Many more demands are placed on secondary-level learners, including the need to take notes, be more independent in organising their work, and study towards state exams. Below we have identified five apps that can help support learners at secondary school, across a range of curriculum areas. Prices are correct as of the 8th of August 2024.
- Procreate is an iOS app costing €14.99, that can help create 2D and 3D images including digital art, models, animations et cetera. It includes many accessibility features including/stabilisation when using the paintbrush feature, colour naming and voice-over for learners with visual impairments and assignable single-touch gestures for those with physical difficulties. It also has a time-lapse replay feature which can show how an image came together. It mimics the feeling of real-world drawing but uses the power of digital art.
- TextHelp, the Read and Write app for both iOS and Android is designed for learners with dyslexia and other written language disorders. Costing €150 per year, it is a comprehensive tool that will assist with reading, writing, organising, researching and studying. It includes text-to-speech, word prediction, spelling and grammar checkers, picture support, voice notes, screen tinting, screen masking (highlighting a small section of the screen at a time), translators and highlighters. It also comes in a Windows and Chromebook version.
- ModMath is an iOS app that gives access to writing mathematical notation for those with physical or visual difficulties that may make using a pen and paper difficult. It provides a “squared” paper so that work is presented neatly and has access to a customised keyboard on screen. Learners can type in simple and quadratic equations, work in a linear or top-down manner, etc. Although the basic app is free, in app purchases will give access to additional symbols, priced between €0.99 and €2.99, or an upgrade to the pro version costs €5.99. An Android and Chromebook version are in development.
- OneNote from Microsoft is a digital notebook that comes in iOS and Android versions, with an online version available for Chromebooks. Your account can be accessed across different platforms and devices. Notes are arranged in notebooks, with pages for subsections. Content can be text, images, audio, videos, and other file formats can be inserted such as PowerPoint. On-screen you can annotate your notes by adding text, handwriting, highlighting, or drawing. Voice transcription and text to speech (through immersive reader) can also be used. Notes can also be easily tagged so that content can be found quickly as well as inserting lists. Notebooks can be shared with teachers or others for collaboration. The free versions of the app can store up to 5 GB of information at any given time. A paid for version is linked to your Microsoft 365 account, and many schools have access educational version of this. It is a powerful tool to help stay organised.
- Glean Notes is an audio notetaker that is available in both iOS and android app versions. A web-based version can be accessed from any device. A subscription costs approximately €140 per year, but a free trial is available for 30 days. Glean records in person as well as online classes, and the learner can make short notes, notations for indicating something is important, requires further revision, etc. Slides can be imported into the app, ensuring that notes are organised according to the content presented. Closed captioning can provide a transcript of the audio presented, and inbuilt AI tools can be used to create quizzes based on the content.