April 7, 2011

In this round table session, faculty discussed their experiences using iPads and other tablets for teaching and learning:

• Laura Baecher talked about a wide range of iPad apps that she uses to write and read documents, record audio, and give presentations (complete list in Resources section below).  Laura uses her iPad to give presentations by connecting it directly to a projector.  She also uses the iPad to fill out checklists, take notes, and record conversations when observing student teachers and conducting focus groups. 
• Mark Hauber demonstrated data collection app called WhatISee, which he and his students use on the iPod touch to record animal observation data from the field.  The app can be used without an internet connection and the data can later be emailed as a .csv file. 
• Dennis Robbins, who was unable to be present in person, used his iPad to create a brief video recording showing how he uses an interactive periodic table app on the iPad. 
• Frank Steen showed a number of math, graphing, and music apps.  Frank demonstrated how you can quickly make interactive 3D graphs using an app called SpaceTime.
• Kathi Lengel demonstrated how iPads and other mobile devices can be used as clickers. Kathi uses the eClicker app to create a clicker server on her iPad.  People on the same network can then respond to questions using a free iPad app or a web browser.  Responses appear on the iPad running the server app and can be projected and shared with the class.

Resources

• 7 Things You Should Know About iPads for Learning
• Laura Baecher's slides (includes list of apps discussed)
• What I See
  App for recording behavioral observation data in the field
• eClicker
  App that allows you to use your iPad or iPhone to poll students
• Wolfram Alpha
  Compute answers to questions from different domains, including finance, math, and medicine
• SpaceTime
  Graphing app that can be used to create interactive, 3D graphs
• The Elements
  Interactive periodic table