Gift Enables Kids to Put Mobile Technology to Good Use

November 27, 2008 - (MS) -- Hand-held devices, such as mobile phones and MP3 players like Apple's iPod, have become so ingrained in youth culture that kids have created an entire language and set of usage guidelines pertaining to these gadgets. LOL (laughing out loud) and CUL8ER (see you later) are text-messaging abbreviations that symbolize the popular youth culture associated with mobile technology. According to the technology research firm IDC, 81 percent of Americans between the ages of 5 and 24 will own a cell phone by 2010. Record numbers of MP3 players and other hand-held devices are also being sold every year.

Until recently, parents may have viewed hand-held devices as distractions or hindrances to their child's ability to learn and concentrate. However, these gadgets are more than just simple telephones and music players. They're becoming increasingly sophisticated hand-held computers. Innovators are now tapping into the potential of these devices as educational tools, leveraging young students' attachment to their portable media players to deliver valuable learning material in a compelling new way. Savvy gift shoppers can look to educational software compatible with mobile devices to provide unique and practical gift options this holiday season.

"Mobile education," as the category has been dubbed by experts, empowers students to learn at all times -- whenever and wherever they want. Schools are beginning to see the value in working with this technology. For example, in February 2008, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction began Project K-Nect, an effort to curb skill deficits in math and science using cell phones. In other schools around the country, teachers and administrators are beginning to think of ways to experiment and to integrate new mobile technology into the curriculum.

Companies such as Modality (www.modalitylearning.com) see the demand from schools and students, and are creating applications that help consumers use iPhones and iPods as powerful tools for learning. Modality has created a range of applications, from anatomical study guides for medical students to Frommer's travel guides for general consumers. For younger users, Modality offers Brain Quest applications for grades 1 through 7, a great gift idea for those stumped for youth gifts this year.

With over 29 million card decks in print, Brain Quest is America's #1 educational bestseller. Curriculum-based Brain Quest products are written by an educational authority and vetted by one of the award-winning teachers on the Brain Quest Advisory Panel. The new Brain Quest for iPhone and iPod touch offers the content parents and teachers trust, in a brand new format. Students can quiz themselves, moving quickly through a variety of content areas like geography, math and history, all with the flick of a finger.

"Brain Quest for iPhone and iPod engages learners while keeping them entertained and challenged," explains S. Mark Williams, Ph.D., Modality's founder and CEO. "Better still, it helps students become familiar and comfortable with technology, which is increasingly important, even at an early age. Consumers are seeing that devices such as the iPod touch offer more than just games. Brain Quest offers parents the best of both worlds -- proven educational content in a fun, interactive and completely mobile experience."

Each grade of Brain Quest for iPhone and iPod touch is available for purchase through the Apple App Store, an iPhone- and iTunes-based application marketplace. The products will work on both the iPhone and the iPod Touch.

Modality also offers Brain Quest for iPod, which works on iPod nanos, the iPod classic, and the fifth-generation iPod. Brain Quest for iPod is available for purchase at www.raybook.com, Apple retail stores, and other retail outlets.

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