Hi dear readers!
I recently made the acquisition of a pretty useful tool: an Iphone. I own a PC and had a LG phone, so Apple is pretty new to me (even though I was using Itunes like pretty much everyone). I found that all the apps and all the functions offered by this device were amazing. That’s why I looked on the internet on useful ways to use Apple in class. The device that popped out the most was the Ipad. I personally never used an Ipad but by what I read, I can tell you that you can do pretty much anything you want in an educational context.
The Ipad is always ahead in technology and has of course already a bunch of applications regarding the education. I found on a very interesting website everything that one should know before using it. For example, 62 ways to use ipad in class, 100+ tips to integrate the Ipad into your classroom. Well, according to me that’s the bible on how to use it in class.
As I previously mentioned in other blogs and I will still repeat it in this one: the most important thing in education according to me is getting students interested and motivated. Once they are captivated or just a bit interested, you will be able to teach them pretty much anything. Many of your students may already know how to use an Ipad. Kids nowadays possess Ipads before bicycles (what a crazy generation), anyway. They will will be interested to use an electronic device they use to entertain themselves. However, this can play against you. You have to be prepared if you intend to use Ipads in classrooms before students might know more than you actually do. This problem can be easily solve; you can just watch short videos on youtube which will explain you how to use efficiently you Ipad for teaching. I looked at many and the one that was the best regarding the length of the video and the amount of useful information was this one:
One of the applications I found of interest was that you can write on your Ipad with a pen offered by Ipad or just your finger (but trust me the pen is definitely worth it.) What a student can do with it is download the document you present them, whether it is a powerpoint or a word document and they can actually take notes on it without even printing it. They can add their ideas or additional notes that you will provide them and save it so they can look at it later. I thought this application in particular was useful, that’s why I decided just to introduce it to you but there are way more applications that you can use. You might want to take a look at this list of 20 amazing ipad apps.
Don’t worry I know that those Ipads might be expensive and that schools might not be ready to pay for those tools. The best way to do is to present them the advantages of having those in schools. Let me share you a personal experience. At University Laval, my school committee presented the project of having Ipads in school. The funding for those devices is even harder to obtain at university. The committee presented the project and pretty easily obtained the funding necessary to buy 4 ipads. It is not much but that’s a beginning.
In sum, Apple knows the importance of integrating technology in school and promotes the educational applications. Believe me when I tell you that this is just the beginning.
maxferland 