4 unusual ways to use iPads in schools

Are you making the most out of the iPads in your classroom or playing it safe? These super-versatile devices can be used in a range of unusual ways to encourage learning in your school. Some of which you’ve probably not even considered!

This blog looks at unusual uses for iPads and introduces teachers to a range of apps to support these.

4 unusual ways to use iPads

Here’s our round-up of four not-so-conventional ways to use iPads in the classroom:

1) Role reversal with screencasting

Using flipped learning to encourage students to teach others is a great way of cementing their knowledge and clearing up any outstanding confusion or uncertainties they might have about a topic.

Screencasting is a digital video recording of your computer screen that usually includes audio narration and is often used in training videos and recorded presentations.

Asking students to make a screencast is an awesome way of reinforcing and/or assessing their learning and can help boost their presentation skills at the same time. You can even record students in action to share as mini-lessons with other students at a later date!

There are a number of free apps for iPads that allow you to make screencasts, including:

• Educreations: this was one of the first screencasting apps for iPad and remains one of the most popular. You’ll have the ability to add and animate images to your screencast as well as a host of other useful features.
• ShowMe: this free app allows users to import images, record a narrative and draw using the Apple Pencil

2) Digital storytelling

Digital storytelling allows kids to share experiences from their lives, demonstrate their understanding of a subject or persuade an audience.

Some of the most popular apps for this purpose include:

• Book Creator for iPad: this fantastic app allows students to create their own eBook. They can add text, record their voice, import images from their photo library or other sources, add videos and more.
• Story Dice: this app is a great creative writing prompt tool that helps kids of all ages come up with ideas to formulate their own stories (including plot and characters). It’s sure get your students’ imaginations going in no time!

If your kids have recently been on a school excursion or a trip abroad, digital storytelling can also be a great way of getting them to work together to document their experiences!

3) Use video conferencing to connect with a sister school

Boost the global outlook of your school by connecting groups of students or the whole class with a sister school. Collaborate on projects or come together to celebrate important cultural holidays and events.

There are a number of apps you can use to do so, including:

• Zoom: this app lets you host and join video conferences remotely. It also allows screen and whiteboard sharing.
• Cisco WebEx: this popular, free video conferencing app comes with a range of impressive features such as document sharing and a virtual whiteboard for taking notes, annotating and brainstorming

4) Record a podcast

Recording a podcast with your students has many benefits including enhancing their research skills and boosting collaboration. Your podcast might be anything from a single story that you upload to your school website to a regular feature discussing school news or events.

A selection of podcasting apps such as Anchor and Voice Record Pro allow you to create, host and share your podcast.

Hopefully, these ideas have given you food for thought about unusual ways to use iPads in schools. Give them a try today!

Read our piece about using Apple Classroom to support your school’s use of iPads.

For more information about how iPads can support your school, talk to our friendly team.