Why iPads? A look at the benefits of iPad use in the classroom,

and also some of the things to consider before any decision to purchase.

Benefits

iPads allow us as teachers to think differently about the way we use technology in our classrooms and

because they are portable devices, the way we use technology outside the four walls of the classroom

on field trips and other activities.

This difference is possible due to a number of factors which include the design of the device, the

range of educational Apps available, the curriculum support from a sharing community and the variety

of accessories to enhance its use.

Let’s explore each of those factors in a bit more detail …

The Device

A post PC device

While the iPad can perform many of the same tasks as a computer, it is

ultimately a different sort of device, so it is best to reimagine the ways that it

can be used for education.

For starters, the iPad is light and easy to carry around and it has a battery

that will last 10-12 hours - so that opens up possibilities for its use both in

the classroom and outside the classroom.

More important are the other features built into the device that allow us to

use it in different ways. For example, there are two cameras, a microphone

and a number of built-in sensors including an accelerometer, a three-axis

gyroscope, an ambient light sensor, and some models even have a built-in

barometer.

Camera possibilities

The cameras can be used to take photos and videos - newer models of iPad also allow panorama

shots, time lapse and slow motion videos with the default Camera App. (There are panorama, slow

motion and time lapse Apps available for older model iPads)

The camera can also be used to create stop frame animations, green screen

and other special effects using a variety of available Apps. With Apps like

i-nigma the iPad can be used as a QR Code reader.

The Star Walk App (see image on the left) is an example of “augmented

reality” that overlays information onto what the camera is showing. That App

uses Global Positioning System information to help “augment” reality. The

image above shows a student using the camera with the Quiver App to

make his coloured-in drawing come to life.

Camera possibilities continued …

There are Apps such as IPEVO Whiteboard that allow the iPad to be

used as a document camera where the camera image can be annotated

(and recorded as a video for later playback).

A variety of accessories are available that can enhance the abilities of the

camera as well. For instance, the image on the left was taken with a

ProScope Micro Mobile microscope accessory attached to the iPad.

There are also accessories that mount the iPad onto a tripod so that the

camera can be kept still when creating stop frame animations, time lapse

videos or while the iPad is being used as a document camera.

Microphone possibilities

The microphone also offers opportunities to use the iPad in various ways in the classroom.

It is possible to add sounds and commentary to multimodal texts created

in Apps such as Book Creator.

Create recounts, voice memos and screencasts in Apps such as

AudioNote Lite, Doceri and Explain Everything.

In GarageBand, you can use the microphone to create a podcast

(similar to a radio broadcast).

There are Apps like Multi Measures 2 that allow sound to be measured

for science experiments (see image on the left).

Sensor possibilities

Like the last microphone example above, the in-built sensors can also be used for experiments.

The image on the left shows seismic vibrations which could be

used to simulate an earthquake and show how a seismometer

works or could be used in mathematics to explain the x, y and z

axes as each can be individually turned on or off.

There are also Apps that turn the iPad into a Teslameter (to

measure the magnetic field), an Altimeter (to measure elevation),

a Barometer (to measure atmospheric pressure) - even a

Theodolite (to work out latitude, longitude, altitude, elevation,etc.)

And there are accessories that can be purchased that allow the

iPad to get information from a variety of other sensors - to check

heart rate, water quality, temperature, wind speed, motion, speed

and velocity, volume and pressure.

The Apps

There’s an App for that ...

While that is an overused phrase, it is very true. However, it is very easy to become overwhelmed with

the App choices. It is far better to start with a few Apps - particularly Apps that can be used by

students to demonstrate their knowledge. Apple’s 5 creative Apps - Pages, Numbers, Keynote,

iMovie and GarageBand - are now FREE (note: the latest versions only work on iOS 10 devices)

Pages is a word processing and desktop publishing App similar to Microsoft Word - in fact it

can open Word documents, and if a document is created in Pages, it can be saved in any of

the following formats - a Pages document, a Word document, a PDF document or an ePub.

Numbers is a spreadsheet and graphing App similar to Excel - and it can open and save in

its own Numbers format as well as Excel format, and it can save as a PDF.

Keynote is a presentation App like Powerpoint - it can open and save in its own Keynote

format as well as open and save as Powerpoint format and save as a PDF.

iMovie is an easy to use movie making App with two parts - a “scaffolded” Trailer feature

and a fully featured professional Movie making feature.

GarageBand can be used to create music and sounds but it also can be used to create

podcasts or radio style broadcasts.

So, out of the box, the iPad becomes a creative tool that will allow students to demonstrate their

knowledge in a variety of ways - a report or poster, a spreadsheet or graph, a live presentation or

kiosk-style presentation, a short trailer or movie, or as an audio podcast.

One suggestion to limit the number of Apps is to “initially” only purchase one other creative App and

also one “productivity” App that allows work to be easily transferred to and from the iPad.

The creative App could be Book Creator - a wonderful App for creating multimodal texts

which include text, images, movies, sounds and now also has “comic book” features for an

even richer experience. It is suitable for students of all ages.

GoodReader is an example productivity App (although there are many others). Check out

the blog on File Transfer and the iPad for more information about GoodReader and the

other file transfer options. Not only is GoodReader useful for file transfer, it is also a file

management tool and a PDF annotation tool.

Supplementary tools

There are also a number of other “free” Apps that can be downloaded to supplement the creative

Apps already mentioned - these include brainstorming tools, image editing tools, painting and drawing

tools, screen casting and whiteboard tools ...

popplet lite is an easy to use brainstorming tool. Individual “popplets” can contain text,

drawings and photos, can be colour coded and easily linked to other popplets to show a

sequence.

iBrainstorm is a collaborative brainstorming tool (up to four iPads can connect together)

that uses the concept of post-it notes to capture ideas. There are a variety of

backgrounds available to help organise ideas into patterns.

Photo Editor by Aviary is a multi-purpose image editing tool that can be used to crop

images, correct faults and annotate with drawings, text and stickers. It also has a variety

of filters, frames and overlays to enhance images.

Paper by FiftyThree is a powerful drawing and painting tool that can also be used for

note-taking and “sketch noting”.

Doceri can be used by the teacher in the classroom to “simulate” an interactive

whiteboard. In the hands of students however, it can be used a screen casting tool to

allow them to demonstrate and save their higher order thinking.

IPEVO Whiteboard can also be used as an interactive whiteboard and as a screen

casting tool - with the added benefit that it can also be used as a document camera.

With the combination of the five free creative Apps from Apple, Book Creator and GoodReader and

the free utilities mentioned above, the iPad is now a wonderful tool that can be used across the

curriculum by students to show their knowledge.

Please Note: none of the Apps mentioned above rely on the internet to work, so the iPad can be used

successfully in schools with poor bandwidth.

While it is handy to use the iPad wirelessly in the classroom - when they are being used as a

“simulated” interactive whiteboard or when students wish to show their work - it is still possible to use

the same functionality by plugging the iPad into a data projector or large screen using an adapter and

cable. So, a lack of Wi-Fi is also not a blocker to iPad use in the classroom!

Similarly, while the GoodReader App will connect wirelessly to G Drive to transfer files to and from

the iPad, it can also be used via a cable directly to a computer in the classroom.

Curriculum specific Apps

There will eventually be other Apps to be added depending on the age of the students and the

curriculum to be covered once everyone is comfortable with the creative Apps and tools mentioned

above (remember - don’t swamp teachers and students with too many Apps initially).

Below are some of the blogs on the Learning Place that may help with the choice of Apps.

iPads in the classroom lists a number of Apps that allow the iPad to be a useful teaching tool.

Being creative with iPads lists the ways that the iPad can be used creatively - it also has links to some

“how-to” documents for Apps like iMovie, Book Creator and Photo Editor by Aviary.

STEAMing into STEM lists the variety of Apps available for STEM activities in the classroom.

Coding, Programming and Sequencing lists Apps that can be used for “coding” activities suitable for

Prep through to Year 12.

Augmented Reality lists Apps that can be used to highlight the potential of Augmented Reality to

engage students in different ways to stimulate writing and research and also offers another option for

students to present their knowledge.

There are also Apps for literacy, numeracy, history, geography, art, music, health, special needs and

so on - too many to list here. The Contemporary Practice Resource has more information.

Download the iBook Evaluating Apps for the Classroom to help guide decisions.

Curriculum Support

Where to find help

Apple have created the Apple Teacher Learning Centre a free professional learning program where

teachers can log in and build skills using a variety of iPad Apps. It is self-paced with curated

resources, learning collections, lesson ideas and hints and tips from other teachers.

As well as blogs and the Contemporary Practice Resource on the Learning Place there is a large

community of teachers around the world that are happy to share resources and ideas. Many of these

resources can be found as eBooks on the iBooks Store or courses on iTunes U.

In the iBooks Store you will

find “how-to” guides for

various Apps as well as more

general eBooks on using

iPads in the classroom.

In iTunes U there are

courses on everything from

how to draw comics, learn to

play music, learn to code as

well as courses on education

research, school

transformation and using

iPads in the classroom.

Apple also have an education page for teachers with examples and information on Apps.

Finally, there is a discussion list dedicated to the classroom use of mobile devices (the iPhone

discussion list) … you can subscribe here.

iBooks

iTunes U

Accessories

Enhancing the iPad experience …

One of the first accessories that many schools purchase is a case or cover to

protect the iPad (particularly the screen).

Some cases allow the iPad to be dropped (even protected when run over by a car)

while others allow small hands to grip the iPad more securely. Some covers are

purely decorative while others include a keyboard.

If you are using the iPad for making movies or as a document camera, then you will

need a mount to attach the iPad to a tripod to keep it steady. There are images and

links to some of the mounts in the iPads in the classroom blog.

There is also a mount that adds a microscope to the iPad - the Proscope Micro

Mobile. (see the image of moss on page 3 taken on an iPad)

There are a variety of keyboards available for the iPad. The image on the left

shows the special iPad Pro keyboard, but there are a variety of Bluetooth

keyboards that work well with all iPads. There are also wired keyboards with

lightning connectors from companies such as Belkin and Logitech. Some low

powered standard USB keyboards can also be used if plugged into a Lightning to

USB adapter.

The stylus is another common accessory. The image on the left shows the one

designed for the iPad Pro called the Apple Pencil. There are many different types of

stylus - some with soft tips, some with hard tips, some with plastic discs. Some, like

the Apple one on the left, are shaped like a pencil, others are more like a pen -

there are even ones shaped like a large crayon for small hands.

There are a multitude of Bluetooth enabled devices that can be controlled and/or

programmed with the iPad - including the Sphero robotic ball (and its siblings

SPRK+, Ollie and BB-8); Dash (pictured on the left) and Dot; Parrot Drones; Lego

We-Do and EV3 devices; and other devices like OSMO (with a variety of

educational Apps including: Words, Numbers, Coding, Tangram, …); and many,

many more devices.

The Apple TV (pictured on the left) allows the iPad to connect to large displays

wirelessly. If that is too expensive or the Wi-Fi is limited, there are a range of cables

and connectors that allow the iPad to be connected to data projectors and large

screen monitors. Other connectors such as the Lightning to USB 3 Camera

Adapter not only allow the iPad to connect to cameras but also to connect to USB

headsets, USB keyboards, USB microphones and even USB Ethernet adapters (so

the iPad can have a cabled connection to the school network).

Considerations

Before you rush in …

Although the iPad performs many of the same functions as a computer, it is ultimately a different sort

of device. While that opens up many possibilities for its use both in and out of the classroom, it also

means that it needs to be set up and managed in different ways as well.

The Device

The iPad was designed as a personal device rather than a multi-user device like a computer where

users can log on and have their own “space” to save work. On the iPad, individual Apps (for example

Book Creator) save inside the App itself - meaning protocols need to be in place to ensure students

do not lose work.

Another issue to consider is the fact that the iPad “caches” proxy username and passwords and this

can mean that for the next few hours students are using the credentials of the first person who used

the iPad for that day. This can make it difficult to trace inappropriate internet use. It is also an issue if

a teacher uses the iPad before the students, so the teacher’s extra internet privileges are available to

students (e.g., access to YouTube).

Management

Before purchasing any iPads, seek the advice of your local Regional System Technician regarding

your current network infrastructure and the most suitable management option for the school’s

proposed fleet of iPads.

The different ways of managing the devices can cause extra stress for the person who is responsible

for managing the technology in the school.

In small schools that can be a real issue - often the person managing the technology is only given

limited time, so having a whole new second system can be overwhelming. Even in large schools with

a dedicated technician often times they are already “snowed under” managing the current Windows

fleet and have limited capacity to be involved with new platforms.

There are blogs with links to “step-by-step” guides and “how-to” videos to help with the management

of iPads, but they will be of little use if the person involved is not ready to embrace change.

For small numbers of iPads, it is possible to set them up individually on the device itself. Here is a link

to a step-by step guide to setting up iPads individually. This also entails setting up an Apple ID for

each device and purchasing iTunes cards for each device to purchase Apps.

Once a school starts building up its iPad fleet (some regions suggest this means any more than six

devices), it is more efficient and cost effective to manage them using either Apple Configurator 2 or

a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution and purchase App licences in bulk using the Volume

Purchase Program (VPP).

Note: some schools are still using the older Apple Configurator (latest version 1.7.2) but this does

not run on the latest versions of the Mac operating system (macOS Sierra - 10.12) so will need to be

replaced.

Schools are also finding the older Apple Configurator is having issues when updating iPads or

preparing new iPads.

Apple School Manager

Apple have a new deployment solution - Apple School Manager (ASM) - which incorporates both the

older deployment programs:

Volume Purchase Program (VPP)

Device Enrolment Program (DEP)

The Volume Purchase Program allows Apps to be purchased in bulk with savings of up to 50% for

most Apps when 20 or more licences are purchased

The Device Enrolment Program allows devices to be set up wirelessly out of the box using the

settings from the school’s chosen Mobile Device Management solution (at present there are still

issues with the Device Enrolment Program and the DET proxy).

There are instructions for how to enrol in Apple School Manager on the Service Centre Online. The

instructions also show how to upgrade to Apple School Manager if a school has already enrolled in

any of the older deployment programs.

Apple Classroom

Apple also released the Classroom 2.0 App which can monitor and control iPads in the classroom

(even in BYOx classrooms). However, it will only work with devices running iOS 10.3 or later. More

information can be found on the Classroom Help pages.

Apple Configurator 2

Instructions (including step-by-step videos) for Apple Configurator 2 can be found in the blog

Supervising iPads with Apple Configurator 2. There is also a step-by step guide Apple Configurator 2

notes for those that prefer a PDF document to print out.

Mobile Device Management

The Department is currently developing an SOA for Mobile Device Management solutions - so at the

moment there is no recommended solution. However, there are a number of different solutions

currently being used in schools including: Meraki, Jamf Pro (formerly called Casper), Lightspeed,

ZuluDesk and Mosyle.

Caching Server

It is important if the school is using Apple Configurator 2 or a Mobile Device Management system

or running a BYO iPad program that they also have a “caching server” running in the school. Your

Regional System Technician can help with the setup of this.

The most common solution is to purchase a Mac Mini computer and have it running in the server

cabinet. There are two models on PurchaseIT - basic model $753 (4GB RAM and 500GB HD) and a

superior model $1308 (8GB RAM and 1TB HD).

For small schools the basic model is more than adequate.

The Mac Minis have a HDMI output to connect to a monitor, but most schools will probably need to

purchase a Mini Display Port to VGA adapter ($45 from Apple but cheaper models from other

companies) to connect to a standard VGA monitor. The Mac Minis can also use any standard USB

keyboard and mouse (most schools have a few spares) otherwise PurchaseIT offers the Apple

Keyboard ($68) and Apple Mouse ($68).

It needs a $31 program installed called macOSX Server available from the Mac App store. The

instructions for setting this up can be found on the Mac MOE Solution teamsite.