iPad Uses

Why iPads?

Let's hear from some kindergarten students :)

iPads are such versatile tools for teaching and learning. They offer so many benefits for our students. Yet we need to be wary of becoming "toolcentric". Our focus needs to be on the learning outcomes. We work backwards from the learning outcomes to see if there are ways that iPads and apps can help our students reach the learning goals.

One way to approach the use of iPads is to categorize ways we can use them. They can be used not only for consuming information, but also for communicating, creating, building skills, developing personal learning systems and addressing special needs of learners among many possibilities.

The "instant-on" capability, mobility and Internet connectivity makes the iPad a multifaceted learning device for whole class, learning groups and/or individual student engagement. Continue reading for a few creative ways to engage students through this versatile piece of technology!

Communication and Collaboration

There are a great many apps that help us communicate and collaborate when using the iPad. Here are just a few to get you started.

Padlet is a Web application that acts like a virtual bulletin board, allowing students to engage easily in responsive class discussions. Students "stick" their notes, questions, images and/or observations about the discussion onto a virtual bulletin board. Instantly review and collaborate or display students' responses on a projection screen via another iPad or laptop. Add multimedia to enhance your students' learning in class or save it to continue the conversation later.

Another familiar option for communication and collaboration is the Google Drive app through which students can share their ideas by uploading their documents, slideshows, videos, images, etc. to the cloud. Students also can use the Pages and Keynote apps for creating outside the cloud to then share their work through Drive. Students can easily access and build upon these digital creations while also giving their parents access to their learning throughout the school year. The archived learning artifacts also help with student-parent conference especially if students use portfolios to reflect about their learning as the year progresses.

Students can provide valuable assessment information by taking screenshots of whatever is on their screen to then annotate the image by using an art or note-taking app. Think screenshots of Web pages, eBooks, drawings, mind maps, content/skill apps... anything where the student can be asked to engage his/her analysis and understanding to then record his/her thinking. The image is then shared via Drive, email or other file transfer system.

An important Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principle is to give students "multiple means of representation". There are many apps that let students audio record their thinking. The Audioboo app offers the additional functionality of uploading student recordings to your Web-based account. There you can listen to them all in one place. For more information on using audio recordings, check out the Pedagogy & ICL (A-M) section of this site. Also note that the Audioboo app can be a terrific way to provide recorded content for your students to consume.

For support with the research process, NoodleTools helps students collaborate in research projects. Students can take notes, outline, create citations, and annotate their findings. There is also an option for students to save their work to Google Docs as they reflect and create during the inquiry process.

Many apps give students the opportunity to communicate their understanding through multimedia presentations. Some are web-based so that they can be shared with an online audience, and others, like Keynote, are local just to the iPad. One can use the Presentation Tool Matrix for students and teachers to apply their technology literacy to the task of choosing the right tool for their presentation. The Multimedia Rubric can help students as they plan their presentations. The Communicating page in the Student section of this Web site lists additional tools.

iPads also can support teacher to students and student to student communication while reading. Think about how you could support literacy by being able to highlight text, insert questions, add links and embed videos into digital text.

Creativity

Think of the iPad as a tool for students to record, edit and synthesize media to then communicate their understanding. Students can record sounds, video, and still images using the Camera, GarageBand and iMovie applications. Each gives our students the power to edit a mixture of images, video and voice recordings to make their thinking visible.

A second way to create videos is through screencasting apps like Educreations and Explain Everything. There are so many ways in which screencasts can be used in our classrooms with students creating videos of number talks, how to's, reflections, thinking routines, etc. Here are several screencasts that a First Grade teacher had her students create. Screencasting is a wonderful technique that easily differentiates instruction by helping students communicate their understanding in an unrestricted environment. Watch Kindergarten student Marco's Spanish screencast on water by selecting the link below the image.

Apps like Book Creator give students the tools to publish digital books. Students can illustrate, add text, embed voice recordings and insert photographs to tell their stories. Check out a blog post that lists several ideas for using Book Creator and examples of student created books. And for many more ideas on using video in your classroom, check out the Videography section of this site.

The following is a video podcast that shares classroom experiences where iPads were used to facilitate creativity and expression. It includes many lessons learned about how technology empowers students to apply their various literacies as they create and communicate their learning. The examples are from older students but there are many possibilities for "junior versions" with primary school students.

Consuming Information and Skill Building

Wifi connected iPads are just like networked computers allowing anyone to use a browser to search the Internet and access Web sites. Students learn that their starting point for inquiry is to access their school provided online databases, safe search engines, media sources and lists of helpful and fun Web resources rich in media and text. Engaging content connects our students' curiosity to their use of the iPads. Check out one thought leader's take on the importance of content as a major component of successfully using mobile devices for teaching and learning.

The iTunes App Store is packed with apps that can help students practice and improve specific skills (e.g., language, math, science, etc). The Books app connects to the App Store for downloadable books. A terrific resource of primary source iBooks is offered by the Library of Congress. Here is a sample on US immigration that you can download. There are also many single-purpose apps that are mini-books for developing readers. Many of the early childhood books are animated connecting to the multimedia capabilities of the iPad. The Kindle app gives students access to eBooks that can be purchased or downloaded for free. The International Children's Digital Library app is an excellent source to find books in French, Spanish, Dutch and English. Students can also listen to books through the Audiobook and iTunes apps that provide recorded books, podcasts and other audio resources for easy downloading.

Many news and education providers have apps so students don’t have to navigate through a browser to access information. Examples are France 24, BBC and National Geographic.

Social media and news can be gathered from Twitter, blogs and Pinterest among others. Teachers and students can choose topics and questions using their ICL skills to find reliable resources from which they can subscribe to by using iPad apps. A couple excellent aggregator apps are Flipboard and Feedly. Subscribing through Flipboard or Feedly means that one doesn't have to go out on an individual basis to his/her favorite blogs, news sources or podcasts. All the latest updates are pulled into your aggregator app for easy access. See below for a screenshot of Feedly being used for professional development resources.

Consumption of information can be much more than just pulling from resource providers on the Web. Students and teachers can create their own content to be shared for others to consume on their iPads. This Web site is filled with ways to create and communicate one's ideas so think about students as authors (iBook), video producers (iMovie) and musicians and podcasters (GarageBand). Focusing on multimedia, GarageBand is one of many apps that support music and podcast creation while also using the Podcast app to listen to educational podcasts. Try using an iPad app like iMovie to produce tutorials, documentaries, documentation of museum visits, etc. And don't forget about using the iPad camera to record movement and skill attainment in dance, PE, sports team practices, etc. to then provide immediate feedback to one's students.

Personal Learning System (PLS) in Support of Personalized Learning

Students who use technology to access information while using digital "tools" to support their learning develop a personalized set of resources for learning... a "go-to" technology and information toolbox- a personal learning system. The iPad offers an excellent hardware portion of one's Personal Learning System. To learn more about this concept, take a look at the Personal Learning System section of this site.

Special Learning Needs

We use the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to apply adaptive technology and innovative strategies to support learning. In other words, we use technology to differentiate content, process and products for all learners. To learn more about UDL, look to listen to the EdTech Co-Op podcast 22 with Dr. Mark Hofer of the College of William and Mary. Dr. Hofer offers a clear case as to why UDL makes so much sense.

Another UDL resource is the Center for Applied Special Technology. Connecting to our efforts to help students build their own "personal learning systems", we can design learning plans (IEP) to include apps and web tools individualized for students to use at school and at home.

If you would like to search for UDL style apps, the following sites provide app reviews. They list many apps that offer a broad range of adaptive technologies to support all of our learners.

• Common Sense Media provides a listing of learning support apps organized by categories.

• One Place for Special Needs

• SpedApps for Special Education and STEAM

• Using Digital Media to Support UDL

Image Sources: Communication | Personal Learning System | Special Learning Needs