Wednesday, September 12, 2012

How to Use the Ipad in Class

I have been using the Ipad in my classes for the last year and now can not live without it. Here are some ways to use the Ipad in class:

  1. For your lecture notes: you can download Dropbox or use the Apple Cloud to upload all of the notes you need for class. What is great about this is you can also easily share the notes with students via email.
  2. For grading and attendance: download Engrade, a free classroom management system. I use it for grading and attendance. You will have to input your students by name and ID but once that's done it is easy to use.
  3. For networking with students: download Twitter or Facebook and you can interact with your students at any time. I have a class Facebook page and a Twitter account that I use.
  4. For creativity: download Pinterest and have your students create Mood boards specific to the theme or topic. My students love this! I also use Ibook to upload books we are reading so I can easily go to a specific paragraph in class.
  5. For productivity: download apps such as CaptureNotes which allows you create notebooks that can be used in class for informational purpose. If you have second language speakers, try Word Lens which allows capture of any text (even on the board) and in one simple click it translates it to any language. Diigo lets you bookmark articles, images, etc. that you would like to read and saves them in different files.
  6. For viewing: Ipads can be hooked up via adaptors to some computers in the school; you will have to check first. There is a great software named VNC Viewer which actually allows you to use your Ipad as a type of mouse with the main computer in the room; this allows the teacher to move through the room while using the computer on screen.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Please post to the department page linked from the side bar to describe your experience with evaluating apps and designing classroom activities.