5 ways teachers can use tablets in the classroom

1. Help students become global learners.

Videoconferencing capabilities through FaceTime™ and other apps allow students to connect with people throughout the global learning community, says Cook. “For example, if a student is conducting a scientific report,” she notes, “the student might reach out and conduct a short interview with a scientist.”

2. Make every instructional minute count.

Educators can use iPads to maximize instruction during potentially wasted transitions, such as those last five minutes before lunch, Cook advises. Teachers and administrators can increase learning time by encouraging students to use iPads to study on their own. Students might choose to read, practice grammar or math skills, or use educational apps, she suggests.

3. Incorporate iPads into learning areas.

The size and durability of these tablets make them an ideal device for younger students to use while rotating through their learning groups, Cook says. While the teacher is sitting with a small reading group, for example, other students can deepen their comprehension of specific concepts by using iPads strategically located at learning areas elsewhere in the classroom. They might work collaboratively on an activity, such as creating a mind map, or play an educational game together or independently.

4. Create opportunities for students to generate content.

“iPads really offer endless options in terms of content creation,” says Cook, who is also pursuing her doctorate in Educational Leadership with a Specialization in Education Technology at University of Phoenix. Making original content is perfect for project-based learning, she adds, pointing out that students can use the camera on the device to capture images and videos, and the writing capabilities to create various projects. The device’s video-mirroring capabilities even allow students to project their work on a screen, large monitor or interactive whiteboard.

5. Use it as an adaptive technology tool.

Multiple touch functions combined with various apps allow educators to tailor instruction for students with special needs or language barriers. Some special needs students, especially those with autism, seem to better demonstrate their comprehension through the iPad’s various writing-translation apps, Cook observes, while non-English-speaking students and their instructors can communicate better using visual aids as translators. “Students whom educators had difficulties reaching before,” Cook says, “are making huge gains using the iPad."

Related: 50 resources for iPad use in the classroom