5 Useful Siri Tips For Students

5 Useful Siri Tips For Students

Handy Dictionary & Spell Checker

You find yourself constantly stumped with certain words or their spellings? Well, Siri can definitely help you in this regard. Siri can act as your handy dictionary. Not only will she provide you with the definition of the word, she can also give you the correct spelling of the word. This is one of the most useful Siri tips when learning because it is beneficial when you know how to pronounce a word but not to spell it properly. To try this out, simply say something like "define autochthonous".

Solving Mathematical Equations & Statistics

If you have an iPhone 4S, you might be aware that Siri has close integration with Wolfram Alpha - the well-known computational knowledge engine. And because of this, owners of Siri-supported devices can perform mathematical equations and work with statistical data. So if you hate math, you'll be glad to know that Siri can help students solve their mind-numbing math problems. You may ask Siri questions like "what is 19% of 1378?" or "plot 7x + 14".

Show You An Image or Geometric Shape

Again, this is one of those Siri tips that can help with your math subjects, or pretty much any subject matter which requires you to visualize an image. With that said, you can ask Siri to present you an image of an isosceles triangle, Kronosaurus or perhaps Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. Siri will not only show you the image but also the accompanying pertinent information. Siri is an excellent way to view images of pretty much anything you want without having to browse textbooks.

Transform Your Voice Into Text

Siri is primarily a dictation software so you can trust that this is what Siri does best. Students will simply need to dictate whatever they want to say, and Siri will easily transform spoken words into text. This is definitely a huge time saver as opposed to inputting or writing the text yourself. You may also use Siri dictation within apps provided that you are allowed to type. Simply bring up the keyboard inside the apps and tap the microphone key which is located to the left of the space bar. If you are unable to find the dictation key, you might need to enable it first. Go to Settings > General and look for the Siri settings and toggle it ON.

Language Learning & Translator

As one joke goes, the best way to learn a new language is to get a foreign girlfriend or boyfriend. Well with Siri, you got the next best thing, a personal virtual assistant. In iOS 7, Apple has added new languages to Siri which is great for learning foreign languages. With the powerful Siri, you basically have a handy virtual translator in your hands. You can ask Siri questions like "how do I say hello in Japanese" or "how do I say how are you in Spanish?".

Final Thoughts

Many folks dismiss Siri as a gimmick and something unnecessary. That is quite understandable especially when there are many times that Siri just don't work. However when it does, it can be a very useful tool for learning, especially for students.

However, keep in mind that Siri is just that, a tool that helps you with the learning process. Students shouldn't treat it as the be all and end all of learning. That's just one way of saying that the learning process still needs to happen on the students themselves rather than completely relying on Siri or technology as a whole. Take it as an interesting and fun way to learn.