionary, the full word is "Application Program". It refers to a program which gives a computer instructions that provide the user with tools to accomplish a task.
WordNet Advanced English & Thesaurus (works offline!)
This is a lexical database developed by the Cognitive Science Laboratory at Princeton University.
More info on the link below:
WordNet Advanced English & Thesaurus Dictionary
Offline dictionaries
App developed by a French software company. You choose from a variety of dictionaries such as English synonyms(US, WordNet), and also English-Portuguese, Portuguese-English ...
For more info: Offline dicitonaries
Vocabulary Organizer
Students and teachers often have bunches of notes on vocabulary, collocations , phrasal verbs ... But how to have them organized and for quick reference ?
A colleague suggested MyWordBook2, by the British Council. I tried it and found out that the main advantage is the way one can quickly list the word / expression for future reference. I have been looking for an App for this specific purpose so that students could use it during classes.
The drawback is the fact that it requires internet connection and in case you want to have theme-based word collections you have to pay for that.
Take a look at this video (3m05s): MyWordBook2_British Council
Read it later App, Pocket
You browse through lots of great articles from many websites, but time is not enough to read all of them. The same goes for videos and articles which could be used for research-related purposes or just sheer curiosity.
Pocket may very well be what you are looking for ! Very useful indeed !
Take a look at the video demonstration (1m39s): Pocket
What about you ? Which Apps do you use to support your studies ? Have you ever tried using the ones mentioned on this article ? Share your experience !
Rach
On the subject of using mobile technology to help us learn, I came across a very interesting article by Julie Halpert, with very positive findings about how to blend technology into the learning experience to add challenge and bolster achievement. This is called "blended learning".
http://mashable.com/2012/08/12/tech-in-the-classroom/
Even though the article focuses mainly on children, children with special needs and how parents can make sure the school they choose is "tech savvy", it provided me with precious insights on how this approach can very well be applied to learning a foreign language and the different age ranges as well.
A very effective way of engaging students with technology for a pleasant learning process is via Apps.
There is such a variety of all sorts of Apps for both IOS and Android platforms.The challenge lies in getting one which can effectively fulfill the user's expectations.
Keeping in mind the learning, practice and organization of the language learner , there are some Apps which from my experience are a must-have and also free. They can be found for IOS & Android devices.
According to wordnet advanced dictionary, the full word is "Application Program". It refers to a program which gives a computer instructions that provide the user with tools to accomplish a task.
This is a lexical database developed by the Cognitive Science Laboratory at Princeton University.
More info on the link below:
WordNet Advanced English & Thesaurus Dictionary
App developed by a French software company. You choose from a variety of dictionaries such as English synonyms(US, WordNet), and also English-Portuguese, Portuguese-English ...
For more info: Offline dicitonaries
Students and teachers often have bunches of notes on vocabulary, collocations , phrasal verbs ... But how to have them organized and for quick reference ?
The drawback is the fact that it requires internet connection and in case you want to have theme-based word collections you have to pay for that.
Take a look at this video (3m05s): MyWordBook2_British Council
You browse through lots of great articles from many websites, but time is not enough to read all of them. The same goes for videos and articles which could be used for research-related purposes or just sheer curiosity.
Pocket may very well be what you are looking for ! Very useful indeed !
Take a look at the video demonstration (1m39s): Pocket
What about you ? Which Apps do you use to support your studies ? Have you ever tried using the ones mentioned on this article ? Share your experience !
There is a very handy program called "Anki". Here follows the link to access the website: http://ankisrs.net/index.html
ReplyDeleteIt is a program which can help you improve your vocabulary by using a very interesting memorisation method. It seems to work as a brainwashing.
I reckon it is useful because memorising new words is not an easy task at all. Ahhh, and it is important to highlight the fact that it is free and can be used in mobiles as well.
So, that is my first contribution to the blog :). Hope you like it.
Regards,
Kadu
Hi Kadu!
DeleteI took a look at the website and it seems worth trying out. I'll download it to my phone to start using :)
Thanks for sharing your experience :)
Regards,
Raquel