iPad ideas for the classroom

We should not be using iPads purely to engage students. If we are relying on an iPad to engage our students without any pedagogical planning on our behalf then we are doing our students a disservice. If we only use them as a reward or at a set time each week we are not integrating them into our students learning we are using them much like we have always used technology; as something that is separate to what we “normally” do during the week, dare I say a “special treat”. iPads should be a tool in our classroom much like text books, novels, big books, pens, paper, calculators, counters and blocks.

We should be using technology to improve our ability to teach and our students ability to learn. Below are a number of practical ideas that can be applied in classrooms.

How do I transfer work from the iPad? Getting work on and off the iPad is important. This post will show you the most effective ways of doing this with our school iPads.

Get students to become film directors. Use lego to be creative, have fun and make a movie trailer. iMovie Trailer – “Super Duper Villains”. iMovie Trailers – promoting health organisations: RUOk and Cancer Council.

Create an eBook using Book Creator This is one of the best apps on our iPads. Use it to create instructional texts, students can use it to present work or create personal portfolios, share books with a wider audience, the possibilities are endless……. Visit the Book Creator blog for great ideas about how teachers have used this app to improve student learning.

Using Book Creator to record learning (learning journals)

Ideas for using Book Creator

Book Creator in Education – a series of videos from teachers using Book Creator in the classroom.

Using Puppet Pals as a stage for learning

Teach a process using the iPad Have students use the iPad to teach a process. There are many opportunities for students to have to teach a process. Processes are used in Food tech, PE, Science

Coding for Kids –  Kodable (web based) Kodable (app), Daisy the Dinosaur and Hopscotch all teach kids to code using simple, intuitive building blocks. Kids can create games, animations and other programs in these colorful, interactive environments. Program your characters to move, draw, and collide with each other, and use shaking, tilting, or even shouting at the iPad to control them. Kodable provides a teacher manual explaining coding concepts for those less familiar with this area. These apps will help you support student learning for the Australian Curriculum Digital Technologies curriculum.

Art on the iPad Create great art works on the iPad. Let students get creative with the art apps on our school iPads.

Mind Mapping – use this great strategy to help students plan work and organise their thoughts on any concept or topic.

How do you use technology? The SAMR model. Something to consider when using technology.

What does it mean to integrate technology successfully into your classroom?

Combine language into photos to create amazing images Students can describe an image using up to 10 words and have those words insured into the picture to create an amazing effect.

Adding audio to a single image using Fotobabble Students can create images and describe and explain those images by adding audio.

Using the iPad to get kids moving Aerobic activity using an iPad. Demonstrate the connection between physical activity and calorie loss or just have fun.

Get students to explain a concept

Have students record data in a PE lesson. Use Easy Tag to keep statistics in PE and get students to analyse data.

Augmented reality posters – Volleyball

Have students describe a process using images, audio and text. View this example using the Pix’n’Tell app to explain a short serve in badminton.

Using Apple TV How can an Apple TV be used in a large environment like a gym for PE?

Setting up and using Apple TV in the classroom How do I connect an Apple TV in my classroom and how can it be used?

Using the iPad to practice a second language This one is using PuppetPals 2 to practice French.

Practice recount or retelling a story with an iPad Use Puppet Pals to retell a story.

Use an iPad to help students peer and self assess reading fluency. Watch Year 1/2 students present the news.

Using the iPad in Maths and Science – Assisting students to learn fractions and using the Camera and notes app to classify invertebrates.

One thought on “iPad ideas for the classroom

  1. Kodable is a free educational iPad game offering a kid-friendly introduction to programming concepts and problem solving. For kids ages 5 and up, and tools for grownups too!

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