iPads, MakerEd and More in Education

Since the release of Apple’s iPad, there’s been an ongoing debate about whether or not the device should be used in schools to teach kids. Both sides of the argument were explored on The Verge, with one teacher stating that the iPad has helped him save time in grading, returning papers, and printing lesson documents. While another teacher said that while she has been able to use the iPad in the classroom to engage her students, it can also come with a little backlash: “Once they’re used to using the iPad, it’s more difficult to engage them in activities that don’t include a digital component.”

Teachers can’t seem to agree when it comes to the real effect of the iPad in classrooms. In spite of this, it can’t be denied that the iPad has made a positive impact when it comes to educating kids. I’d argue that if educators knew the proper purpose of iPads (in the classroom), and have a good system of managing student behaviour, iPads can indeed be very effective in the classroom.

Emily Lynch talks about how to use iPads in the classroom to differentiate instruction. So many good ways exist to use iPads but how can we personalize it and make it unique? Today as our ongoing spotlight this week on K-2 education, we focus on iPads with younger students and differentiating...

Apple wants kids to be creative on iPads, but schools want keyboards and lower price tags.

After posting about Bloom's Digital Taxonomy Verbs we received a number of emails from teachers inquiring about iPad apps aligned with this taxonomy. The Bloom's Digital Taxonomy Cheat sheet we posted awhile ago does feature a collection of educational apps for both iOS and Android (and the web), however, we went ahead and created this visual incorporating some of what we think are the best apps and tools aligned with each of the thinking levels of Bloom's digital taxonomy. Of course our selection is subjective and based entirely on our previous reviews of these apps and we are very much aware that there are several other great web tools and apps that can fit in this pyramid but due to practical limitations we only featured representative samples in each category.

Kids today have more resources at their fingertips than ever before. Raised in the digital era, most children have traded outside playtime for iPads and other mobile devices for communication and entertainment. Today’s students are the first to grow up amidst such aggressive advancements in mobile technology, and in order to be smart communicators, educators need to adapt to the latest tech trends. Over the years, tech in the classroom has been met with mixed views. Usually deemed as a distraction, cellphones were banned in a lot of schools, according to an article by The Atlantic. But even back then, eliminating tech wasn’t the solution. Now, it’s safe to say that teachers have learned to embrace educational technology in the name of progress.

A previous post here on Teaching With iPad sheds light on the unique ways you can use iPad devices creatively in the classroom, one of which is via augmented reality (AR). In light of recent advancements, teachers are finding ways use AR in the classroom. Students are already using AR-powered apps like Pokémon Go or Snapchat for entertainment, which means that the challenge, then, is to help them learn using this technology. Here are some notable apps to check out for learning.

As with any tool, the outcomes are only as good as the planning that you put in. You can teach fantastic lessons with or without an iPad. Unfortunately, you can also teach awful lessons with or without an iPad. This is just as true in Music as it is in other subjects.


Perhaps, however, Music teachers have an advantage. While other subject teachers are more accustomed to books, videos and websites as resources, Music teachers are accustomed to using a much wider gamut of tools - instruments. If we can encourage Music teachers to view the iPad as another instrument and a vehicle by which children can make genuinely music progress, then we are well on the way to making the most of this 21st century resource.


So, how can music teachers deliver real learning with the Apple iPad?

Kindergarten teacher Caitlin Arakawa talks about her first year with iPads in kindergarten. She shares her favorite tools. A DIY soundbooth. Mistakes. more.

"I have had the privilege of being able to plough new ground in my classroom with a class set of iPads. I now have over a year of experience in using them with my students everyday. Over that time I have had alot of trial, error and troubleshooting. But now into my second year I have the benefit of being familiar with iPads strengths and weaknesses. All of the apps in my list of 15 Ways to Use an iPad are ones that I have used with students."