All Entries in the "Education" Category
iKanji touch in Review – a stroke of 和
Learning Kanji (Chinese characters) is the biggest hurdle to pass in attaining Japanese proficiency. In fact, it may be the most important key to unlocking fluency. But Kanji is hard to learn especially if you don’t use it in daily life. ThinkMac Software, author of iKana touch, have really laid the hammer down, pounding a great educational rhythm into iKanji touch for students of all levels of Japanese. Feel free to discuss iKanji touch in our forums.
iKana touch in Review – Wipe-on, wipe-off Japanese kana learning
The iDevice is an excellent platform for language acquisition apps. Languages which use especially benefit from the svelte touch screen and multimedia slant. iKana touch is an exquisite app for students of Japanese to learn both official syllabaries: hiragana and katakana.
IdeaPod in Review – Bright Idea
Kayac, the legendary developer of GravSynth, have a unique app up their sleeves called IdeaPod which attempts to separate your thoughts into organised problem-solving methods. IdeaPod stands upon the ideas of TRIZ and attacks problems systematically and is a great enhancement tool for brainstorming.
Eight Must Have Apps for Back-to-School
It’s the end of August and summer is coming to an end (sob). Soon, students across the United States and other parts of the world will be sucked back into the thing they dread most: school. But do not despair. With your iPod Touch (or iPhone) in hand, you can download the following applications that could very well make your transition into the school year much more bearable.
Free iPhone Developer’s Course from Stanford
Not a direct market for this series, but certainly intrigued, I downloaded the entire 23-volume set of Stanford’s Monday and Wednesday classes aimed at providing students with the tools they need to get going as iPhone developers. There are many courses an aspiring dev can take and most are quite costly. Standford’s video series aims to alleviate one of the most immediate concerns: money.
Stanford iTunes U – iPhone Application Programming
Dr.コーパス英単語道場 (Dr. Corpus English Vocabulary Dojo) in Review – An excellent Study Tool
Previously, I reviewed one of Nihon IR’s other popular English Language study tools, 出る順. Dr. コーパス is similar in its approach in that it isolates vocabulary and allows students to select from different review methods. Both apps are geared for English study, but as I hope to show, are excellent tools for learning Japanese. While this review will be short, it will focus on how and/or if Nihon IR have managed to create a good study formula.
Quotationary’s Got Company – Get Wise ‘r Die Tryin’
Educational? Inspirational? Baddass? You decide. Developer Kim Chi Studios (yum!) just released the new educational, inspirational, quotation-full, life-changing app: Get Wise ‘r Die Tryin’, a tongue-in-cheek collection of quotations that can be mailed, appended, rated, bookmarked and researched via Wikipedia. Anything else? Yes, you can make your own quotes! If anyone can stand up to giants of wisdom such as Clint Eastwood, it is you, the baddass reader.
Kim Chi Studios, Get Wise ‘r Die Tryin’, $0.99
WordBook English Dictionary & Thesaurus in Review – A Perfect Dictionary for a Heavenly Price
I am very particular about my reference materials. Perhaps it was hammered into me in university when every course’s materials list was replete with nothing less than the Oxford Dictionary of English. Thus, when our Dictionary review section was finally launched, I was shocked at the proliferation of non-Oxford references in the App Store of which WordBook is one. At first, I took little notice of it as I was more anxious to complete reviews of THE Dictionary.
Looking back, my decision was not unfounded. WordBook, though not mated to Oxford’s content, is perhaps the most impressive cost-effective reference at the App Store. My tongue-wagging review won’t do greater justice than simply saying: ‘Kiss It’. Had I completed this review first, it would be much harder to recommend even the Enfour masterpieces.
Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus in Review – What was that word again?
A thesaurus is an indispensable tool for writers of any level. Verbose people (yours truly) need them and even more eloquent writers like Crom and Young can benefit from their use. The Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus is an excellent reference tool for anyone who is looking for that … word. In previous reviews, we looked at the Roget’s Thesaurus, AHD4 Deluxe and a couple of Oxford dictionaries that also feature thesaurus fuctions.
American Writer’s Thesaurus has a unique take on thesaurus in that it is tailored to writers. Just so you know, if you are writing anything: blogs, letters, papers, books, articles – anything at all – you are a writer. You don’t have to be published or famous or elegant. This thesaurus product is helpful for anyone who puts their words and thoughts down onto some form of media.
出る順で最短合格 in Review – Quick English and Japanese Study Tool
Nihon IR, maker of PC Dr. Momo, along with the Japan Times, have an ace up their sleeves; 出る順 is an excellent Japanese-English study tool as well as a great reference for learners of Japanese. It is a set of true language study implements that are geared toward the Japanese learner of English, but also serves as an excellent Japanese learning reference.
To become acquainted with 出る順, you have to be willing to experiment if your Japanese is stuck at difficult kanji. However, as it is a reference for Japanese learners of English, the main bulk of users should be comfortable with all aspects of text, layout and differing modes of study. (By the way, this review was written on QuickOffice for the iPhone!)
