Tech Tool: Ipads in The Classroom

The ever so popular IPAD...everyone has one right? But have you ever thought to use an IPAD in the classroom for educational purposes?

I was initially like everyone else who thought IPads were only for personal use at home but to my surprise, after spending time in a technology classroom in Del Mar, I was shocked to see how much purpose an IPAD can have in a classroom.

IPad applications like prezi, and keynote allow for students to present their work in an exciting and innovative way. Mrs. Maskell, the teacher who I was observing all semester, used the IPAD in a clever way so that the students were being productive and staying on task. To avoid distraction, she would ask students to "turtle shell" their iPad face down and I really liked this technique. Students were also able to use the IPad to aid their research. One specific math project that I witnessed the students working on incorporated the use of an iPad so that students could take pictures of different angles. I though this was really neat.

One of my favorite IPad apps for the classroom is idea sketch. Idea sketch is a virtual mind map that students can use to brainstorm before they work on an assignment. The prewrite and brainstorming process is so important for students and having this as an app is amazing. Students become so involved in their brainstorming that their writing sometimes becomes illegible and this app provides something clear and concise.  Idea sketch is ideal for revision of subjects, but also can be used to plan out projects. After the students are done creating their mind map, they can save it as an image and use for reference.