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There are so many apps available in your smartphone app store today that it is hard to pick the ones you can actually use for educational purposes. Educational apps can be used by teachers, professors, business companies, parents, students, and everyone in between! Read on to discover 6 educational apps for your smartphone.

Android:

1. United States History
This Android app gives the user random facts about the United States that will help them learn about presidents, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, Flag code and more!

2. Math Formulae Lite
A great app with a useful list of mathematical formulae within algebra, geometry, calculus and trigonometry. Wonderful for students from high school to University.

3. Advanced English & Thesaurus
This app not only gives the definition of the word you are trying to find, but it also gives synonyms, antonyms, hyponyms and more so that the user can better understand the meaning of the word.

iOS:

1. Splashtop Whiteboard
This iOS app is a great tool for teachers, people giving lectures or even corporate meetings! The app lets you project information saved in the app onto a projection screen and let you highlight, write, draw and type in many different fonts and mode while using the app live! It also lets you remotely control different programs and apps on your iOS used for education as well!

2. Mint
A simple and fun app to help you understand your finances and reign them back in! The app allows you to add bank account, investment accounts, add budgets and more! A great app for adults to control their finances with, and a great app to teach children the value of money.

3. SkySafari 3
Learn about stars, star clusters, constellations, nebulae, galaxies, the Solar System’s major planets and moons, asteroids, comets, and satellites. This app flawlessly shows you the sky from anywhere on Earth and is a great learning tool for any budding astronomer.

Finding educational apps for your smartphone can be a challenge if you are looking for something unique and truly engaging. Most apps today are made for fun and games, but do not offer much insight into the things that can really TEACH us about our wonderful planet and the elements all around us. These 6 apps will help you better understand US history, math, language, finances, astronomy and more!

If you are in search of a private tutor, it will be very important to consider several factors before you invest your money into hiring someone to help you learn a subject. Private tutors are generally professionally paid individuals who help their clients by providing instruction and assistance outside of classroom settings. You will want to acquire the services of someone who can offer the maximum reward in terms of both your education, and the money you will spend ensuring your academic success. Therefore, what points should be considered when you begin to search for a tutor, and what questions should be asked?

First and foremost, you will want to compile a database, or list of the tutors available in your area for example if Seattle math tutoring. Then you will want to research their credentials in terms of what you need their help for. Will they be someone who tutors you online, or in person? Then you will want to consider things such as schedule availability and how that compares to your needs. Will a tutor be available when you are available? You will also want to know how much their fees are going to be and how they will determine what the charges to you for their services will be. Can I afford this person’s services?

Some tutors cover general areas of study, while some of them have specialized areas of instruction. You will want to find a tutor who is knowledgeable in the area you want to learn about. If you need assistance with algebra, you would not want to hire a tutor who specializes in the field of history. What fields is the tutor most knowedgeable in?

Once you narrowed your search to tutors who suits your schedule, as well as one who meets the qualifications of the educational demands placed upon you, you will want to further refine your list down to those with whom you can communicate the best. Because this person will be working closely with you, you will want to select someone whom you can clearly and quickly understand. It will do you no good at all to garner the assistance of someone whom you have to pay, if you are unable to understand the things they will try to express to you. Can I communicate clearly with this person?

These are only some of the basic questions you should ask when seeking the services of a tutor.

Finding the right balance of education and fun within a television show for your children may be harder than you thought. A lot of television shows draw kids in solely by trying to be funny and entertaining; but are your children LEARNING anything while watching these shows? This article will discuss 3 educational afternoon shows for your kids.

1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
TMNT is a wonderful educational choice for your children because it not only incorporates colors, numbers, and sharing, but it instills in the viewer a sense of moral obligation to want to do right by people. Your child will soon learn that the stars of the show are four green, teenage mutant ninja turtles (Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello) and that each brother is identified by the color they always wear (blue, red, orange and purple). Not only are the reptilian brothers visually educational, but each turtle has been named after a great man in history (The Italian genius da Vinci, the Italian painter Raphael, the Italian artist Michelangelo, and the Italian artist Donatello). TMNT has been a generation cross over on it’s on right, it’s no wonder the show has such a loyal fan base. To fully enjoy these mutant ninja turtles experience, learn more about the TMNT characters here. 

2. Arthur
This cartoon is educational because it fosters an interest in reading, writing, and positive social skills in your children. Arthur and his fellow friends are depicted at school a lot of times having to work on book reports, science projects, or getting into little spats that they end up resolving in a clean fashion. The TV show also hits on the inner workings of family and the sometimes hard to deal with relationships between siblings.

3. Sesame Street
Since 1969 when the first episode of Sesame Street aired, the loving personalities of Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Grover, Oscar the Grouch, Snuffaluffagus, Bert, Ernie, The Count and more were created not only to teach colors, numbers, shapes, letters and words, sharing and kindness, but also to cultivate the tolerance of diversity, self-esteem, school-readiness, and positive social skills.

Just because a show debuted way back in the 60′s does not necessarily mean it can teach our children any less than the shows that have debuted in the 2000′s can. The 3 shows listed above debuted anywhere from the late 60′s all the way to the mid 90′s and every one of these television shows is still on the air today because parents and children alike appreciate that they are still cultivating a passion for learning and good habits within our societies.

A smart employer knows how valuable good employees are to a company. Unfortunately, even good employees are not always productive. With the Internet and cell phones, employees now have a lot of distractions while on the job. Not only that, but work schedules conflict, and other issues can arise. To ensure a high level of productivity, a smart business owner needs to set up a solid work schedule. When having a solid schedule, the employees will be more productive and happier.

A lot of businesses do not operate on a 9-5 schedule. Many companies have three shifts, and employees working both weekends and holidays. It is much more difficult for a company to make a schedule when employees work unconventional hours. Because of this, a company must create a schedule that works well for all of the employees. Not only that, some employees will do a better job when they can come in during the hours they prefer.

Luckily, a smart business owner has some serious options. There are plenty of ways to create a work schedule. Most companies, when making a schedule, do not take advantage of technology. That is, many companies have an Excel sheet or write down the schedule on a piece of paper. This may work for a small company with only a few employees, but realistically, a larger company may need a better option.

Luckily there are plenty of online schedule websites. With a website, a company can set and change hours with ease. Not only that, most online schedule makers allow employees to login and update their schedule or trade shifts. When an employee has options in the schedule, the employee will be more efficient and happier while at work.

The more productive employees are, the more profits the company will enjoy. In the end, it is crucial for a business owner to use a schedule maker. By having a schedule maker, there should be no conflicts in the schedule and employees will be happy.

Stock market simulations are an advanced instructional tool for teaching students economics. A resource learner centered engagement with mathematics and finance, the value of the stock market as an interactive resource is gaining popularity amongst both teachers and students. Much like a game process, stock market simulations provide an open window for 24/7 trading. Stocks, mutual funds and bonds are all part of the simulated portfolio. The simulations use virtual money in transfer of share sales and purchases.

Financial literacy through stock trading promotes the idea that quick profits are attendant to rules. Stock market simulation scenarios apply the laws of economics in the context of a real world environment. Students use equity markets as the model and watch the reinvestment strategies take their toll or redeem significant returns as the market ebbs and flows. Risk free and cost free, stock market simulations hedge against future financial errors caused by speculative trading.

Education institutions employing stock market simulations in the classroom report that the instructional tool exposes students to a broader economic discussion experienced in their everyday life. Acknowledgement that students often have a weak grasp on the market element of economics, the introduction of stock market simulation games has exponentially increased student performance in market principles.

Math computation within the interaction format encourage students to control spending and take risks where profit might be sustained. Setting strategic goals for trading is further influences the learning process making the mechanisms of market economics and share contracts accessible concepts. Economics has never been so easy as with stock market simulation instructional tools.

Ticker announcement of performance in real time streaming of portfolio updates in stock market simulation game virtualization means that students are up to the minute on contract buy and sell. Great for team competitions as well, stock market simulation portfolio management and trading brings the Wall Street trading floor to the classroom.

College students always need to save money. When most people conjure up the image of a student, they think of cheap food and living in a tiny apartment. Of course, these things are largely true, but a student must cut more out of their budget if they want to save money.

One of the largest expenses to a student is textbooks. Unfortunately, a company will often make a small update to the textbook which renders the old one useless. With the average price of a book costing well over $50, a lot of young people have to shell out a lot of money to get all of their textbooks. Some students will not buy a required textbook and borrow their friends. This can be okay for a while, but usually is a pain to do for a whole semester. Websites like SlugBooks.com offers a textbook price comparison service, where students can search for their needed books and be able to compare prices from different vendors all on one page.

Other students will try to get by in their class with the old textbook. Usually, the old textbook will contain a lot of the same information for the class. Sometimes though, the textbook will be different enough that the student cannot use the old book. The worst thing about using an old textbook is most students will not know where the old version differs from the new version.

With the Internet and local bookshops, some students have found another way. When a student cannot afford new books and cannot use the old books, he or she can buy a used textbook. Oftentimes, a student who previously took the class will sell the book back at a substantial loss. Luckily, a student can take advantage of this, and buy the book at a discount. In fact, when buying used, a buyer can pay less than half of the cost of the new book.

In the end, a lot of students want to cut their costs. When buying a book second hand, a buyer will save a lot of money. Luckily most second hand books are still in excellent condition. Students usually treat their books well as they know they may re-sell them at a later date. Not only that, a smart buyer can then re-sell the book when they finish the class.

Many students are unsure of how to proceed when they graduate from college with a bachelor’s degree. They are often torn between choosing to pursue a career or to further their education. Some cannot see forgoing a career to continue going to school, while others are not conflicted at all about their plans. While others are worried about the admission’s rate. Fortunately, there are ways to prepare yourself for the graduate admissions. Companies such as, VeritasPrep.com provides mba admission counseling, which could help point prospective students in the right direction. There are plenty of pros and cons in pursuing a graduate MBA program for students to consider.

Pros
- Plenty of students have a natural intellectual curiosity with a strong desire to achieve professional success. They truly love to learn and they seek out as many opportunities as possible. If you find that you have this drive, it may be a good idea to pursue it.
- Obtaining a master’s degree is a good way to further your career, especially if you are hoping to work in medicine, psychology, law or a similar field. You will significantly increase your potential earning power. If you are completely changing your career, you might even need this additional degree to become a competitive employee.
- Some people love the opportunities for socializing that college provides. If you find that you miss the environment that college offers, it might be time to spend some more time on campus.
- Studying in a graduate program often gives students more opportunities to pursue advanced projects, internships and study abroad programs. Graduate students are also allowed to hold student teaching positions.

Cons
- Taking classes in a graduate program may require a time commitment that is truly strenuous and stressful. It can be difficult to prioritize school, relationships and work in an advanced program.
- It is common for students to burn out and run out of steam while going to school for an advanced degree. The hard truth is that many students who pursue a master’s degree will drop out.
- Students who have started getting married and having children may find it strenuous to juggle this with school. It can cause emotional and financial stress. Some people simply cannot afford to go back to school, and graduating with debt is not always an option.
- If you go back to school, you may find the competitive nature demoralizing.

Choosing to further your education is a very personal decision that only you can make. Think about your interests, skills and weaknesses before you choose.