Your One iPad Classroom

Resources and Links

Connect to the projector for whole class instruction.

  1. Use a whiteboard app like Explain Everything.
  2. Create mind maps and flow charts with Popplet or Prezi.
  3. The iPad's camera can become a portable document camera. Annotate your images with Skitch.
  4. Take virtual field trips with Google Earth.
  5. Manage the classroom with apps to pick students, display messages, countdown time... See the link below "The iPad as Teacher's Pet."


Connecting to the projector can be done with a "dongle" (~$40) or an Apple TV. (~$100)

Examples of different student groupings

  1. Use the iPad at one station in your classroom for taking pictures, creating audio and video recordings or to read/listen to books.
  2. Use the iPad to update your class blog. Kid blog and Edublogs both have apps.
  3. Create a scavenger hunt with QR codes linking to instructions, videos or websites.
  4. Students take turns using the iPad for answering a quiz or poll on Socrative, drawing a story with Doodle Buddy or playing an educational game. Use a timer (on iPad or a sandtimer) and guided access if needed.
  5. Groups of 2-4 take turns using the iPad in their group work. Teach students to take turns touching buttons. Use a headphone splitter so students can listen together.


Great apps from ReadWriteThink.

The International Reading Association has created apps for Apple, Android and online with a computer that are excellent to use in the classroom. They allow students to create a user with an avatar (cartoon or picture) that saves their work in separate sections in the app. There are 8 apps (currently).



Use Timeline to create a historical timeline, plotlines for stories, geneological charts, etc.


Use Word Mover to create "found poetry" or "fridge magnet poetry" with changeable backgrounds and thematic word sets.


Use Venn Diagrams to create venn diagrams for any topic.


Use Trading Cards to make summaries of content at any level.


Check out all the apps here.

Tips for managing in a one iPad classroom

  • Model responsible sharing for the students.
  • Use a sand timer or digital timer for individual one-one time.
  • Use the document camera to show what is on the iPad. Great for modelling how to use apps.
  • Use Facetime to connect to other classrooms. Instant videoconferencing!
  • Learn how to use Guided Access if you need to limit access.
  • Teach students how to log in and log out of apps.


Anectdotal Notetaking--One Note in Office 365 and One Note App

The One Note App can be synced to a teacher's or student's Skydrive in Office 365. This allows teachers to add notes about student work (or any topic) to a notebook on the iPad that automatically syncs to their Skydrive.


You can download the app here.


When you open the app, you have to sign in with a Microsoft Account. You might need to use a Hotmail account first, then add notebooks from your Office 365 account.


Watch the video below for setting up the app.

Setup the Microsoft OneNote iPad app to sync with PDSB's Office365

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Hot Apps 4 HOTS Free iBook

This free iBook has 9 "stations" that describe apps and activities based on Bloom's Taxonomy levels from remembering to creating. Download from itunes here.