Joshua Crosby sings the praises of the iPad in the classroom

Much like the millions of juveniles across the UK, I waited with baited breath to see what St Nicholas (the miracle-worker and bishop of Myra), in his Coca Cola re-branded reincarnation would bestow upon me this past Christmas. To my dismay, no iPad arrived down my soot-coated chimney (although I prefer the white/silver products, which would suffer considerably from this delivery method). The upshot of yet another tragic December was that I was forced to smash open my ceramic rabbit treasure trove and fork out a considerable expense for my iPad. To alleviate my unease at such a capital loss, I set about proving to my own soul that my recent purchase would pay dividends. I have heard that the Romans used tablets (tabula, -ae (f.)) for writing, which were far less costly and their doctores made good use of these for educational purposes. So what exactly is so extraordinary about this technological trinket?

iPads for Data

For a teacher, the iPad’s usefulness can broadly be divided into two distinct uses: data management tools and ICT media tools for classroom teaching. As a data management tool, the iPad can provide an alternative for the paper-heavy archaic tomes of the past. One could argue that there is nothing unsatisfactory about the teacher’s mark book and planner. But the iPad is not simply a gimic for storing data on a flashy bit of kit. Firstly, there is the speed at which prior data can be imputed. My preferred application is iDoceo (doceo, -ere, docui, doctus – to teach). The process is a little fiddly but does save time. You must export a class’ data from SIMs as an Excel spreadsheet, and then import it from there onto the iPad application. It sounds like a right palaver but it will save time and take care of sensitive hand muscles. The time can be reinvested into reassembling your cash-consuming rabbit or, better yet, any activity that will facilitate progress amongst your students.

This time saving function hardly makes up for your investment but there is something to be said for storing all your data on a single, lightweight machine. You can easily access all the relevant data on a given student with a swipe and a tap or two. This includes during lesson time. Even from the first day with a new class, the teacher does not need to laboriously return to her/his desk to retrieve information and if you are diligent in the information you decide to record a student’s story can easily be contradicted or corroborated without relying on your ever-waning memory. Do not over-estimate the effect this can have; the omniscient teacher quickly conveys that message that they are ‘with it’ and pulling all the strings in their classroom arena.

iPads for Classroom Teaching

Ultimately, the iPad is designed as a media friendly tool and it is in this capacity that it is at its best. Here a teacher’s creative impulses can run rampant, but always remember that anything created for students must educate as its primary function. If you find yourself in a school with an iPad scheme in place for all students then you are automatically at an advantage here. Working in unison, the iPad is at its best. Applications like ‘Socrative’ allow students to upload their work and the teacher can monitor answers on her/his device and draw attention to exemplars. Edmodo, a pseudo-social network site for teachers and students that creates a digital classroom environment, is particularly useful if used during a lesson. Students can access any media uploaded by the teacher in advance, make their own contributions and view/listen at their own pace. But sadly such utopias are rare. More often, the teacher is solitary in the ownership of her/his decadent accessory.

Despair not. Oh no, do not even think of it. The iPad still has much to offer in the right hands. Firstly, you can create your own education resources. Take the ‘Explain Everything’ application. This little gem allows you to record over images (which can be edited before importing or within the application itself). As you record, you can add audio over the top, whilst also added labels and arrows. I have experimented with two different styles. Interviewing historical characters is both education and informative, as the interviewee talks through their experiences, daily routines or equipment. You can pause the recording at any time to reduce the need to perfect a single take and overlay visual markers. Once the final product is crafted to your taste, simply compress the file and it can be accessible on your device or uploaded onto YouTube. Follow up such visual treats with an exercise designed to consolidate knowledge and understanding. Alternatively, I have also been elated with joy after producing guides to mark schemes and sample answers. Try highlighting the key phrases that students should understand and point out the parts of answers that succeed or fail to meet the criteria. Juxtaposed with a practice question afterwards and this strategy can really dispel uncertainty about how a student can satisfy even the prickliest of examiners.

If that has yet to wet your appetite, what about using it to podcast? Should ‘podcast’ be used as a verb? I honestly could not tell you, but I can assure you that the iPad is well suited to this type of media. You can record the audio with just the built-in microphone or buy a relatively simple one for modest coin. Either way, allow the students plenty of warning so that they can gather their thoughts and even prepare some research in advance. I have used it to consolidate a GCSE topic, such as 1920s America. With the end of the modular assessment at this level, the need to remember key information stretching further back is a must. So students will have this information readily available to return to when it comes to their revision. They will also have become specialists in a relevant topic themselves, all the more resoundingly so with the opportunity to teach their peers.

I am sure that you will be aware that the world of tablet applications is ever expanding. Not everything is designed for teachers, or even suitable for pedagogical hijacking, but you should always be on the lookout for new opportunities to enliven your teaching and the students’ learning. Remember, nothing ventured, nothing gained. It is worth having a go, whilst being prepared to accept that not everything will come off. Measure success based on the progress it enables. The possibilities are endless for the open-minded, creative teacher. Does that sound like you? Of course it does. If you have an iPad already, make a concerted effort to overset its cost. If not, but you have been considering one (or a similar tablet), see about having a go on a colleague’s. You should certainly make sure it is the right match for you. In my humble opinion, whilst the Roman Empire far eclipses our civilisation in virtually every respect, we are gaining the edge in our innovative educational approaches. If they were around today, these Latins would certainly shower us teachers with laurels of honour.

Joshua Crosby

York University PGCE History student 2012-13