10 Ways to Get the Most out of Your Classroom iPads

From exploring a virtual library to creating a rock video, see what your iPads can do!

Using iPads in daily activities can be easier than you think.
One of the biggest trends in educational technology this year is the use of personal devices to create an engaging 1:1 classroom setting. But while 1:1 initiatives are gaining in popularity, many fail to meet the teacher’s expectations over time. It’s generally not the technology that’s at fault. Most often the challenge stems from not knowing how to best to use these devices in the classroom. The use of personal devices can be easier than you think, and the devices offer a wide range of educational uses.

The more you use mobile devices the more you can take what they do for you and your students to the next level.
A common choice of classroom device is the iPad, which offers a large interactive screen and a catalog of over 1.4 million apps – many for free or costing less than $2. In a study of a flipped classroom centered around the daily use of iPads for instruction, the authors stated: “Overall, the percentage of students who rated either proficient or advanced (the 'passing' rate) was 49% percent higher in the 'flipped classrooms' using the iPads than in the traditional classrooms with no iPads. The difference was most pronounced in the percentage of students rated as 'advanced,' which was 150% higher in the 'flipped classrooms.'”

iPads are proving to be an important educational component and a real benefit to students.
You, too, can use these devices as an integral part of your educational technology lineup. Consider trying some or all of these top 10 uses for an iPad: 

1. Explore the library of over two million iBooks for all reading levels – including a large selection of textbooks – many of which are free to download.
2. Learn about everything from the stars to the human body with realistic and accurate 3D apps such as Sky Guide and Essential Anatomy 5.
3. Enrich your students’ STEM curriculum with grade-appropriate apps that engage elementary students through games, including Hopscotch for teaching basic coding principles and Motion Math: Wings for helping students understand multiplication in a fun way.
4. Create and view eye-catching presentations using display-making software like PowerPoint and Prezi, each of which has iPhone and PC versions to simplify cross-platform usage.
5. Build foreign language skills through language learning apps like Duolingo, which offers structured instructional levels that help students quickly master each language skill in the program.
6. Give students individual time to work in online homework platforms – including WebAssign and Blackboard – through the Web browser offered on all iPads.
7. Let students be creative with iPad-specific apps that allow for music and video creation, such as Garageband and iMovie.
8. Take handwritten notes during class or create word-processing documents from anywhere in the school using highly functional note apps like Notability, or full-featured word-processing apps such as Pages for iPad.
9. Organize your lesson plan, collect and grade assignments, and communicate with students using iTunes U.
10. Take advantage of all the features of your front-of-classroom interactive technologies and improve student collaboration through apps like the MimioMobile™ app, which can connect multiple student devices to your front-of-classroom setup.

iPads are another tool in your teaching tool belt that can complement your curriculum and other ed technologies.
Our top 10 list lays out just a few of the ways you can use iPads to complement daily classroom activities. Remember that the iPad is a tool that can amplify the way you use the technologies that are already in your classroom, such as the MimioProjector™ interactive projector or the MimioBoard™ touch board.

What are some of your favorite ways to use iPads in the classroom to complement your interactive technologies? Share them in the comments below!

Want to learn more about using the MimioMobile app for iPads – or for almost any other mobile device? Learn more today!>>