20 Types of Tablet Tools for Teaching

UPDATED on October 1, 2012

In May 2011, after a year of experimentation, I became sold on the idea of using a tablet instead of a laptop as my primary mobile computer. It was my turn for a workstation update, and I chose a desktop. I’ve been happy with that decision ever since. My laptop used to remain on the desk when I left the office, but these days I take my tablet wherever I go!

I have thought a lot about which tablet apps are most likely to be useful to a college teacher. A complete answer really depends on the subject area — there are apps for music, maps, the periodic table, star charts, frog dissection, and much more. I’ve tried to be generic on the list below, describing categories of apps that will be useful to many people. I freely admit that non-objective factors figure in, including personal interests and outright whims.

Under each category I name specific titles for iPad and Android which you may want to explore as good examples. They are not presented as “best of breed.” Scan the reviews and try out a variety of programs. If no price is listed, the app should be free (I may have missed one or two). Also note that some of the Android apps on the list may not be optimized for a tablet-sized screen.

I generally do not use a phone connection. Nearly all of my tablet Internet experience has been over Wi-Fi. Even after spending some time a tablet that had 3G data access, my ideas about the device did not change very much. Perhaps that’s because I have a smartphone that can handle most of my Internet needs when I’m out of Wi-Fi range.

Teaching

This first group of tools is the one most directly connected to the act of teaching.

1. Grade Book – iPad: Gradekeeper ($5), Gradebook Pro ($4), Android: Grade Book, AndroClass ($7)
2. Annotation – mark up student-submitted PDF files with highlights, text and drawings. Adobe Reader, iAnnotate PDF, and Skitch are available for both platforms.
3. Attendance (may include a seating chart with photos) – iPad: Attendance2 ($5), TeacherKit, Android: Attendance, AndroClass ($7)
4. Course Management System – there are mobile options for Blackboard, Desire2Learn, and Canvas. Much of Sakai is also tablet-friendly.
5. Polling – use tablets and smartphones like clickers in the classroom – Both: Socrative (app) and Poll Everywhere (website)

Content

Use your tablet as a tool for course readings or to create materials for class.

1. e-Reader – there are many reading apps. On either platform you can use CourseSmart for textbooks and Kindle for books of all kinds (only the apps are free, not the books).
2. Recording – use apps provided on your tablet to capture and share photos, video, & sound. I also like SoundCloud for audio (either platform).
3. Social bookmarking – to save and share links to course-related sites, use Diigo on either platform.
4. Productivity – create, view, edit, and sync Word, Excel, or PowerPoint with Documents to Go for iPhone/iPad ($10-or Android ($15) to
5. Content creation – there are many opportunities in this area, including …
   • Music Composition – iPad: Symphony Pro ($15), Android: SPC Music Sketchpad ($5)
   • Vector Drawing – iPad: TouchDraw ($9), Android: Infinite Design ($5)
   • Concept Mapping – iPad: iThoughts ($10), Both: Mindomo.

Presentation

Plug your tablet into the classroom projector and off you go!

1. Slideshow viewer – a number of apps will display PowerPoint files. You can control Keynote ($10) on an iPad with the iPhone app Keynote Remote ($1) – and check out Prezi Viewer for iPad
2. Air mouse / remote – Splashtop provides a suite of apps that connect a Mac or PC with an iPad or Android device and provide a bunch of functionality.
3. Stopwatch and Timer – there are many ways to track time for a presentation or sound a buzzer after a five-minute writing period. The iPad’s standard clock app is one example.
4. Media players are included for photos, video, & sound. There are also apps for YouTube videos and Flickr images – iPad: FlickStackr ($2), Android: FlickFolio ($3).
5. Chalkboard/whiteboard – paint, draw, graph

Generic

These tools are less specific, but you will probably use them a lot.

1. Calendar – track your course calendar or (apps are on the device)
2. Notes – simple, quick text entry and note management. The iPad app PlainText integrates nicely with DropBox, allowing you to sync notes across multiple devices.
3. To do list – there are MANY apps in this category. Lots of people swear by Evernote (both platforms), but I use Things ($10) on my Mac and iPad.
4. Document manager – save and organize files
   • On the device – iPad: GoodReader (displays many file types), Android: Astro File Manager.
   • In the cloud – Dropbox or Box (displays many file types)
5. News – receive up-to-the-second info, images, and video – for both platforms: USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Fox News, NPR, and so on

I’d love to hear from readers who have identified other teaching functions where tablets are helpful — and I’m sure I’ve left out some of your favorites. Please share testimonials for apps that you think lots of people could use in teaching.

More tablet articles on this blog

• Mobile control app bonanza
• Attendance iPad app rewritten
• The iPad as a creative sketchbook