Using iPads in the Classroom

     No matter what type of learners you have in your classroom, there is an app for that! These devices can be powerful learning tools to meet learning styles, and instructional differentiation. If you have one iPad, think about how it can be used to make the greatest impact in student learning individually or in pairs. If you have a few iPads, again, thinking about the greatest impact. What types of apptivities can extend your teaching and learning in a small group setting?  

I am regularly asked about finding apps to meet specific purposes. Here are some resources for you your review. I will continue updating these boards as I come across tools that can help you accomplish daily tasks with your students.  

Check out this board, iPads in the Classroom if you are looking for procedures and ways to manage your devices. Click on Teaching with iPads if you are searching for specific apps. Still haven't found the app your looking for? Read Making Art? Getting Healthy? There Are Kids' Apps for That -- and More to see more apps with suggested age range.

While iPads and other devices may have not reached your classroom yet or if you already have a class set, one thing is for sure, they can be effectively used to motivate, engage and enhance your classroom endeavors!

The One iPad Classroom

     What can be accomplished with just one iPad in your classroom?  Lots! Take a look at a few of these apps and decide how you want to begin maximizing the use of your iPad. Here are a few ideas for you to consider!

1. Manage your classroom behavior using Class Dojo, Too Noisy or Stick Pick.

2. Take class pictures of your lessons, activities and assignments. Allow students to use the pictures to create an Animoto Video. Use the Explain Everything app to provide a how-to for students needing extra support.

3. Use it as a document camera or interactive whiteboard to take a virtual field trip using Google Maps or Globe for iPad. 

Your iPad can become one amazing classroom tool for you and your students! Check out these apps! After you begin using one or more of them, your students will be pleading for more!

Top Tech Tools

     Besides Google Apps, what other technology tools might you be using to engage and interact with your students? After reading several articles, I repeatedly came across blogging and Voicethread. 

     For blogging, I suggest Kidblog.org. This site provides a safe and secure way to digitally connect with your students. Do students get excited about blogging...YES! Will they try to use it like a social media...YES! One cool advantage of using Kidblog is that the teacher can approve all comments before they appear on the blog whether the student responds from school or home. When the teacher models how to use the blog, the appropriate use of the tool can be discussed at this time. If a student submits an inappropriate response, the teacher can unapprove or delete the comment so that other students never see it. Pretty awesome, right? So, why go to all the trouble? I have never seen students get so excited about plate tectonic movements, as I did today when they were asked to blog about it. Using this digital format, the teacher was able to get 100% participation. The students were excited, and engaged. Moreover, they were begging to know if their answers were correct! Wow, every teacher's dream! 

     Voicethread is a technology tool that students can use to provide information about a specified topic. This digital tool uses images to guide the conversation. The neat aspect of Voicethread is that students can record or type their responses with each image. As they add responses, icons gather around the image. When a student clicks on play, all the responses associated with the image can be heard. In my opinion, this is one of the easiest tech tools to integrate in your classroom. Again, the student response to this tech tool is phenomenal! Using Voicethread, I am seeing students get excited about literature circles! 

     If you are already using these tech tools, way to go! If not, which one might you consider implementing in your daily teaching and learning? Notice where these two tools are found in the pyramid.