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Great apps to help your high schooler excel

Posted at 12:08 PM, Aug 18, 2015
and last updated 2016-07-25 15:48:48-04
As parents know, high schoolers can waste hours on their mobile devices when they should be studying. But app stores have plenty of tools targeted to teenagers who always have a phone in hand. If only these were available back in your day:
 
myHomework Student Planner
 
App stores are filled with productivity tools, in particular task planners. Some app makers have tailored their products specifically to students, including the highly-rated myHomework Student Planner. Students can use it to track courses and homework, prioritizing what assignments they need to tackle first. They can see what’s due immediately and look ahead for the next week and month. (Apple, Android)
 
Chemistry and math
 
Did you ever have to memorize parts of the Periodic Table of Elements, like the number of protons and electrons in a Hydrogen atom? (Answer: One of each.) Apps make exploring the table easier. Chemical Touch, which is 99 cents in the Apple store, allows students to dig into the table at the touch of a finger, like the name implies, reducing the amount of time it takes to look up information while doing homework. A similar product, Periodic Table, is available for Android phones for free.
 
Parents used to have to budget money for scientific calculators while back-to-school shopping. Instead of spending money on a device they may use for a single class, students can test out several apps that give them all those capabilities in a mobile device. There's a free version for Android and Apple phones.
 
Shakespeare and note-taking 
 
App makers aren’t just tackling science and math. They’re also making studying literature and taking notes easier. Scribe Intuitive Outliner, available on iTunes, helps you outline papers and notes as you type in class, with a feature that allows students to sync audio from a lecture within their notes.
 
SwipeSpeare allows students to read the original works of Shakespeare with the ability to switch to a modern day translation with a swipe of their finger. Every Shakespeare play is available in the app, along with study guides for the major works. (Apple, Android)