My must have iPad apps for teaching and learning
04:59 JEcomputing 5 Comments Category : Book Creator , Explain Everything , Green Screen DoInk , iMovie , iPad , Morfo , Scratch Jnr , Shadow Puppet , Teaching and Learning , Tellagami
I've read quite a lot of posts recently about top apps to use in the classroom. This got my thinking about the iPads that I use on a regularly basis and what my own list would be. The purpose of this post therefore, is to share with you eight fantastic iPad apps that I regularly use within my teaching. I've deliberately chosen one's that can be used to supplement any subject and can also be used across all age ranges.
I have purposefully listed apps that are simple and easy to use for both the pupils and the teacher. From my experience, apps that can be used in a range of situations, across all age groups tend to be the most effective one’s. All the apps listed here are user friendly, but more importantly, can have an instant impact within the classroom. This is probably the reason why they are so popular with other educators across the world.
2. Book Creator
Book Creator iPad app could be used by pupils as a way of presenting their knowledge in any subject or topic area. The app is extremely easy to use. When creating a page, pupils can add in text, photo's, videos and even sound recordings. There is also a tool to add in shapes and a pen tool to annotate images. Pupils can format their pages by changing the colour and even the paper type. It is also really easy to make text stand out by changing the colour and adjusting other formatting features. Older, more advanced pupils can add in hyperlinks in order to link their text or images to content found online. Once finished, you can either publish finished books to iBooks or share them as a PDF or video file. Click this link here to see the kind of thing your pupils could easily create.
3. Green Screen by DoInk
Green Screen iPad app by DoInk is such a fantastic (and cheap) way of creating professional looking Green screen images or videos. All you need is a green background, your iPad and some imagination! I use a large green piece of cloth for projects involving pupils and green card or backing paper when making smaller projects (for example, when combining it with the I Can Animate app to make stop motion animations). This tutorial I made here shows you just how easy the Green Screen app is to set up and use.
Here are some examples of the kind of thing that can easily be created;
- Great Fire of London News Report by Year 2 (edited in iMovie). Watch here.
- We are TV Chefs by Year 1 (again edited using the iMovie app). Watch here.
- Stop Motion animation (this was filmed using the I Can Animate app and was then imported into the Green Screen app). Watch here.
If you would like any help with using iPads within your school please don't hesitate to get in touch.





