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How to design an iPad lesson

iPad Lesson ideas and activities

Instructional technologist and blogger Andrew Marcinek in this post describes how a one-to-one iPad tablet computer program at Burlington High School in Massachusetts is translating into engaging lessons for students. In one example, students in a French class are using the application VidEditor to create video reenactments of a favorite scene or chapter from a novel. Meanwhile, as part of a history lesson, students take on the roles of renowned philosophers as they bring the ideas of the enlightenment to life using blogging and Twitter.

Some Los Angeles schoolteachers who use iPads in classroom lessons say it's necessary for teachers to give up some control to make the technology initiative successful. The teachers say they suggested students read but placed no limits on what students read, and asked them to use applications but did not say which ones. The teachers also found that the iPad enhances classroom lessons, but it is not a replacement for good teaching.

Great ideas for scaffolding lessons to support app integration.

Highly Recommended!

An implementation story and lessons learned

Some ideas for iPad-based learning activities

Researchers studying the use of iPads in classrooms in California's Encinitas Union School District say the devices generally are favored by students and parents. In the district, where every student in grades 3 to 6 has an iPad, 90% of students said the technology has helped them learn -- especially when used in math lessons. However, some parents say they want to ensure the technology does not replace hands-on learning, and teachers say the iPads can be distracting for students if not managed properly.

Lesson to learn: Use a soft shell, strong wireless support, look again at your VLE, etc.

This paper presents a case study of the iPad's adoption in a primary school, one of the first in the world to adopt it. From interviews with teachers and IT staff, we conclude that the iPad's main strengths are the way in which it provides quick and easy access to information for students and the support it provides for collaboration. However, staff need to carefully manage both the teaching and the administrative environment in which the iPad is used, and we provide some lessons learned that can help other schools considering adopting the iPad in the classroom.