Technology Apps For Your Benefit

Educational technology has been a hotly-debated topic in recent years, but results from a recent survey show that parents are extremely interested in the use of technology in the classroom.

 The survey, which was conducted by The Learning Assembly and included 1,000 parents across the country, showed that parents “overwhelmingly want their children’s school to use more technology and they believe that devices and digital resources can contribute to a more personalized educational experience” (http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2016/10/parents_bullish_ed_tech_skeptical_implementation.html).

 For us here at TabletTable, this is music to our ears. We believe that technology — including tablet devices — can be a great equalizer in the classroom to students of all abilities. We also know that technology must accompany great teaching and curriculum, which is something the parents in the survey also agree with.

 Phyllis Lockett, the CEO of a Learning Assembly member organization, said in a statement that parents recognize that technology and teaching must coincide.

 “Parents don’t see technology as a silver bullet,” she wrote. “But the data suggests that they do see a link between smart implementation of technology and the kind of tailored, personalized education that they want and expect for their children.”

 So, if you’re a teacher looking for suggestions on how to integrate tablet technology into your classroom, here are some suggestions from Edutopia:

 Recommended Apps:

 ShowMe (free): Especially popular if you try to flip your classroom, this app allows you to build and create lessons for students to watch on their own time. It’s very applicable across grade levels and student abilities.

 Notability ($9.99): A great app for note taking, this app not only allows for integration with Dropbox, Box, and Google Drive, it also comes recommended by Edutopia because of its ability to connect students and teachers. Teachers can create shared folders, allowing students to access materials and then submit work via a privately-shared folder.

Lino (free): Recommended as a brainstorming tool, Lino allows for combining “stickies,” with photos and calendar appointments. While it could be extremely helpful for you as a teacher, it also could be a really fun tool for your students to work with, allowing them to create a digital collage of ideas and pictures for any topic.

Whiteboard ($4.99): Included in a list of doodling apps, Whiteboard can turn an iPad (or iPhone) into a digital whiteboard, allowing you and your students to draw and share drawings. If you’re looking for a free version, try SyncSpace which offers similar functionality.

Assessment Tools:

Socrative: A great way to not only easily create quick quizzes, it can also turn those quizzes into a class game to play.

Kahoot: Another method for building fun quizzes and games, this app also has the ability to create flashcards for reviewing subjects. It also allows for video embedding.

Other Tools:

iTunes U: Ideal for high school teachers and students and optimized for the iPad, iTunes U is a course platform that helps teachers organize coursework and assignments. It also offers grade book capabilities for teachers and push notifications.

What other apps and tools for tablet devices have you found helpful in your classrooms? Share them with us in the comments below!

Sources:

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/ipad-apps-all-content-areas-andrew-marcinek

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/apps-for-creativity-diane-darrow

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/5-fast-formative-assessment-tools-vicki-davis

https://www.edutopia.org/ipad-apps-high-school-resources