Engaging Early Learners with iPad


🌱 Engaging Early Learners with iPad

You’ve just been handed some brand spanking new iPads and excitement levels (and maybe some apprehension) are sky high. 

It can be really tempting to discover all of the gamified learning apps to use during reading or maths rotations, sight word games and maths drill practise. 

Whilst there is a time and place for these apps and they can be incredibly useful in the classroom, the most powerful way to use the iPad in the Early Years classroom is open-ended creation opportunities. 

📸 Creative Learning with Camera & Markup

A really great place to start when introducing young students to iPad is utilising Camera and Markup. The amazing Rachel Minns, Apple Professional Learning Specialist and Early Years Guru, has put together all of the tips, tricks and steps you will need to feel confident using these apps and teaching them to your little learners. 

Here are some of the ways I love to integrate photos & Markup in my Early Years classroom.

Mathematics

  • Shape Hunt: students take a photo of some objects in the classroom and draw the shapes they can see using snap-to-shape
  • Number recognition: take a photo of objects (counters, pop sticks etc.), draw a dot under each of the items as you count and write the number that represents the total
  • Simple addition: photograph two groups of objects, draw the + and = as well as the number that represents the total

English

  • Story telling: Take a photo of a scene made using objects in the classroom, add a speech bubble or other shape and text in Markup (dictation tool is great for this). You can add screen recording (see below) for students to orally tell their story.
  • Letter hunt: Capture a photo of posters or other written text and use the drawing tools in Markup to highlight or circle the focus letter.
  • Phonemic awareness: take a photo of a letter or word (sight word cards, posters, magnetic letters etc.) Use the drawing tool to add sound buttons under each letter. Add screen recording to hear students saying the sounds/ word.

Science

  • Earth & Space: Students take a photo outside the classroom and draw a variety of weather events. Use the Shapes & text in Markup to label and describe the weather (You could add seasons, temperature etc.)
  • Biological: Take a photo of an animal (or take a photo outside and draw your own animal) draw the things the animal needs to survive, the habitat or diet.
  • Physical: Capture a photo of toy cars or student built vehicles and draw to show the force (push and pull). Add a screen recording of students explaining the force and motion. 


💡30 Top Tips for Accessibility in Education

This is an incredible resource within the topic of inclusive education. 30 Top Tips for Accessibility in Education was created by Apple Professional Learning Specialist, Julia Parker. This Resource outlines 30 powerful tools/features on iPad that might be essential for some, but incredibly helpful for all. It is definitely worth diving into all 30 of these tips, with some key features: Dictation, Speak Selection, Translate, Live Text, Colour Filters and Magnifier.


📱Apple Classroom - the Superior Classroom Management Tool

One of the hesitations that accompanies the excitement of using technology in the Early Years classroom can be managing devices. Amongst the chaos of tying wet shoe laces, breaking up the latest friendship debacle and keeping little people engaged during mat times, throwing iPads into the mix can seem really overwhelming. 

Cue: Apple Classroom. A tool that has all of the features you could need or want in the classroom. With the help of Apple Classroom you can: clearly see each student’s screen, lock devices, send & lock into apps or websites and much more. 

As an Early Years teacher there is nothing better than seeing little people flourish with the help of technology. Providing students with open-ended creative opportunities not only supports their engagement and access to learning but also increases their confidence and autonomy. 

I hope these resources and ideas are helpful on your journey with digital integration. I’d love to hear in the comments which ideas you would like to try or have tried and how it went!

Kaila

Culture Tech

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2 replies

August 10, 2024

You provide some wonderful tips and ideas for educators who are new to iPad with early learners. (Especially helpful as we head back to school!) Teachers may find it challenging when they are implementing new technologies into their curriculum and lessons to have some activities ready to go. Thanks for providing these easy to implement ideas!

# Back to school

August 16, 2024

Some amazing tips for the teachers of our early learners! Thanks Kaila! ⭐️

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