As an educator and edtech enthusiast with years of experience both in the classroom and reviewing edtech tools, I have always been passionate about finding tools that can transform our teaching and learning experiences.
Throughout my career, as a teacher and avid educational technology blogger, I have had the opportunity to explore a multitude of applications. Each offers unique features and capabilities, and I've seen firsthand how the right app can make a significant difference in engaging students, improving lessons, and streamlining educational processes.
In this post, I am happy to share with you a handpicked list of the best iPad apps for teachers. This list is not just a compilation of popular options, but a reflection of my personal experiences and extensive exploration into the field of educational technology.
From apps that transform your iPad into a powerful instructional tool to those that simplify classroom management and encourage student creativity, each app on this list has been curated with the goal of helping you leverage technology to its full potential in his teaching career.
So whether you're a seasoned educator or just starting to integrate technology into your classroom, I hope you find this list a valuable resource in discovering the perfect mix of apps to enhance your teaching experience.
The best iPad apps for teachers
Let's dive into some highly recommended apps that I find exceptionally useful for teachers:
Google Classroom: This is a game-changer for creating, distributing, and grading paperless assignments. Its integration with other Google services makes it a versatile tool for class management.
Rocker: Brilliant for student engagement! It is an intuitive digital portfolio application aimed at students that allows creative expression through photographs, videos, drawings and text. A great way for students to show their learning.
Kahoot!: An absolute favorite for interactive learning. Turn quizzes and surveys into fun, game-like activities. It's a great way to review content and check your understanding in an animated way.
Explain everything– An interactive whiteboard app perfect for creating instructional videos or presenting lessons. It's like having a multimedia studio right on your iPad, allowing you to annotate, animate, narrate, and more.
book creator: This one is particularly close to my heart. It allows both teachers and students to create their own books. It's a wonderful way to integrate creativity into lessons and works across all subjects.
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Notability: Ideal for taking notes and annotating PDFs. It's especially useful for organizing your teaching materials and jotting down ideas on the go.
Flip: A unique video discussion platform. Empower student voice and foster a sense of community by enabling shared video responses on topics or lessons.
socrative: Excellent for real-time evaluations. Helps measure student understanding through quizzes, quick surveys, exit tickets, and space races.
Close to the capsule: This tool allows you to create interactive lessons in minutes. It is surprising for its variety of activities such as quizzes, open questions and virtual excursions.
Apple Pages: This is a powerful word processor that goes beyond just creating documents. It's incredibly versatile for designing engaging worksheets, newsletters, and even books. Collaborative features are a plus for group projects.
Light: An essential app for avid readers and educators. It provides access to an extensive library of books, which can be an excellent resource for both personal and classroom use. The ability to highlight and take notes is particularly useful for teachers.
Trello: Fantastic for organization and project management. You can track assignments, plan lessons, and manage to-do lists, making it easy to stay on top of all your tasks.
rowed: This app offers a virtual wall where students can collaborate, share ideas, and display their work. It is very versatile and can be used for brainstorming, Q&A or as a digital bulletin board.
ai-powered-flashcards/id546473125″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>questionnaire: Perfect for creating study sets, flashcards and games. It is a great tool for both learning and review, making it easier for students to capture and retain information.
Related: Best iPad Apps for Creating Interactive eBooks
Epic!: Dubbed 'Netflix for children's books', it provides access to thousands of high-quality children's books, videos, and quizzes. It is an excellent resource to encourage reading in younger students.
canva: A graphic design app perfect for creating beautiful classroom materials, from presentations to posters. The easy-to-use interface makes it accessible even to those who are not design experts.
Duolingo: If language learning is on your agenda, Duolingo offers a fun and interactive way to learn new languages. It is fantastic both for personal development and for integrating into language classes.
Pocket: This app is a “read it later” service that allows you to save articles, videos and stories from any post, page or app. Great for selecting reading material for yourself or for classroom discussions.
TED: Offers access to thousands of educational videos from experts on various topics. These can be great conversation starters or supplemental material for a variety of topics.
Loose: Although not traditionally an educational app, Slack can be great for teacher collaboration. It allows for organized communication, file sharing, and keeping everyone on the same page, especially in larger schools or departments.
Remember: A great communication platform that makes it easy to stay connected with students and parents. You can send reminders, tasks, and even take simple surveys.
Related: Best Writing Apps for iPad
DojoClass: This app is wonderful for classroom management. It helps track student behavior and achievements, and its interactive interface is appealing to younger students.
iMovie– An easy-to-use video editing tool that's great for creating class projects or instructional videos. It's also fun for students to use for their own multimedia assignments.
garage band: For music teachers or any educator who wants to incorporate music into their lessons, GarageBand is a comprehensive app for creating music or podcasts.
Dragon anywhere: This is a powerful dictation app. It's great for teachers who prefer speaking to writing, allowing them to dictate notes, lesson plans, or even comments on students' work.
Evernote: A solid note-taking app that's great for organizing all your teaching materials. You can clip web articles, capture handwritten notes, and attach PDF files or photos.
Do Ink Green Screen: Allows you and your students to create green screen videos. It is an attractive way to bring creativity to various topics and presentations.
Photomathematics: Particularly useful for math teachers, this app solves math problems using your device's camera. It is a great way to check the answers and understand the solutions step by step.
Zoom: Essential for remote teaching and virtual classroom sessions. It's also useful for hosting virtual parent-teacher conferences or staff meetings.
UsVideo: A fantastic cloud-based video editing tool, so you can access it from anywhere. It's great for creating and editing videos, perfect for class projects, digital storytelling, or even flipped classroom content.
MicrosoftOneNote: A great note-taking app that's also great for organizing lesson plans and student work. Its ability to sync between devices makes it a reliable tool for accessing your notes anytime, anywhere.
Keep Google: This app is a gem for quickly taking notes, organizing to-dos, and capturing ideas on the go. Its simple interface lets you create color-coded notes and lists, and you can also add images and voice memos.
Related: Best Video Creation Apps for iPad
Final thoughts
The apps I have shared in this list, selected from my extensive experience as an educator and educational technology blogger, are more than just digital tools; They are gateways to innovative teaching and enriched learning. They represent the synergy between technology and education, and each offers unique ways to engage, inspire and organize.
As you explore these applications, I encourage you to approach them with an open mind and creative spirit. Experiment with them, adapt them to your teaching style and see how they transform the dynamics of your classroom. The beauty of technology in education lies in its versatility and its ability to be molded to fit our diverse educational landscapes.