Math Problem? There’s An App For That!

By Author: Aaden Bell
Total Articles: 15
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California, US. September 2013 – Gone are the days when pulling out a phone in class results in teachers confiscating the device. In fact, many teachers now ask their students to make use of their smart-phones to look up the definition of a word, find an educational clip on YouTube or even text the due date of a test or important assignment. Additionally, there are thousands of educational apps available to help students with their studies.

The Verizon Foundation recently commissioned a study of 1,000 students to determine what they were using their phones for. The study found that 39 percent of the students had used their phones to help them with homework, and 26 percent of those same students used it on a weekly basis as a study aid. Students also frequently took advantage of various applications to help them master a subject or study it further.

Math is one subject where students often utilize an application to help them study, but whilst many math apps have been created, they weren’t all created equally; however, the Graphing Calculator app by Mathlab is one app that exceeds the expectations ...
... of students, teachers and parents alike.

The Graphing Calculator app is capable of performing simple math operations, but where it really excels is with its advanced features. It is functional as a scientific, graphing, fraction and matrix calculator, and it also is very handy as a tool to help complete one’s algebra homework. The application is available for tablets and phones through the Android Market or by visiting www.mathlab.us

Parents will appreciate that the application is free, although a PRO version is available for students who want to eliminate those pesky ads. More than 500,000 users have downloaded the App, primarily by appreciative students and teachers worldwide; the developers are anticipating more than 5 million downloads by 2014.

The app’s developers carefully programmed the Graphing Calculator app and spent over two years improving it so that it would perform smoothly and seamlessly. It has been described as a “gift from the math gods” by one appreciative customer and has also been featured as a ’Click Pick’ by an Alabama TV station and ’Tech Check: Back-to-school apps’ show by Doug Evans.

Vadim Pelyushenko from Mathlab said, “Our brand new app has been developed to exceed the expectations of parents, students and teachers and can make math problems a thing of the past. It performs simple operations and complex functions with ease thanks to its scientific, graphing, fraction and matrix calculator. We’re passionate about using technology to enhance classroom education and have spent more than two years developing and refining so every math student gets the help they need to learn, understand and excel. And best of all? It can be downloaded for free around the world so there are no barriers to getting ahead.”

Whilst a number of educators are against using phones in the classroom, many others appreciate the benefits of modern technology. Valerie Thompson, head of the E-learning Foundation has said, “What technology allows teachers to do is give children an individual learning experience. . . The revolution is not the technology, it is the changing role of the teacher to make the most of the technology.”

As mobile technology continues to grow and evolve, its practical application in the classroom will become more apparent, and just as the Internet has revolutionized the way people communicate, there’s a very real chance that mobile applications will revolutionize the way students learn.