Educational, fun, and free: Three great apps for children

Smartphones and tablets are popular gifts to children, especially during the holiday season. Parents can maximize the educational potential of these gadgets by using apps to transform them into learning tools.

The following are three of 2014's best free educational apps for children:

coIAR mix

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coLAR mix is a coloring book app that uses augmented reality (AR) technology to deliver a unique 3D experience.

Parents and educators download free coloring pages from the app's website, have the children color them in, and scan them through the iOS or Android device's camera. The app will then bring the picture to life with 3D animation and sounds, with the colors that the children used. The app is a great way to encourage creativity and engagement among young students.

The app will only work with the coloring pages provided on its website or through in-app purchases.

Hakitzu Elite: Robot Warriors

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This app, available for on Android, iPhone, and iPad devices, teaches older children the basics of coding in Javascript while battling animated robots. Children can either play alone or battle it out with their Facebook friends in multiplayer missions. No coding skills are required: in-game tutorials take players from “beginner” to “hacker,” the highest level. Successfully writing lines of code gives players customization points, which they can use to purchase better weapons and robot combinations.

Reading Rainbow 

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Based on the hit educational TV series from the 90s, the Reading Rainbow iPad app is designed to instill a love of reading among children of all ages. Through the app, children can select e-books from a library of more than 300 titles, arranged by topic on themed virtual islands. Children can read the book themselves or have it read to them. They receive a sticker reward for completing a book.

Children can also watch video field trips, hosted by Grammy award winner LeVar Burton, or play games or participate in reading activities. The app is available on iPad and Kindle Tablet, and the app and the first five books selected are free. For more books, users have the option to subscribe for $9.99 a month, $29.99 for six months, or $49.99 annually.

When choosing educational apps for children, parents and educators should keep in mind the child's developmental abilities and learning levels, the accuracy of the educational content in the app, and whether the app balances education with entertainment.

Follow this Hugh Guill Twitter account for discussions on educational apps for children.

Education toward youth empowerment

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Every child has the right to get good education. Parents, communities, and governments are also aware that when children are educated they become aware of their rights, choices, and the confidence to work around those points for their own welfare. Education makes children self-sufficient individuals who can work their way towards a successful livelihood.

However, there are still millions of youth around the world that are missing out on education, making them vulnerable to aggression and oppression. Therefore, youth empowerment through education is being promoted by advocacy groups as a sustainable response. The Community & Individual Development Association (CIDA) believes that a blended approach to education is one way of giving children the education that will protect them.

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Founded by The Maharishi Institute, the blended approach utilizes the combination of technology, distance education, and contact education. It also employs a consciousness-based education system that helps learners finish school with enough skills necessary to qualify for the jobs they desire. Consciousness-based education focuses on the students and not solely on the learning materials. The system connects the knowledge gained to how the students relate to that knowledge, and how it is applicable to their surroundings.

Investing heavily in education can lead to economic gains. But that is only a byproduct of the primary goal of nurturing a sense of well-being and the protection of rights for the youth.

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Educators like Hugh Guill study the civil rights issues surrounding the equal standard of education for the youth. Like this Facebook page to access more resources about this matter.

Enriching lives: The benefits of mentoring

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Mentoring is a professional relationship wherein a more experienced person, the mentor, imparts his or her knowledge to and guides another, the mentee. Unlike a traditional coaching system, a mentor acts as role model, and a mentorship relationship focuses on both short and long-term professional goals.

Mentoring occurs in a variety of environments, such as in businesses, faith-based organizations, and schools. 


A mentorship relationship has advantages for both mentors and mentees.

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For mentors, teaching and guiding others help build their confidence and facilitate their own professional and personal growth. Mentoring can also help enhance skills in leadership, management, and communication. The experience can also help reinforce knowledge on the subject being mentored, as well as provide an opportunity for mentors to be recognized for their skills. On the practical side, being a mentor is a good way to enhance one's resume while bringing about a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction at having made a difference in another person's life.

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For mentees, a mentorship relationship provides an opportunity to learn from the experiences and knowledge of an experienced person in their field. It can provide mentees with an opportunity to gain valuable, unbiased advice and constructive criticism, and identify and develop necessary skills needed to succeed. Mentees will also be able to hone their personal and communication skills while creating useful contacts and expanding their professional network.


Hugh Guill has experienced the benefits of being a mentor first hand. He credits his college experience as a mentor to a student in his community's public school for sparking his interest in education. After graduation, he became a classroom teacher in the Denver public school system with Teach for America, and rose to the rank of dean within three years.

To learn more about the importance of mentorship, subscribe to this blog.