The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their picks for Best Apps for Teaching & Learning 2019. “Apps recognized foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration and are user friendly to encourage a community of learners to explore and discover. “

“Wolfram Alpha is a credible source for instant expert knowledge and computation, using algorithms and data to compute answers and generate reports for you. This app is so much more than just having an encyclopedia in the palm of your hand, it really is like having someone who will look up what you are wondering about and interpret the available information.”

Their website is seriously impressive and offers information in the areas of math, science and technology, society and culture, and everyday life.

Platform: iOS & Android
Cost: $2.99
Grades: 5-12

This video on the Wolfram website goes into detail explaining how to compute answers, provide practice problems, and other ways the app can be used in the classroom. There are several teacher reviews of the app to read on Common Sense Education. This article from Make Use Of gives a variety of suggestions for ways the app can be used for learning, including using their “Random” button to find new and unexpected knowledge.

Watch this video (1:20) to see how the app works. They also explain how Wolfram Alpha is different than a Google search.

If you are interested in the best apps for your library, media center, or classroom, you can read our 2019 series here or find all past apps discussed in our archives.