Just using iPads to use them is not very effective. Unfortunately, I have fell victim to this in the past. There has to be a purpose and it has to be more than a glorified laptop. Many educators want to use iPads in the classroom, but they don't feel comfortable using them effectively. They may feel that they need to know how to use multiple apps at a time to create a truly interactive lesson. Let's get rid of the "dog and pony show" mentality and K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple....well you fill in the blank!).
Perhaps you are introducing a lesson and you want your students to list what they already know about the topic. Then you want them to work collaboratively to brainstorm answers to a question. Maybe you also want to have students summarize what they have learned through a diagram. Then you want to wrap up your lesson by having your students create a "bumper sticker, defining a key concept and term with a picture and a slogan. You don't have to have multiple apps to do this. Keep it simple with an interactive whiteboard!
There are many iPad Apps that can help with this dilemma. A few weeks ago, I had mentioned that Jot! was a great example. Another similar app is called
jabberPad. It is an app that allows you to collaboratively work, draw, write, or diagram on a whiteboard together. I like this app because it is free to use and very simple. Why not use one app instead of multiple apps to do the same thing?
So...when you are using your iPads in your classroom tomorrow, don't just use them to use them. Use them with a purpose and most importantly K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple...and you know the rest!).
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