Even though everybody has their own preferences of using the iPad in their studies, allow me to share 7 iPad usages to help students excel at school.

Replace Physical Books

This one should be obvious. Other than saving the environment by preserving the trees, there are several advantages to using digital versions of books instead of physical ones. These include being able to put lots of digital books inside your device and taking them everywhere easily, you can quickly search for any information from those books, you can add notes and annotations without damaging the books, and the books will always be in mint condition so you can keep them forever.

There are lots of book readers available for iOS. The one I use is Apple’s iBooks as most of my digital books are in PDF and epub format.

A Quick Source Of Reference

Again, there’s lots of iOS apps out there that can help you find definitions, facts, statistics, and other things you want to know. Since you can’t have too much help in this department, you can have as many apps as you want. Here are a few that I use:

• Dictionary.com (iTunes link)
• Wikipedia (iTunes link)
• Qwiki (iTunes link)
• IMDB (iTunes link)

Find & Collect Data & Ideas

Even though finding and collecting data and ideas can be done from any gadget, doing it on an iPad will add a fun factor to the process. My personal favorites are:

• Safari for iOS – to browse and find quick information
• Flipboard (iTunes link), Zite (iTunes link) and Pulse (iTunes link) – to read news and find ideas to write about.

To save the information, I could quickly email it to myself or send it to Instapaper/Read It Later using the share feature on these apps.

Jot Down Notes

When it comes to taking notes, there are only three names that come to mind: Simplenote (iTunes link), PlainText (iTunes link) and Evernote (iTunes link). Simplenote is perfect for jotting down quick notes while PlainText can accommodate a hierarchy of text files inside folders. But if you love to collect snippets of text and images, use Evernote.

All of them are capable of synchronizing your text collection to other devices. Simplenote is using its own server while PlainText is making use of the more established Dropbox environment. As an alternative, Dropbox itself is capable of viewing and editing plain text. If you prefer to literally write down your notes, you should try Bamboo Paper (iTunes link).

Do Actual Study

Since choosing apps that can help you do your studies will obviously heavily depend on the actual subjects you’re taking, it’s a bit difficult to make a specific list for this point. You have to go out and find apps that fit your needs. The choices range from apps that teach letters and numbers, sign language, basic math and advanced algebra, to the ones that help people write and memorize Chinese characters.

But for general purposes, you can perhaps try flash cards apps like Evernote Peek (iTunes link).

Manage Classes, Assignments & Social Life

There are so many things happening at school that it’s difficult to get everything under control without the help of a time manager. The first app that I would recommend for this is InClass (iTunes link). This app will help students put all the chaos into a more manageable order.

Other alternatives you can use are Wunderlist (iTunes link) and Producteev (iTunes link). Both are free multi-platform to-do list managers that allow you to add and sync tasks using various devices.

In the social department, there are an abundance of apps you can use, such as Twitter (iTunes link), Yahoo! Messenger (iTunes link), and Skype (iTunes link). Facebook still hasn’t released its iPad app, but you can use MyPad (iTunes link) and/or Friendly (iTunes link) to access your account.

Have Fun

All work and no play makes you a dull person. Every student needs to take a break and have fun once in a while. You can use your iPad to listen to music, watch movies, play games, or do other fun activities. There are plenty of games for the iPad that can keep you occupied for as long as you want.

Do you also use an iPad to help you study? Please share your experiences and lists of apps in the comments below.

Image credit: flickingerbrad, Apple

Despite the obvious attraction to real paper-based books, the digital world has begun to create some really special adaptations of great stories. These somehow blur the line between books, movies and games, by providing a story in page-by-page format, interactivity and audiovisual segments. They’re also usually highly customisable, enabling parents to choose how much glitz to add to an already-worthwhile story. Take a quick look at two prime examples of the new interactive picture book market.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore – MoonBot Studios, William Joyce & Brandon Oldenburg

The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore is a story which started as a short film and then was adapted to become an interactive book for the iPad. Both the film ($2) and the iPad application ($5) version of the story are available to purchase, which is good news for people without an iPad.

Moonbot Studios have created something very special with their iPad application. You can make the pictures animated, add music and sound effects, or remove everything and read it as just a straight book.

On every page there’s something interactive: wind, books, piano keyboard. It’s all there. Readers can get quite engrossed in the story as they’re actually helping the story to be told.

View the book in action on this Vimeo clip.

The Going To Bed Book – Sandra Boynton, Boynton Moo Media & Loud Crow Interactive

The Going To Bed Book is a book which has long been available as a real book and has recently been released as an Android application for around $2.

This eBook also has interactivity, sound effects, short video movements, voice-over and numerous choices for parents and kids to make. An especially good feature is the ability to choose “I want to read it myself“, but will pronounce a given word if the reader taps on it while reading. These little things help kids to teach themselves how to read books – and their usefulness can’t be overlooked.

Plus, the kids get to experience books in a way that just wasn’t around when we were young. The magic of being able to move your favourite characters about, listen to them speak and watch events unfold must be captivating for young kids. Perhaps this halfway concept will convince more kids to take up reading rather than movie-watching.

View this book in action on YouTube here.

Kids eBooks

These books are an excellent concept for where kids eBooks could be heading, besides also being great stories. They seem to be appearing at a rapid rate for a number of different devices. Hopefully, soon all these books will be available for all smartphone and tablet devices.

Meanwhile, here’s some more reading on the topic of kids books:

• 10 Websites For Reading Children’s Stories Online
• Smories.com – A Safe Online Space For Kids To Be Read To By Other Kids
• How to Publish a Children’s Book with StoryJumper

Have you found any similar free eBooks for kids? Which ones do you recommend?

This might encourage a parent to police a child’s use constantly, but this is tiring for both parent and child. A better alternative is to use parental control software capable of locking access to certain software. Windows has these controls built in, and they’re easy to learn.

Giving Your Child An Account

Windows uses accounts as a means of restricting user access to certain parts of the operating system. This function has more to do with security than it does parental controls. By restricting the access of people who don’t have administrative privileges it’s more difficult for hackers to take over a Windows machine.

However, the accounts system is also well suited for parental controls. When you access the Parental Controls menu in the Windows control panel you’ll be presented with a list of users. You may have already created an account specifically for your child, but if not, find the “Create a new user account” link at the bottom of the list and click it.

You’ll then be asked to put in a name for the account, and you can also require that the account input a password when it is first used. I don’t recommend this with younger children, as they’ll likely forget, but teens should be able to remember the password.

Once you’ve created the account you’ll be sent back to the Parental Controls menu. Now you have an account that can be used by your child.

Defining The Rules

Now that your child’s account appears in Parental Controls, click on it to access the account’s settings. By default, the controls will be turned off. Simply click the On radio button to activate them.

Now you’ll have access to three different rules: time limits, games, and allow and block specific programs.

Time limits are not used to limit the amount of time the account can be used but rather when the account can be used. Access to the account is not allowed during the blocked time periods, and the account will be logged off if active in those time periods.

Games lets you decide if an account can be used to play games, and decide what games your child can play based on the rating of the game. It’s also possible to block specific titles. While these are excellent controls, keep in mind that ratings are only a guideline. What one parent finds acceptable may be intolerable for another.

The final control makes it possible to define the specific programs you’d like your child to have access to. If you want to block web access, this is an easy way to do so (by blocking all web browsers). It’s also possible to block potentially damaging software. For example, I wouldn’t want a mischievous teen to have access to TrueCrypt.

Advanced Controls

Near the bottom of the Parental Controls menu you’ll find a section labeled Advanced Controls. This is where you’ll be able to make changes to advanced tools like web filtering.

These advanced controls are not installed by default, however. You’ll have to install some other software to access them. Microsoft itself offers a free program called Windows Live Family Safety that can be easily acquired as part of Windows Live Essentials.

Conclusion

The built-in parental controls found in Windows are a great boon for every parent. Monitoring a child’s usage of a PC can be tiresome, and at times not feasible. By learning to use the controls above you can protect your child even when you’re not present.  Let us know what you think about them in the comments.  Is Parental Controls in Windows effective?

We all know that there’s no shortcut. The best – and the only – way to master math is to practice, practice, and practice and MathBoard for iPad was built to do just that, to help users improve their basic math skills using quizzes. This $4.99 app does it in style.

From One Quiz To Another

As a father of two little daughters – one in kindergarten and the other in early elementary school, I have first hand experience with the difficulty of regularly coming up with lots of math exercises to give to my children. I personally think the price I paid for the app is well worth the money. Not only does the app generate continuous flows of math problems, but it can also produce problems with different levels of difficulty. So the app will be useful for years to come, for all levels of students (including their parents) and the amazing thing is, children love using MathBoard on the iPad.

MathBoard’s interface is divided into several panes – the main pane displaying individual math problems, the “Result” pane displaying a list of student results for each problem, the “History” pane displaying a list of saved quizzes, and the “Settings” pane customizing the quizzes.

A quiz will start after you tap on “Play“. You will be presented with one problem at a time, and you can tap on one of the answers to continue to the next problem.

You can use the lower part of the board to calculate the answer. Write the numbers using your finger and tap “Expand” if you need more room to write.

There are five different colors of chalk and one eraser you can use. Tap “shrink” to go back to the problem pane.

To increase the difficulty level, you can choose the “Fill in the blanks” option instead of “Multiple choice” from the “Settings“. You can use the up and down arrows to choose numbers for your answer, or you can summon the keypad by tapping the small square to the left of the problem.

If you are stuck, you can use the “Problem Solver“. This feature will reveal the steps needed to solve the problem. But please note that every problem that is solved using this feature will be considered as a wrong answer.

You can get more information on every step that has a small “i” next to it. Tap the “i” to reveal the information bubble.

You can stop in the middle of the quiz if you want to by clicking on the “x” icon at the top left of the problem pane.

After finishing one set of problems in a quiz, you will get a summary of your performance – including the number of correct answers and the time you needed to finish the quiz.

Then you can save the quiz for future reference.

You can also play the quiz again. Choose whether you want to start a new quiz, replay the previous quiz, or just replay the wrong answers from the previous quiz.

Quick Look At The Settings

“Settings” is the place for you to customize MathBoard. Choose the operators that you want to use in the quiz – from the simplest addition and subtraction, to the more complicated ones like cubes and square root. Use this option to increase or decrease the difficulty level to fit the student’s competence level.

Decide how many numbers you want the student to solve in every quiz under the “Problems” option. Decide also whether you want the problems to be “multiple choice” or “fill in the blanks“.

The next part is all about setting up the number range and digit limit. Enable the “Allow Negative Answers” option for higher level students.

The last set of settings deals with Time Style (Elapsed or Countdown), Sound Effects, and LanSchool (if MathBoard is used within a school or personal network with LanSchool software enabled).

As a little bonus, you can also view multiplication, addition, and subtraction tables and problem solvers from the lower part of the Settings pane.

A math learning assistant app might not be for everyone, but if you do need one, I think MathBoard is one of the best choices out there.

Don’t forget to check out these other math-related articles: Multiplication Tool: Math Study Tool for Learning Multiplication, RealWorldMath: Use Google Earth To Teach Math Through Demonstrations, and 5 Cool Free Internet Games for Kids That’ll Make them Love Math.

Have you tried MathBoard? What do you think about the app? Do you know or use other similar math iPad apps? Share your findings in the comments below.

Image credit: quinn.anya

From card games, to puzzles, to full out adventure games, the Mac App Store is chock full of free Mac games that are worth trying. The six games listed here are ideal time killers, and most of them are kid-friendly. The list includes physics based games, mini adventure games, puzzles and more.

Pocket Dinosaurs 2

Pocket Dinosaurs 2 [App Store link] is one of those addictive games which makes a perfect time killer. The game has one very simple goal – launch as many dinosaurs into a floating spaceship as you can in 60 seconds. The cute graphics and sound effects make it a great game for kids and adults alike. The incentive to keep playing the game as time passes will probably be to exceed your personal high score.

Action Swing

Action Swing [App Store link] is not exactly a head turning game in the graphics department. It’s a simple game, which will offer a nice distraction if you need to take a break from your work or just need something to keep you busy for 5 minutes. Start out the game with 3 lives and see how many levels you can last, getting your little stick figure safely onto the moving base.

Victory March

Not as kid friendly as Pocket Dinosaurs or Action Swing, Victory March [App Store link] is a mini adventure game that will definitely keep you coming back for more. Make your way through the six levels of the game as a Soviet or American soldier, avoiding obstacles and shooting at the enemy before they get you.

A Monster Ate My Homework

A Monster Ate My Homework [App Store link] is another great physics game with 80 free levels. Lob a boll at the ‘monsters’ but make sure you don’t knock over any of your homework stacks, otherwise you’ll have to try again. You can choose to play the game full screen or windowed.

Archibald’s Adventures Lite

Unlike many free or lite versions of mini adventure games, Archibald’s Adventures Lite actually lets you play 40 levels for free, which really gives you a chance to give the harder, or more challenging levels a try. Each level has you trying to navigate Archibald through a maze on his skateboard, all the while watching out for deadly obstacles. With the cute graphics and with the game being relatively easy, Archibald’s Adventures is probably a great game for kids.

Gold Strike

Gold Strike [App Store link] is a great variation on the games in which you remove similar coloured or patterned blocks when there are at least two of them in a row. Since Gold Strike offers 5 different ways to play the game, it’s hard to imagine you’ll get bored with the addictive game very fast. Race against the clock, play a strategic game or try to get past as many levels as possible.

For a few more suggestions for awesome Mac App Store games check out:

The 3 Best Free Games On The Mac App Store

If you don’t have Snow Leopard, and want to find some fun games to play on your Mac, check out:

11 Online Sources For The Best In Mac Freeware
The Best Online Sources For Free Mac Games

What’s your favourite free Mac OS game you play to kill the time? Let us know in the comments.

Bin Weevils is a free, somewhat massively multiplayer children’s game that uses Adobe Flash to run a virtual world in your web browser. The option to pay a subscription for extra perks exists, though there’s so much to do you might never need to. As with any online children’s service, online safety is paramount and the developers have provided a guide for parents, with frequently asked questions, subscription information and a safety page.

Concepts & Ideas

As with most children’s games, parents are often more interested in the game’s underlying concepts and ideas than gameplay and graphics. Bin Weevils seems to have got it right, encouraging all manner of green, healthy and social interactions.

In order to satiate the three demands of your Bin Weevil – hunger, fitness and happiness – you must explore the world, meet new people, visit specific areas and expand your influence. In addition to this Sims-like chart of demands, there is a levelling system and currency called “Mulch”.

XP is earned with everything you do, from harvesting plants in the garden to beating other Weevils at multiplayer games. The levelling system is essentially there to maintain the game’s steady pace, with higher levels enabling the purchase of other seeds and goods.

As your Weevil levels up he will learn new special moves, which you can show off to other inhabitants. These special moves are used to build up fitness, and essentially count as exercise.

As a Bin Weevil you must keep fit, socialise and eat whilst developing your character and ultimately a circle of friends. Child friendly? Check.

Home Sweet Home

Being a kids game, Bin Weevils doesn’t require an email address to sign up and get started. You are given the option once you’ve customized your Weevil to register a parent’s email address which credits the account with 2000 mulch (in addition to the 1000 you start with). Creating your first character is as easy as clicking Play then Get Started, entering a username and password then clicking Play Now.

Your character will appear before you in a small area known as your nest. From here you can access your initial room (on the left) exit to your garden (through the tube) or using the Map button visit anywhere you please.

The garden is a fairly standard affair and you’re given one “speedy” seed to begin with. This seed will grow in 15 minutes, after which you’re able to harvest the goods for money and XP. Seeds can take days to grow (Bin Weevil days, not real-time), and once the player has reached a high enough level a watering can is available to keep certain plants alive indefinitely.

From the garden screen you can click Buy Seeds and choose from a selection of seeds, bulbs and other items. As well as the aforementioned watering can, items such as fencing and solar panelling can be purchased once your Bin Weevil has reached the required level. The nest itself consumes power, and additional fuel can be purchased by clicking on the generator in the main room.

The main room also allows access to your room. This is a room that you can decorate and use any way you’d like, with furniture and other items available for sale throughout the Weevil world. To start you off you’re given a shelf and a birthday egg, which marks the date your created your character.

Beyond The Nest

Clicking on Map will give you a brief view of the activities available to you, including shopping, word puzzles and a meet and greet area known as Ink’s Orange Peel. Here players can chat using the text area at the bottom of the screen and leave messages on the message board.

You can start customizing and then activate your Bin Weevil by clicking Change Your Bin Weevil on this screen. There are plenty of options to choose from to make your character unique, and when you’re done you can exit through the door on the right to activate your Weevil.

One of the more interestingly implemented features is streaming video. The game itself is based on a series of Nickelodeon shorts, and these are viewable from the cinema. As a free member you’ll only get one screen but this struck me as a novel way to present streaming video; especially given the target audience.

Games like Weevil Racing, a fully 3D online multiplayer kart racer, allow you to compete against other Bin Weevils for money and XP. Other games include crosswords and wordsearches, brain teasers, whack-a-Weevil and a variant of pool. This is only the tip of the iceberg, there are plenty of other areas including a park, mall, a club and the subscribers-only Tycoon Island.

Subscribing provides access to extra features including pets, access to new areas, additional screens in the cinema and a big deposit of mulch (20,000). The free option here is certainly substantial enough to encourage repeat playings, however.

Conclusion

I’m 24 and I enjoyed playing around with Bin Weevils, trust me – your kids are going to love it. The brightly coloured characters, worlds and 3D elements are a treat to look at and there’s loads to do, even without paying.

Mixing elements from games like Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing with instant online gaming results in a feature-packed timewaster that might even teach your little sprogs a thing or two.

Have you or your children tried Bin Weevils? Any other similar games out there? Let us know in the comments below.