Faculty - In Class

I mainly used the iPad to take attendance. It worked flawlessly because it quickly loaded the webpage. I tried to show a Pages document with the projector, but the iPad didn't allow it. Playing videos with a projector does work. As an English teacher, I use the projector to Pages and other electronic documents to the class, which is essential for me. The iPad offers many of the same basic functions that I do in class (take attendance, look up a word or fact, etc.).

In class, I primarily used the iPad to take attendance. Not having to fuss with disconnecting the Promethean Board between classes to take attendance was really nice.

During my one week trial period, I didn't find anything that I could do with the iPad that I couldn't do without, but I did not use it as much as I know I could/should have. I'm in "just get it done" mode for the year now, and reverted to using the laptop more often than not simply because I am more familiar with it.

I just used my iPad in class today. I used it to show a Keynote presentation to the class. Worked fine, although i like using my wireless mouse better, as I'm able to move away from the machine! I also used an app to show President Kennedy's speech to the nation about Cuba. That was very cool!

I, too, only used it for attendance. Although I imagine there might be other things it could be used for in class, I was not able to work it into what was already planned. I can also envision using it for showing a Powerpoint or Keynote presentation, but that is something I can already do with my laptop. I tried to do some word processing on it but found the virtual keyboard to be a hassle because of its size and the need to switch between keyboards. I would be more interested in seeing what the students could do with this if they each had one. I would prefer to keep the laptop.

At the end of the day, I'll be happy to keep my MacBook. It's far more useful from the teacher side of the classroom. I can display ANYTHING to a screen, which I do often. It's much easier to use, for me. And, outside of a few nifty apps, it offers me everything the iPad does, and more. That said, I think if the school were to eventually go with a 1 to 1 set-up for students with iPads (or whatever is best at that time), it would be useful for teachers to also have one - in addition to the laptop. That would allow teachers access to the same apps.

I would LOVE to see what happens in a class where EVERY student had an iPad. I really think that would be interesting. Of course, the apps or hardware would need to advance a bit before that would be a move I would thoroughly endorse. But, I think that is something the school should consider seriously for the near future. We've looked at 21st Century Skills quite a bit this year. The iPad certainly lends itself to those skills!

I used the iPad for attendance and to surf the web. It's a fun toy to try out but I definitely needed my MacBook more. It was also really difficult to fit into an already busy schedule to test it out. I found an app but never found the time to get Bill to download it and by the time I did find the time it was already Thursday so I decided I didn't want school to waste the money. I do think it would be good to test out with students, as I could see them benefitting from it more than I. I agree with Alan's comment above--seeing what would happen if every student had an iPad. I think it would be very useful for them but we need to have it advance a bit before we try that.

I love this tool for in class use.

Working with small kids, I'm on the floor right with them all the time, and as a result I rarely use my laptop to share resources with them. When I do, it requires either leaving them and walking over to my desk to start YouTube or iTunes, and for the youngest students, leaving the circle is an invitation for behavior issues. The other option is to plan ahead and reserve a projector and set up a projectable space, which doesn't allow for those spontaneous "oh let me show you this!" or "hey let's listen to this!" that can be great teachable moments when we adapt to where kids take us. BUT, with the iPad, I can play a song or show a video right in my hands, without having to leave the circle and without needing to secure a projector or create a projectable space. [sidebar, right now there's no wifi in my classroom, but assuming that were to be improved over the summer, using an iPad in my classroom could be a viable alternative to installing a projector!]

Working with older kids, the iPad is a great carrot to catch their attention and get them a smidge more interested in a lesson than they might otherwise be. Every little bit helps, right? Also ditto on everything I said above regarding younger students. Also ditto on everyone saying how useful it is for attendance. (Although not so much for me this week with no wifi, but when I took attendance in the theatre it was great)

Working in the performing arts, the iPad is a more convenient way to take notes during rehearsals. It's lighter and easier to rush between the theatre and the pit orchestra as I gopher information between the two, there's no moving parts that make me nervous it might get broken, there's no angle to deal with as I try to look at it myself and then show another director the note, and since the keyboard is part of the display I can see it in the dark (vs. the laptop which in a dark theatre becomes a memory game as my fingers blindly type). It's also been helpful that I don't have to create a file for the notes (with the laptop if you forget to save, you can lose a whole night of notes!) and there is a built-in filing system on the sidebar in the notepad app (vs. creating and organizing files on the laptop for notes you don't necessarily need to keep longer than one or two days).

I haven't even thought about ways to use the iPad in class if all the students had one with them - man, possibilities seem endless. One additional possibility I imagine but didn't try is with my lesson plans - right now I write them all out by hand because I want to have it right with me when I teach, and using the laptop on the floor with is not the best. But, maybe with the iPad I could digitize them and still have them with me when I teach? Might also help with syncing to Atlas?

Personally I would not trade my MacBook for the iPad. I could see many uses for students in the classroom. The Apps that were purchased are great for students in the classroom. If we could get our text books as an App, the iPad would be a much more useful tool for the students to use. I would also love to see the possibilities if every student had access to an iPad.

I don't want to trade my laptop for one, but I would love to add this to my classroom. I had kids working individually for extension work with different applications. There is a motivational aspect to this, of course; but that is true with computer use as well. What the ipad allowed for was for the kids to sit on the floor, or their seats or out in the hall and work--making my little classroom that much bigger.

I need more apps, though!