Chapters
“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.” - Stephen Hawking
The number of computers per student in schools has increased drastically in the last few decades. Nearly 90% of UK households now have a computer, which means that children will have access to useful programs and tools that can help them with both their schoolwork and their homework. Students starting primary school will also be very quickly introduced to computers and how to use them. There are plenty of free programs that they can learn how to use. Secondary school pupils can also study computers either through IT or computer science. Generally, students will use a computer more often at home than at school. They’ll also be given work and projects that can only be completed by using a computer or the internet. They can use their computer to create documents that can be read on any computer. The digital age has certainly affected the world of education and there are many programs and tools designed with education in mind. Of course, that doesn’t mean that all these tools are easy to use. Whether you’re using Windows, macOS, or Linux, here are some of the tools you should be using.
Office Suites
For teachers, their students must submit work that can be easily read with as few spelling errors as possible. 
Microsoft Office
Almost every student will need to use an office suite. Microsoft Office is one of the most comment and can create documents in a variety of different formats including PDFs. The suite is quite easy to use and includes the following programs:
- Microsoft Word: For creating and editing text.
- Microsoft Excel: For spreadsheets, formulae, and calculations.
- Microsoft PowerPoint: For presentations with images, sounds, texts, and video.
- Microsoft Outlook: An email client.
- Microsoft OneNote: For taking notes.
Don’t forget that you can enjoy a free trial before you pay for Microsoft Office.
Free Alternatives
If you’re looking for a free office suite, you can use LibreOffice or OpenOffice. Google Docs is another useful suite that you can access online. This suite is good for collaborative projects as you can easily share and edit documents in real-time. Generally, students will opt for the suite that works best for them. Don’t worry too much about committing to one as it’s very easy to change to another. You can always start with one of the free ones and move onto Microsoft Office once you have the means. Find out more about doing homework in the digital age.
Encyclopaedias and Dictionaries You Can Take Everywhere
Dictionaries and encyclopaedias can be a student’s best friends. Gone are the days of carrying heavy paper versions around with you as you can now find digital versions on your computer. You can take an entire library with you.
English Dictionaries
Here are some of the best digital dictionaries to help you find definitions, synonyms, antonyms, and related terms. 
- Collins Dictionaries
- Wiktionary
- Google Dictionary
- Oxford Dictionary
- Macmillan Online Dictionary
- Cambridge Online Dictionary
- Dictionary.com
- The Free Dictionary
- Merriam-Webster Online
Some encyclopaedias can be downloaded and you can also use the internet to access a wealth of information.
Foreign Language Dictionaries
In addition to English language dictionaries, you can also find plenty of dictionaries in other languages and bilingual dictionaries with translations from English to a foreign language. Learning a new language can be tough without having access to dictionaries. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources online and it’s very easy to find a definition of a word. Just search the term in your preferred bilingual dictionary. If you don't yet have a favourite, you might check out Reverso. There are also apps and programs to help teach you foreign languages. Consider checking out Rosetta Stone, Babbel, and Duolingo, for example.
Spellcheckers
If your spelling isn’t great, a spellchecker is an essential tool. Everyone from primary school pupils to university students can use a spellchecker on their work. Of course, you need to know whether it’s been corrected to the right word. A lot of office suites come with built-in spellcheckers but there are also other tools you can use. More comprehensive tools can also offer grammar checking. Check out our guide to avoiding plagiarism.
Desktop-Publishing for Excellent Layouts
To improve the presentation of your work, creative students might enjoy desktop-publishing. Adding a cover page to an essay or dissertation? Looking to break up the sections of a larger project? Not sure how to spice up your work? There are some useful tools that you can use to make some beautiful visuals for your work.
Scribus
This is an open-source desktop publishing solution. It’s very comprehensive and is great for manipulating visuals and text and you can also easily import and export your creations.
Adobe InDesign
For those familiar with the Adobe suite, InDesign is a fantastic tool as it does almost everything and can create magnificent visuals. You can also find templates on the Creative Cloud to work from or just for inspiration. You can also use the following programs:
- Word
- PowerPoint
- Publisher
- Google Slides
- QuarkXPress
- Impress
- PagePlus
- Ragtime
- LyX
Maths Programs
Some students hate maths and hard sciences. With complex and abstract concepts, maths and science can cause a lot of problems for some students. 
GeoGebra
This is a dynamic maths program that can be used for algebra, geometry, and statistics. It can make complex maths problems more interactive and engaging. Used by students and teachers alike, it can be easily downloaded. Teachers love it because they can use it to visualise mathematical concepts.
ChemMaths
ChemMaths can be used for scientific calculation functions, unit conversion, and graph generation. There are over 100 equations that this program can solve. Check out our favourite websites to help you with your homework.
Discover the World with Google Earth
Geography is one of the subjects that you’ll study for most of your schooling. You need to rigorously learn and study some facts and figures. 
The platform that connects tutors and students
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