Bring out the scientist in you

Contributed by Alexander J. Salazar – Teacher II, Pablo Roman National High School, Pilar

The world is filled with benefits because of technology. A day will not pass without new technologies introduced in the market. These include educational technologies like mobile applications that can assist teachers and students in making the learning process fun yet educational. One could have access to the numerous benefits of educational mobile applications as long as he or she has a smartphone, tablet or any similar gadget. Mobile applications provide educational solutions to varied learning subjects which include those complicated such as Science.

Well, if you find Science difficult to understand, these mobile applications will help you to have better understanding and perhaps, could even motivate you to be a scientist in the future. So get your paper and pen and let’s list down three mobile applications that will bring out the scientist in you.

1. Khan Academy

The first is one of the most useful application in school since it tackles math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more.  This mobile app offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that enables learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. Its mission is to guide learners from kindergarten to college using state-of-the-art, adaptive technology that identifies strengths and learning gaps. The app is for free and can be used also using Iphones or android phones.

2. What’s Invasive

The main idea behind the What’s Invasive app is that invasive species often threaten native plants and animals, and experts need to know where to find them. This app is free and is supported by iPhone and android.

This app also shows local lists of invasive plants or animals that have been identified by the authorities. Users can help experts pinpoint invasive species by locating them and providing experts with GPS coordinates, accompanied by a photo and notes about the observation. The geo tagged observations and photos are used to alert experts about the spread of habitat-destroying species. Users can also go online to whatsinvasive.com and set up their own site for invasive species data collection.

3. Project Noah.

This application is suited for students who are nature enthusiasts and want to explore and document wildlife. The Noah is an acronym for “networked organisms and habitats”. This tool is intended to help labs, environmental groups and numerous organizations gather important data for research projects.

This app which has three main features is also for free and can be used in iPhone or even android. The first feature is the Spottings feature in which users can choose a photograph of a plant or animal, then select the category, confirm their location, add tags and submit the information.

The second feature uses the Location-Based Field Guide in which one can see what kinds of plants and animals have been spotted nearby and learn more about them. This option allows search using a map view, list view or grid view of most recent “spottings” based on the user’s location.

The third feature, Field Missions, allows users to contribute to ongoing research projects. Users can choose a variety of missions, such as photographing squirrels and tracking migrating birds.

All these mobile applications are just waiting for us to download them and utilize for personal or educational purposes. These will have no value if they will not be utilized for the very purpose that they were created.

Since education does not end after classes, it has to continue with ourselves, either students or teachers, with our own initiative to learn and understand the world around us; for to understand the world, we have to understand science.

References:

Elena Malykhina. (2013). 8 Apps That Turn Citizens into Scientists. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/8-apps-that-turn-citizens-into-scientists/

John Corpuz. (2017). Best Science Apps. http://www.tomsguide.com/us/pictures-story/962-best-science-apps.html#s2