Uses of the iPad in education

Uses of the iPad in education

Jen and Anne Laure have shared some of their tips for using iPads and technology in and out of lessons:

Internet research
The iPad is great for surfing the web and researching topics in or out of the classroom. 

Making videos
Video creation and editing is simple on the iPad. This can be a great group activity to encourage collaboration. Unfortunately Flash is not supported on the iPad, so watching videos (except on YouTube) is not always possible. Videos [LINK] can be watched on the interactive whiteboard if required.


Taking notes during class
The iPad is portable and easy to carry around with books making it the ideal tool to take notes and store all of a teacher’s lecture material.


Live debates and discussion forums
Setting a discussion topic for homework is ideal for encouraging participation from the more nervous members of the class. Students can be encouraged to take part in a live debate for their evening homework using the school virtual learning environment and can be marked on their level of engagement and responses.


Revision
There are several excellent mind mapping apps on the iPad which makes revision enjoyable and effective.


Class blogs
The whole class contributing to a blog can be a rewarding experience which allows the students to get their first taste of getting published on the web.


Art classes
The iPad has changed art lessons for good – there are so many fantastic art apps which allow drawing and painting.


Making music
It’s easy and rewarding to make music on the iPad, using a variety of different instruments.


Talking to students from abroad
Particularly useful for language lessons: Skype can be set up so that video conferences can be arranged with schools in other countries. Video penpals allow students from different countries to talk, practise their language skills and share their cultural differences.

Technology has allowed the children who are more nervous in class the opportunity to have a voice: Jen sets up evening discussions on topics that the children have to participate in for homework and Anne Laure gets her pupils to record themselves speaking French so she can check pronunciation. This allows teachers to get to know the children who previously were too embarrassed to speak in class and this in turn allows them to build their confidence gradually.

For Anne Laure, the novelty of the iPad in the classroom will never wear off. Whether all schools will go down  the same route as Mounts Bay Academy remains to be seen, but with technology changing so quickly it is certain that the opportunities for education are enormous. Teachers who embrace technology can certainly benefit by being able to offer more engaging lessons to their technology-savvy students.

BBC Active sells licences to the BBC’s vast range of educational television programmes to use in learning environments. Video allows students to put real life events in context and learn in a more visual and memorable way.