IPads+In+Every+Classroom

IPads In Every Classroom by Melissa Peitzman (blue) and Dana Lynn (green)



Question: What would you do differently in your classroom if every student had an iPad device? Describe activities and even how you would arrange your classroom differently. IPads in the classroom are a window into many worlds and transform the type of education we are able to offer children. From Pre-K through graduate school, and as a companion to life-long learning, the IPad offers unique ways to enhance teaching. The district where I teach received a grant several years ago as part of a pilot program in which all students were provided with laptop computers. So while I don't have IPads in my classroom (they are available to borrow in the library), I have many of the same capabilities. What that has meant for my students ( I teach Spanish) is that they can sit and follow a native conversation about a topic related to what we are studying on sites like Yabla. When we study Peru, for example, instead of a small picture and caption in a book, the students see shots from all different angles, maps of the site and the Inca Trail, research local sherpas, and plan their virtual trip. They don't have to settle for a remote explanation of paella, they can go on YouTube and watch a how to demonstration and make it themselves. And instead of asking me what kids their age do in Argentina, they can use one of many sites created to match keypals around the world and begin emailing a student in classroom in Buenos Aires. If they hit it off, they can begin a conversation over Skype.For different content areas or other ideas for the Ipad in the classroom, check out this list: http://www.slideshare.net/johnvandongen/30-interesting-ways-to-use-an-ipad-in-the-classroom Ipads in the classroom would/could simulate a classroom without walls. Can you imagine being able to immediate show a demonstration of something you were learning in science. The students could make digital flashcards in English? Practice problems in Math. etc. Three of our subjects currently have text books online. The students could use their IPad instead of carrying loads of text books. There are many options I am sure that I am not familiar with considering I do not have an ipad or use of one in my classroom. While researching I found a few websites that have lists of apps that are ideal for the classroom. Here are just a few of the sites I found with lists of apps that would work. http://teachwithyouripad.wikispaces.com/iPad+Apps [] [] (This one actually has an app that you can simulate dissecting a frog!)

Often times I find that students are able to teach me the technology they know so well. In this video, they talk about how they are using the IPad in their classroom:

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I also found a video on youtube from TED (they use TED videos a lot for a variety of professional developments) I thought this one was informative: []

One of the advantages of the IPad is that it is portable. So rearranging the classroom can have benefits. You can also leave the classroom.IPads are a nice complement to home schooling. They can also be taken to sites like nature reserves or to document local water studies around the school. We had a group that traveled to South America and took the IPad with them to blog and journal. IPads are easy to share and pass around, so a more communal seating arrangement is possible.

At my school we have an outdoor classroom. One of the challenges is always trying to come up with a lesson to do in the outdoor classroom that doesn't require a ton of materials to drag outside. Often reading teachers will take their students outside with novels, but rarely do I see the science, math, etc outside. It would be so nice to tell the students grab your ipad and meet me in the outdoor classroom and be able to teach an entire lesson outside on a nice day!