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"Teaching students with iPads is like nothing I have ever done in the past 13 years as a teacher. Although I have been stuck in the honeymoon stage with the iPad since I got the first generation a couple of years ago, I never imagined some of the things that kids are capable of doing with iPads. I admit at first I thought that kids would just use their iPads to do a little research on the web, but they were not happy with just browsing the web, they wanted to do so much more."

"In the past, coding was a pretty niche affair, those of us with our Acorns, Spectrums and Commodore 64s experimenting with lines and lines of code. I remember as an 8 year old, spending ages typing out lines of code on my beige Acorn Electron to draw….a line on the screen. To add insult to injury there was no way to save it unless I wanted to erase my tape of "Ice Ice Baby" and replace it with my code. Needless to say because we were put into the deep end in those days, like millions of others I was put off a bit by coding and just played computer games instead. Fast forward to the iPad era and coding is coming back in a big way. Some very talented developers with a love for coding have produced some spectacular apps, turning the iPad into a coding studio in your hand. There are some great iPad apps which take the pain out of coding for the layman and can teach your children (and you) some excellent skills."

"A student in one of my iPad workshops recently asked me this question. How can I back up photos and videos on my iPad without using a computer? Here are three storage solutions for backing up and sharing iPad or iPhone photos and videos."

"The Elements in Action is not just a notable new iPad app - it's also one of those 'wow factor' apps that make us remember what the iPad is all about. The sort of app that just feels like the iPad is The perfect home for. It's a science focused app and I'm a guy who never especially enjoyed or exceled at science, but it has gripped me from the moment I opened it. I don't know my elements from my elbows, but I've now learned more about quite a few of them in just a short time with the app than I ever took in back in my school days."

"This hand selected set of sources will provide teachers who are new to the iPad with the information they need to get started, and offer both new and current users information they need to successfully integrate the iPad into their teaching practices. I purposely limited the list to a few resources that were the richest in content, covering a breadth of important concerns and considerations for new iPad users and teachers who want to get off to a good start with the iPad in their classrooms."

"The iPad is a versatile device, of that there is no doubt. For instance, it can be used to take pictures or record video. An iPad can be used to compose music, browse the web, write a blog post, or create a multimedia presentation. It already replaces a number of separate devices that we used to rely on for just these tasks, so the notion of adding yet another use - an iPad document camera - does not take too much additional imagination. This is, after all, a device that is now synonymous with creativity and versatility. So, let's take a look at how to set one up, and explore some ideas for how you might use it in the classroom. DIY iPad Document Cameras"

"If you have only one iPad, use Apple's VGA adapter ($29) to connect your iPad to a smartboard. No smartboard? Grab an LCD projector, VGA adapter, and speakers, if you wish, for your iPad, then check out the simple how-to video below. If you have just one smartphone, pop your phone under a document camera. You can also use an adapter to project the smartphone; however, not all apps will function properly. (Unless a class is using Apple's presentation software, Keynote, I use a document camera to display my smartphone.) Use your single iPad or smartphone to blast content onto the big screen and let kids work together for an engaging mini-lesson. Then have students use the single device when working in small groups, as a reward, or during center time."

"Here's a tip we published almost four years ago, but seeing as I used it quite recently at work, I thought I'd give it a refresh. Now that iPads are infiltrating the office space and boardrooms, I see more and more co-workers wanting to take videos and other files into meetings with them. This isn't a problem on a PC or Mac because they can just use USB drives, but iOS 7 devices like the iPad aren't as easy to transfer files to (iOS 8 will change this a bit with iCloud Drive, but it's not here yet). Fortunately, as long as you have a computer running a recent version of iTunes, it's fairly easy to transfer files to an iPad using the USB cable (30-pin or Lightning, depending on your device):"

"This post is not meant to be judgey! Even the best techie teacher started somewhere and most likely made one of these common mistakes. I think I made all five during the same lesson when I first started to integrate iPads. Whether you are just starting out with iPads or are a seasoned iPad integrator, let's look at the 8 mistakes most teachers make when using iPads in the classroom and how to avoid them:"

"It's now possible to display your iPad to your class by connecting it directly to your Mac using the lightning-USB cable (the same one you use to charge your iPad).  Once your iPad is connected to your Mac, launch QuickTime Player (in your Applications folder). From the File menu Choose "New Movie Recording".  This will open a movie window and show your web cam.  If you hover your mouse over the window you will see a floating recording palette.  Next to the record button, there is a small white V icon.  Clicking that will let you select your iPad as the camera source!  Of course you can record it if you want to - but you don't have to - you can just use it to show your screen to the class."

"Parallels Access is a new iPad app launching tonight - that promises to let you experience Mac and Windows applications as is they were made for the iPad. It 'applifies' your Windows and Mac apps to make them feel as it they're native iPad apps."

"While Apple has traditionally positioned the iPad as a media-consumption device, the tablet has gained a reputation as a very capable and powerful music-creation tool. GarageBand is a great place to start, but taking the next step can be difficult when faced with an overwhelming number of creative options. Don't worry: we'll point you toward the very best block-rockin' apps and accessories. Before we get started, be aware that the processors in older iPads simply don't pack enough punch to take on many of the top audio apps. You'll want nothing less than an original iPad mini, and the closer you can get to a current iPad Air 2, the better. Also, look for applications that support Inter-App Audio (IAA), Apple's protocol for inter-application operability. Now, let's rock!"

"If you think the new iPad Pro is "just a bigger iPad", you're wrong. It's a new way of iPad-ing."

"If you are like me, you like to spend time building your classroom community.   Now that we have a class set of iPads to use, I have turned to technology for many icebreaker back to school Ipad activities that I used to do on pen and paper. One reason is that it is fun and something a little different for my 3rd graders.  Also it sets the tone of collaboration that will be a huge component of our classroom.  Another bonus reason to use iPads the first week of school - you are teaching your technology expectations and familiarizing your students with the iPad basics - savings, sharing, uploading, taking pictures, screenshots, etc. right away!"

"I grew up on a healthy regimen of Choose-Your-Own Adventure books, Nintendo, and role playing games, but even I am intimidated by the new brand of interactive storytelling that is flooding the iPad. More designers are exploring how the frenzy around Apple's tablet computer is evolving e-books into something new. Sure, you can find traditional children's picture books directly translated onto the iPad that simply let you flip through on a touchscreen, but there's so much more the medium allows. Embedded games, interactive backgrounds, responsive audio, non-linear stories - "books" on the iPad have become something much better: immersive experiences. I've got a host of videos to show you what I mean, check them out below. Combining games, books, music, and voices in compelling ways, these early attempts to revolutionize storytelling on the iPad are exciting…but they're just the beginning. Give it a few years and the lines between these different ways of telling stories will blur so far we'll have to come up with a new name. 'Books' just doesn't cut it anymor"

"With GarageBand installed, an iPad is a powerful and portable tool for musicians. However, just like its desktop version, GarageBand for iPad can also be employed by non-musicians too, as I'll highlight with a step by step guide to making a podcast on your iPad, complete with accompanying music. "

"For this week's Best Free iPad App of the Week, look no further than the TED app for iPad. For those among you who are already familiar with TED, it needs no introduction. For those who aren't, sit back, relax and be prepared to discover inspiration."

"The Educational and Mobile Learning site highlighted a great step by step iPad task tutorial by the folks over at iSupport. They outline five tasks that "every modern teacher" should be able to do and use in their classrooms. It's a great list: A PDF A presentation An interactive book A podcast A movie I really like how they put together an easy way to see how using iPad tools can lead kids through low level to high levels of thinking and doing. But the list isn't comprehensive. And it might start past the point where some teachers are right now. So I've added five extra iPad basic skills that I think every teacher using iPads needs to have: Edit Photos"

"The Franklin Academy High School implemented a 1:1 iPad deployment a the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year. Over the course of the next two school years, the pilot was expanded to include all grades 9-12 in the high school. This deployment has reached 475 high school students and all teaching staff. Our K-8 program deployed iPads across the grade levels in the form of class sets and mobile carts. This study targeted our 1:1 deployment at the high school to investigate the impact the device has had on teaching and learning. The survey used to gather the student data was administered in April of 2014. Students included in the survey used the device anywhere from 1 to 4 years. The students use the iPad while at school and home. Results of the survey hope to shed light on the impact the use of the iPad has had on academic gains as well as the development of the most important non-cognitive skills our program is founded upon."

"Osmo was created by young parents and encourages social interaction by expanding interaction with games to the area in front of an iPad. It does this by providing a white stand and a red mirror that works with iPad and iPad mini. The reflector lets the front-facing camera recognize what is placed in front of iPad. Something to know is that iPad must be removed from any case in order to fit into the stand."