Keynote

Keynote is Apple’s presentation tool for the iOS. Users can create slideshows that include images (from the device’s camera roll), text, and charts, and they can select themes, fonts, styles, transitions, and animation from a range of options. They can play their presentations from the device or share them via iCloud, email, or through other apps, and they can export presentations in Keynote, PDF, or PowerPoint formats and then open them through other apps on the device. In addition to basic features for creating and viewing presentations, Keynote also comes with a Remote feature that allows users to use one Apple device to control a presentation on another Mac, iPad, or iPhone. The Remote feature is the fanciest one here; others are simply stellar versions of exactly the features good presentation software needs. There's no fluff here; just a strong set of tools for building and sharing great slides.

Keynote wasn’t built specifically for education, but it makes a great go-to presentation app for teachers and students alike. The chart tools are especially attractive and easy to use: Users can create 2-D, 3-D, and interactive charts within a slide. The only drawback to this feature is that each data point must be entered individually -- there’s no way to cut and paste a data table to a slide. That’s less a critique of this app than a remark on the challenge of producing content on the iPad; some users might find it easier to produce a presentation on a desktop computer. With the right information pre-loaded into the device’s camera roll, however, Keynote is a great option for organizing and presenting content to a wider audience.