The iPod Touch isn’t a toy.  It’s a tool.  A powerful but easy to use mobile device with a full internet browser, complete communication tool options, art tools, photography and video tools, games, book readers, note keepers, calendars, voice recorders, musical instruments, and even a flashlight!

To us, educational apps that mimic worksheets or memorization exercises are pointless and unimaginative at best and even downright insulting to our childrens’ intelligence.  So, if you’re looking for mainstream education apps, you won’t find them here.  We take a broader approach to learning.  Learning is all around us, everywhere we turn and part of everything we do.  Why not introduce children to real-world tools that are highly functional, useful, fun, and not sickeningly cutesy?  With a bit of guidance, your eight-year old can command these online tools to explore the entire universe!

So, with that in mind, here are our favorite, if unconventional learning apps.

Optiscan QR code Reader

QR codes are everywhere.  Target’s Christmas flyer was full of them as was Best Buy’s.  We find them on produce, business cards, and on more and more websites.  This inexpensive app. reads the special QR bar code easily and rapidly using the iPod’s camera to capture the image of the bar code and then decodes the embedded data.  These codes are showing up at the grocery store, the public library, local newspapers, city streets, and in product advertisements.  Kids should know what they are and know how to interact with them.  Optiscan makes it easy.

WolframAlpha

Not a search engine.  A computation engine.  Send Wolfram Alpha a simple query using easy to remember syntax to get amazing amounts of information on a vast array of topics.  Although a super heavyweight in math and science, WolframAlpha also provides socioeconomic data, health & nutrition data, geography, people and history, etc.  It’s an amazing resource and every iPod should have this app. installed.

Hipstamatic

An app. made specifically for the iPhone and iPod Touch 4th generation that uses the device’s camera in a creative way.  Hipstamatic lets you “filter” your photos using different lenses, flash and film options to give a retro, plastic toy camera feel to photos.  We like the Dali GoodPak for a crazier, more bizarre effect.  This is a creative tool that budding photographers will love.

Voice Memos

It sounds basic, but the new iPod touch has a built-in voice recorder, so why not make use of it, right?  It’s great for recording while composing music, recording sounds for use as sound effects in making your own videos, or e-mail a voice memo to Mom, Dad or grandparents.

Piano Virtuoso

A fully functional piano keyboard on your iPod touch. Although not a replacement for the real deal, musicians like Atomic Tom have actually performed on a New York City subway using nothing but iPod/iPhone instruments.  Plug the iPod into external speakers for an even better sound.

Skype

Free Skype to Skype audio calling via wireless couldn’t be easier.  What a great way for children to connect with their grandparents who use Skype.  Also, online learners often use Skype to learn math, language, etc.  With Skype possibly offering video Skype options for iPods soon, now offering video Skype options for the iPod touch, the iPod is now a powerful online learning tool.

Stanza

One of the best but least known free book readers is Stanza.  This cool iPod Touch app. links in with dozens of online e-book stores.  Be sure to seek out Project Gutenberg for thousands of free out of copyright classics like Moby Dick, Sherlock Holmes, Around the World in Eighty Days, The Time Machine, and more.

AppBox Pro

This is the Swiss Army knife app. that has dozens of useful features.  For example, it has a calculator, a flashlight, an alarm clock, currency converter, units converter, a ruler, a language translator, and much more.

Google Earth

Google Earth is a very cool way to explore places online.  We use it to explore natural features such as volcanos around the world.  View in 3D, search by voice, search locally, and explore your own location.

Adobe Ideas

A free and simple white board for drawing, hand writing, etc.  It works great for sketching out ideas, doodling, and even as a scratch pad for math problems. Your fingers become the pens and pencils.

StarWalk

StarWalk is an amazing app. with a stunning display.  In fact, it’s probably the best app. ever written.  Use it to discover what’s in the night sky wherever you are.  The app. is location-aware and accurately updates the display of the night sky as you move.  We like the red screen for preserving night vision and use it to help identify constellations and star names as the seasons change.