3 Powerful Apps for All Teachers

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iPad apps are often a dime a dozen in that they have limited functions and often require teachers to sort through endless apps that essentially do the same thing. Then, after an app is found, a teacher quickly finds out all that it can't do. So, we're often left with the choice between adapting our teaching to the tool or spending more time finding a new tool.

Apps & software that are extremely flexible are always my first choice since I want the tool to support me not the other way around. If that app is flexible and fast, it goes on the shortlist. For this post, I'm sharing three go-to's when it comes to teacher apps that support instruction. These guys are super flexible, fast, and something I use/used on a daily basis.

If you use any of these apps, please comment below on how you use them in your classroom.

Baiboard

Want the ultimate hands free whiteboard solution? Baiboard is about as close as you can get right now. This app when used in conjunction with Reflector on your computer makes your iPad a wireless whiteboard that has the capability to write, draw, type text, and manipulate shapes which will display on your board using your projector. Plus, you can export your drawings, notes, etc. to a .pdf which can be posted or mailed to students for use later on. 

Baiboard works great if you start with a .pdf file or a picture of something as the background. You can draw over the top, highlight, circle, etc. It is very effective for giving instructions or providing clarification to students (and their parents). I used to project a document from my doc cam onto the whiteboard and then write on top of it to point out mistakes, show examples, etc. Baiboard lets me do that while walking around the classroom. I can take a picture of students' work at their desks and correct it on the board without ever getting near the whiteboard itself. 

And did I mention it is collaborative? Baiboard lets kids work on a whiteboard simultaneously via a "meet" which is great for group work or just having one teacher iPad and one student iPad this is passed from student to student during a discussion or activity. It makes it very easy to share and show work during discussions, brainstorming, or mind-mapping activities.  

Check out the video tutorial to learn more. 

Skitch

Skitch is very similar to Baiboard. It allows the teacher to take a picture of a document and annotate over the top. It exports and saves like Baiboard but lacks the collaboration features and some of the more advanced shapes functions. So why use it over Baiboard? I have three reasons:

1. Skitch's biggest bonus is that it exports directly to Evernote. So if you already use Evernote for yourself or your class, you can export your Skitch files as notes that will be saved in Evernote and can be assigned tags or timers. This is great for keeping track of notes, discussions, or instructions in an extremely organized fashion. 

2. Skitch's simplicity is also a big bonus. Limited options mean there is a greater focus on graphics that stand out. Skitch can be quicker if you plan on using it sparingly in class. Plus, its big colorful shapes, arrows, and checks can't be missed even by students in the back of the room. 

3. Pixelate - Yes, like on TV. Skitch allows teachers to pixelate over names or other personal information which means I can use student work regularly as exemplars on the board/projector without worrying about student privacy issues. 

Check out this video tutorial. 

ScreenChomp

Yet another awesome app from the guys that developed Coach's Eye, Jing, and Camtasia; ScreenChomp is an app for creating video tutorials. So, if you have been using Skitch and Baiboard to help you give instructions, tell kids how to watch out for common mistakes, etc., ScreenChomp will take it a step further. You can add audio and make the narrated notes available for students to access later during school or at home. 

ScreenChomp provides teachers a way to make instructional videos to explain concepts, give notes, or provide differentiated instruction for the "already meets" and "does not meet" kids. It works great for students who regularly receive support services through another teacher/para and need to hear instructions/explanations multiple times.  In a classroom, it provides a vehicle for teachers to split the class into groups and have each group receive different instructions/direct instruction from the same teacher simultaneously. 

Plus, it is easy and fast. If you can take a picture on your phone, you can make a tutorial with ScreenChomp. Check out this tutorial video (broken into two parts).