Top 5 Apps You Want On Your iPad (including ‘how to’ video links)

December 30, 2012 25 Comments

Following a request for my favourite iPad apps, I have included those central to my workflow as an educator. I offer my top 5, with a few suggestions for application of each in the classroom. (Please click on each title for link to video)

DROPBOX

A cloud based memory store that is available on every internet device. The ability to access information anytime, anywhere is truly powerful in the learning environment. Dropbox can also act as a workflow solution with shared folders between educator and students. A must have app for anyone with an iPad and the first 2GB is free.

EXPLAIN EVERYTHING

This interactive whiteboard app is a must for learning with an iPad. At its basic level it allows students to record their voice over annotated slides or insert images to collaborate or demonstrate learning. However, Explain Everything can offer many more options for the educator.

Screencasts can be created that are exported to YouTube and shared with students. These can be used to support learning outside the classroom or personalise it for those moving at a different pace. A presentation can be created by a student/group of students to act as a plenary. This can then be shared with the class via email or a shared Dropbox folder.

The latest version of Explain Everything (due at the end of January) includes the ability to import new or existing video. The ability to commentate on video and annotate slides will have implications for many subject areas.

EDMODO

Edmodo is superb as a tool for peers to interact in a safe secure manner. The ability to question staff and students, when faced with an academic problem, has proved supportive to learning particularly during homework time. This feature is enhanced by the storage of resources in the Edmodo library and interaction with assignments set by the educator.

Then Edmodo added the ability to upload from iPad using the iOS6 function ‘open in app’. This allows you to upload a document to your Edmodo library on an iPad. You can then link the document to a direct post, note or assignment within the Edmodo app. Suddenly Edmodo has become a simple solution to iPad workflow from student to educator. If you add the annotation tool and immediate feedback then Edmodo is a must have app for iPad.

FLIPBOARD

‘Flipboard turns your Facebook and Twitter account into something that looks like a magazine. It also lets you build a custom magazine, either by choosing from Flipboard’s pre-built curated “boards” or by importing Twitter lists.’

For the educator, Flipboard is a way of keeping abreast of current topics and up-to-date with social media contacts. The ability to export from Flipboard to a Dropbox acoount or email means it can serve as a suitable filter for information. I have begun to use Flipboard more and more as the stream of information increases from many sources.

As a way of collating information, Flipboard has become particularly useful for students. The ease with which they can browse articles and look for balance of opinion on a subject, makes it a useful tool. It can also act as a useful starter and/or plenary for a lesson with the most up-to-date information being displayed. If you have a class twitter account you can also use it to display information from the group and act as a prompt for collaboration.

SOCRATIVE

‘Socrative is a smart student response system that empowers teachers to engage their classrooms through a series of educational exercises and games via smartphones, laptops, and tablets.’

Socrative is an excellent ‘assessment for learning’ tool. An educator set a quiz and have the answers from students graphically represented for feedback and to display if required. This can be done on the spot or educators can pre-load a quiz that can be assessed straight-away. The real power of this app is that it is cross platform which means that students can be on existing desktops or laptops whilst the educator has the iPad at the front of the class displaying results.

This app has become so easy to use that most of my students expect a Socrative quiz at some point in a module. The exit ticket has proved particularly important as the data is immediately available to download and can inform future lesson planning.

I appreciate there are many apps that could be on this list. Please add any app suggestions in the comment section below. Always happy to give them a try 🙂

Filed under 1:1, apps, collaboration, e-learning, Edtech, Education, flipped, iPad, iPad Mini, iPad2, Learning, Pedagogy, Social media, solo, Teacher, technology, Twitter Tagged with apps, classroom, classroom issues, e-learning, edmodo, education, email, evernote, flipped, homework collection, iPad, iPad Mini, iPad2, learning, mentormob, nearpod, new educational technology, pedagogy, PLN, school, teachers, teaching, technology, twitter, using new technology, wireless connectivity, wordpress

About Daniel Edwards
Director of Innovation & Learning at the Stephen Perse Foundation schools, Cambridge, UK (stephenperse.com). Interested in global connectivity for all and risk taking in education. Keen to discuss all aspects of learning and digital strategy. Also @syded06 on twitter.