Best of BCcampus blog posts: it’s all about apps and tools to help you with back-to-school prep

In July, we featured our top 12 list of tools and apps for classroom use. For our best of blog post at BCcampus today, we’re compiling the list of apps and tools that were previously featured here and here to create one massive list to help you with your organization, productivity and creativity.

Most institutions have learning and teaching centres where you can go for help.

In B.C., students can polish their academic writing using Write Away our online tutoring service.

Below are some of our go-to favourites for instructors and students:

For mind-mapping, wikis and collaboration

The Hackpad web-based app lets you create fully functioning, cross-linked wikis quickly and efficiently in real-time.
iThoughts and MindNode mind mapping apps can help you present course outlines and show complex relationships between different topics. With iThoughts and MindNote, you can import mind maps from other programs, create new mind maps, and then share them. The apps are available for iPads, iPhones and Macs.
With Keynote, you can create multimedia presentations for course assignments, lectures, conferences, and more. The app is available for iOS devices.
The National Geographic World Atlas can’t be beat for compelling, fact-checked content and stunning graphics. More than a mere atlas, the app allows you to check local weather, calculate currency conversions, and use customized pins to help plan a trip. The app is available for iPhone and iPad.
Attendance allows you to keep track of which students are attending (or missing) your classes. The app is available for iPhones and iPads.
Edmodo is a free “social network” app (it looks like Facebook) that provides privacy for discussions and sharing classroom materials. Originally designed for K-12 environments, in can be adapted for use in post-secondary education. The app is available for iOS devices and Androids.

For productivity and organization

iStudiez Pro makes it easy to manage your busy student life. You’ll be able to see your calendar, assignments, deadlines, exams, classes, and instructor information all in one place. iStudies Pro is available for Mac, iPad and iPhone.
Dragon Dictation speech recognition app will create instant transcripts of your own lectures and make it faster and easier to whip through written assignments. You can also dictate and send statuses straight to your social networks. This free app is available for iPad, iPhone, and Android.
EasyBib is an automatic bibliography and citation generator. You can create accurate MLA, APA, and Chicago style citations in seconds by scanning a book bar code or by typing the name of a book. Build a list and manage the works you’ve cited. The app is available for Mac devices, as well a Google app.
Use iBooks with eBooks Search to find free books and download them to your e-reader app. The free iBooks Author app lets you create your own book for iPad— complete with rich graphics, movies, photo galleries, math expressions, Keynote animations, and 3D objects.
Pocket is bookmarking tool that lets you save web pages to read later (even if you’re offline). You can view or add to your reading list on any computer or mobile device. It’s available as a web tool and as a free mobile app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
SelfControl is a free Mac application that helps you avoid distracting websites, mail servers or anything else on the web so you can do things like study or finish creating that lesson plan. Just set the timer on your “blacklist” and until that timer is up, you won’t be able to access those sites even if you restart your computer.
Speak It! text to voice application can be used for a variety of purposes including as a speech assistive app for people with vocal disabilities or a personal document reader.

Let us know which ones are your favourite in the comment section, or if there are other apps or tools that you can’t live without.

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photo credit: ibmphoto24; via photopin; cc;