The Dow Jones Industrial Average recently made headlines by rising above 18000 for the first time in its 118-year history. While a significant feat, there is more to domestic and global economies than the stock market. Here are few mobile apps that track the economy in terms suitable for high school students.
Bloomberg Radio+ (iOS Android, Free)
Starting this list is Bloomberg Radio+, a 24-hour service offering dialed in commentary from some of the world’s smartest financial minds. Students can tune in to the live broadcast or radio shows, like The Bloomberg Advantage or Interview of the Day, on demand, all of which include biographies promotimg the career histories and educational accomplishments of guests. It’s easy to access Bloomberg Radio’s show schedule on the day, weekdays, and weekends. The app has a customizable ticker for when students study the stock market.
America’s Economy for Phone (iOS Android, Free)
Published by the U.S. Census Bureau, America’s Economy for Phone compiles 20 economic indicators from the bureaus of Labor Statistics, Economic Analysis, and U.S. Census. It takes a few moments for the app to initialize, but the content provided is well worth the wait. The Key Economic Indicators, including Business Inventories and Gross Domestic Product, display the most recent report (as PDFs) and contextual definitions of each indicator. Students can access a handy release schedule of the reports as well. Note for teachers and parents: the PDF files bounce users from the mobile app to external government websites like the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis or census.gov.
Economy (iOS Android, $1.99)
The Economy app has been around for over five years, ancient in App Store terms. It offers a no-frills look at the global economy via quarterly reports and key economic indicators, including Employment and Commercial Credit. Students can access graphs tracking the growth and decline of indicators over the years: 1, 3, 5, 20 40 or going even farther back in time. Statistics can be tracked on the National and State levels, saved for extended viewing, and shared via Twitter (although teachers might want to keep tweeting via the social media behemoth out of the classroom).
The Economic Times (iOS Android, Free)
Of all the apps on this list, The Economic Times is the only one that updated its interface for iOS 8. Once students swipe through the tutorial they are met with The Economic Times’ breaking news module and mobile jumbotron showcasing the top four financial new stories of the day. This application is key for high school students, as it shows the correlation between financial markets and international news stories. The app also allows users to integrate their stock portfolio, which is particularly useful for Economics units based around student stock competitions.
Economics AP Free (iOS, Free)
Economics AP Free offers multiple choice test preparation for macro- and microeconomics Advanced Placement examinations. Developer Study by APP built this service for students to deepen their knowledge of the “major economic models and theories applicable to the world in which we live.” The application covers any key topics including (but not limited to) the Foreign Exchange Market and Fiscal Policy. Although it is tailored for the College Board’s AP exams, this tool is excellent for reviewing all that students have accumulated during the course of their economics class.
