Icell

This colorful, interactive biology application, made by HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology will help students of all ages understand the anatomy of organisms' cells.  Version 3.2 works on IOS 4.3 or later.  Icell is 18 megabytes, and is most recently updated on November eighteen 2011.   Icell is compatible on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

As you open Icell, 3 boxes labeled Animal, Plant and Bacteria with an animation in each show on the main menu.  After selecting an organism, a huge cell with a membrane will appear.  In the bottom left corner there is a box with 3 settings: basic, intermediate and advanced.  After selecting one of these, then tap on a part of the cell and the app will zoom in on the part you tapped on; Writing then appears explaining what that part of the cell does and what it is, the writing is of the difficulty you selected. For example a basic definition of nucleus is: "The nucleus holds the genetic information for the cell". An intermediate definition is: "The nucleus is a double membrane-bound organelle that acts as the central storage area  for the genomic DNA. The DNA shown inside the nucleus has been tightly wound around proteins to condense its overall size. An advanced definition is: "The nucleus is where the DNA is stored and replicated and where mRNA is transcribed.  It is surrounded by the nuclear envelope, which is a double-membrane structure with pores that control intake and export.  The DNA in the nucleus shown here is tightly coiled around a number of proteins known as histones to reduce its overall length.  The nucleus also contains the nucleolus where the ribosomes are assembled before being exported to the cytoplasm".   Swiping across the cell rotates and moves the cell, also pinching and pulling zooms in and out for an in-depth look at the cell.

I recommend Icell for students ages ten and up because the explanations go from very basic, all the way up to college level writing. This is a very exciting, interactive, colorful biology application that explores the iPads' touch screen capabilities with manual zooming in and out and rotating.  Students will learn an extensive vocabulary and cell anatomy.  I highly recommend Icell to all students ten and up interested in biology.

Maps

Ever looked for a useful educational app? The name of this helpful App is called Maps. Maps is a creative way of when your trying to go places that you might want to go to. This app is also free and very useful for education I would recommend this for older kids 10+ meaning kid in 3rd grade+ it's very complicated harder for littler kids to read and understand the uses.
     If I wanted to type in my address and where in Maine it is it would work it gives you the place and you have three different ways  standard which shows this in map version, another called hybrid which gives you earth like quality and satellite which is pretty much the same thing. When you want  to get to you want to search this you have to hit directions and it will take you there. Maps also gives you a wide variety of different things like tourist attractions like different parks, places to eat out, theme parks,and many other options to look at. It teaches you the value of directions it has everything you need. Anywhere I wanted to go to I found the directions easily and there isn't any glitching involved. The loading also works really great and gives helpful information like where in that era you have traffic,places to eat,hotels,shopping etc.. in other words anywhere helpful to know about. Directions on how to use this is you click the app Maps then you pic a setting and. You zoom in to the state the place is and then you type it in directions by searching and you zoom in to the  place is and then you type in the directions by searching in the search box your place it will show you it on there in just seconds you are there.
    I would like if this app had better graphics and I wish they had added pictures of the places and details like that.  But overall I would recommended this to users who want this creative educational app to help them find places they might want to visit. I also find this very helpful to children and adults.

Duolingo App Review

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/duolingo-learn-languages-for/id570060128?mt=8&uo=4

What could be better than learning a new language? Well that would be being able to do it for free! Apple's 2013 app of the year, duolingo version 3.3 brings language learning to a whole new level. Learners are presented with an app so easy, that they could learn a language in no time, and without the hassle of regular classes.
Author: duolingo
Requirements: iOS 6.0 or later
Upon opening the app, learners are presented with a broad selection of languages to work on. Once they select a language, they set a goal for how often they plan on visiting the app and working on their skills- don't worry though, changes can always be made later by clicking on the "change goal" icon on your home screen profile. Your profile is a place where you can track your goals, and lessons that have been unlocked are displayed in a colorful manor, supplemented with lively drawings showing glimpse of what the lesson is about. Scrolling down, learners can get a look at all of the lessons to complete in order to master the language. Each vocabulary section has it's own icon, by tapping on one, you are transported to a series of lessons that must be completed in order to finish the vocabulary course. In each course, learners are asked to craft, translate, and speak, words from the vocabulary lesson along with previous vocabulary words, and sometimes are asked to use multiple choice. In each lesson learners have three lives, each time they give an incorrect question, they loose one. When they run out of lives, they have to re do the lesson. This way it is insured that learners fully comprehend the words before moving onto even more difficult vocabulary. Each time a new lesson is completed, the new vocabulary is carried into all other lessons after.
This app is great for both people who want to learn a new language, and for people who are already learning one and want to supplement their vocabulary. It gives people a hands on learning experience without the burden of memorizing boring vocabulary. This app would be most enjoyed at home in a quiet space, because speaking and listening are a big part of the learning process. If you must, there is an option to  turn the microphone off and of course there are always headphones that work for for listening. Overall this is a great app that will broaden horizons.

Explain Everything

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/explain-everything/id431493086?mt=8&uo=4

Explain Everything is an astonishing app the uses all of the iPads capabilities. There is a small fee of $2.99 to buy the app but it is completely worth the price. The app was developed and published by MorrisCooke and requires IOS 5.1 or any version later. When you open the app the menu gives you the opportunity to create a new presentation or continue on a previous project. There is an opportunity to create a color scheme which is a great way to customize your project for the perfect occasion. When in the app, you have the opportunity to completely customize your presentation. 

No one will be able to resist the temptation of drawing on the screen in any color imaginable. Everyone can use the simple process of touching the pencil icon and drawing whatever they want. Anyone age 5 and up can use Explain Everything to organize information and create a one of a kind project. While creating your amazing presentation there is a bar, that with the touch of a button you have all kinds of options. You can have a laser pointer, the ability to insert pictures or videos, add text and draw or write with your finger. If you run out of room testing all the cool features, with a pinch and a pull, you can zoom out and have more space. If you decide to put a picture or video into the presentation, you can crop, rotate and draw on the picture to fit your specific need. When you have the perfect finished product it takes 2 taps to export your work to either camera roll, YouTube or change it into a different file format. 

Explain Everything is not just some app that kids play on to record mediocre projects, it can also be used in extremely professional presentations. It can be used for the regular elementary level project that has some words and a couple pictures. Also, you can make a more professional presentation that will wow your audience. There is a button that when pressed will record your every word, press or swipe on the screen. So when it is time to show the final product to the audience the whole presentation is prerecorded and ready to go. That means you can talk to the audience while drawing a picture, using the laser point to show important points and have a picture pop up but it is all prerecorded. So if you get stage freight or just don't like presenting you can have the whole presentation prerecorded and all you have to do is press play.

Fit Brains trainer

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fit-brains-trainer/id565200595?mt=8&uo=4

          The mind, we should be able to use it to its full potential. Some people struggle with things like memory and focus and so on. If you are one of those people this app, Fit Brains Trainers, is for you. This app was created by Rosetta Stone Canada Inc., and requires iOS 5.0 for use. This app costs no money what so ever until you upgrade to the full version. The app is currently in version 2.1 and was last updated on March 20th 2014. The app download takes up 25.4 MB of space.
           Fit Brains Trainer is a app that provides games and activities to help the human mind. Most of these games and activities help with memory, focus, mind speed, and mental capacity. Each category has multiple games. Memory has at least two, and speed has about three. For every game there is a score count, and a time limit. Your goal is to finish as many questions as you can before the time runs out. And at the end the game will tell you your score, then you will move on to the next game. This app has very good use of colors, images and sound. This application has very bright colors such as red, purple, green, and so on. All of these colors are used appropriately and correctly. The images used in the app are more meant to keep you interested, and they also lean towards trying to give kids something to look at. They will use images such as grapes, glasses, wallets and so on and so forth. Some of the images get a little dull and repetitive as you go on. But they are still appropriately used. There is no music during the games, but there are little sound effects as you play. For example there is little dings when you get and answer right or wrong. Also little noises when you tap on something. They didn't abuse the use of sound but there could be more of it.
         Fit Brains Trainer is a fun educational app. All around great to use, if your trying to increase you brain skills. This app isn't very boring, but if continue to play it for a long periods of time it will eventually get repetitive. Other than that, this app is excellent. I recommend that you play it daily if you are trying to increase in brain skills. But if you are just playing it for fun try it as often as you can. This app can defiantly help with school if you're struggling.

       

Earth Viewer

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/earthviewer/id590208430?mt=8&uo=4

Earth Viewer App Review
By: Delphi Bourassa

Details:
Tittle- Earth Viewer
Seller- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Category- Education
Version- 1.1
Size- 154 MB
Rating: 4+
Compatibility: Requires iOS 4.0 or later. Compatible with iPad.
Price: FREE

Do do you ever wonder what earth looked like 1,000 years ago? 1 million years ago? Even 10 million years ago? With earth viewer, the earth can be seen how it is today, and up to 4,500 million years ago; plus any year in between. When you open the application, you will be stunned at the 3-D graphics of the globe which takes up more then half of your screen. Located on the left side of your device is a bar marked off with years and time periods. Take a step into the past with a quick pinch and pull of the timeline. Earth viewer will allow users to grasp a firm understanding of earth from the beginning of time.
Both children and adults of all ages will enjoy the extravagant graphics along with the straightforward quality of the app. Earth Viewer is an easy way to comprehend valuable information on prehistoric earth within minutes. Users can effortlessly pinch and pull at the globe to inspect different time periods in a more precise way. Another pinch and pull to the timeline located on the left grants you the power to inspect a time period in a more exact way, or even in a wider range depending on what information you're seeking. A swipe along that same timeline makes your globe slowly transform and shape shift as it once did millions of years ago. Located on the very bottom of your screen in another thin grey bar that allows you to comfortably change the information that appears scattered amongst your globe. Things such as mass extinction, major impact events, fossil discoveries and current city whereabouts in the past can be chosen to shown and not shown with the click of a button. Instead of a key, Earth Viewer provides small icons scattered about the globe that when tapped upon give you a brief summary on the happenings of that place throughout time. Additional information included in the app is amount of O2 and CO2 in the air, day length and also the direction of continents at different periods in time.
I highly recommend this app for children and adults above 5th grade. Earth Viewer provides an easy learning environment for most ages in a way that will intrigue all sorts of buyers. Whether you're looking for a quick lesson to teach to your students or just some fun facts, Earth Viewer is a basic learning tool that will always have you returning to the app for more.

Duolingo

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/duolingo-
learn-languagesfor/id570060128?mt=8&uo=4

          Have you ever wanted to learn a new language, but don't have the time or money to take a class or lessons? If so, then there's still a way for you to learn, through the app Duolingo. It's fast, simple, effective and completely free! The developer is Duolingo and the seller is Duolingo, Inc. Its version is 3.3 and will require iOS 6.0 or later. The app is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Duolingo has a large selection of languages you can learn, and the lessons are set up in ways to help you learn better.

When you first tap on the friendly, green owl icon, you're taken through some brief slides that give you only a small taste of the app's full capability. Then once you make an account, your language learning experience begins. With courses such as French, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, and German there's no limit to the amount you can learn. Another wonderful thing about this app is that it's not only limited to English speakers, courses are also included for learning English from a variety of other languages. There are other languages for non-English speakers, and Duolingo will even add new courses from time to time. Each course is rich with vocabulary skills, from the basics to political terms, making learning a new language fun and motivating. 

Duolingo reviews its material in a way that you truly get the vocabulary locked in your brain. If you spend a couple days not practicing your language skills, your skill level will go down. But don't think of this as a disadvantage, chances are you probably forgot a few words in your time off. Showing that you need to work on certain words will bring that to your attention. You can either work on "weak words" on specific skills or practice weak skills that will pull from skills overall that you have trouble with. Duolingo is a wonderful app that can help kids, and adults alike. You can stay sharp for your French quizzes, or prepare for that trip to Mexico. With educational apps people might not necessarily think of them as fun, but Duolingo is like a game and that makes it much more appealing overall. Language learning is a great skill, and Duolingo teaches it effectively and in a fun way. So if you want to learn something new, and broaden your horizons, this is the right app for you.