Many schools support a Bring Your Device (BYOD) policy for teachers. Other schools provide products like iPads and iPhones for teachers to use in their classes. Either way, there are plenty of apps that can be used in the classroom on an iPhone or an iPad. Some apps work well for different things, but they all are designed to do one thing: make the teaching process easier and more productive at the same time. Here are some apps that are essential to use on an iPhone in the classroom to gain that easy productivity to meet all needs and desires a teacher may have.
MasteryConnect
MasteryConnect is a great app for keeping aligned with Common Core State Standards. It keeps the information for each standard right at a teacher’s fingertips for ease of use. These standards are organized by grade level and subject, so they are easy to navigate. Other resources exist within the app, too, such as tools needed for teachers who work with English-Language Learners and students with special needs. The interface is easy to use and lessens the need to make endless photocopies or having to reference the app every, single time a lesson or unit is made.
Pick a Student
Students must be held accountable for their participation in class discussions, so it is important that everyone has a chance to speak his or her mind. Coffee can with popsicle sticks is a thing of the past now. Apps like Pick a Student does much of the same task without having to make a physical means of tracking information about who has and who has not participated. Multiple class lists with students’ names can be made with ease, and even smaller groups of students can make into lists. The randomize button on the screen picks which student should answer. These apps are great for review sessions or Socratic circle discussions.
All the Timers
Using a timer to keep students focused and on topic with their answers is essential for preparation for state exams or making sure students do not cut themselves short or take too long. Certain iPhones and iPads come standard with both of a Sand Timer and a Traffic Light. These apps are interactive and visually appealing, but they do not use numbers like normal countdown timers. This visual aid is less pressing than watching numbers count down. The Traffic Light is especially helpful because it sections off the time visually, thus making students focus on what to say and when to wrap everything up.
Organize the Classroom Library
Organizing a classroom library according to student interests is one thing. However, making sure the books are also organized according to the level of difficulty is important, too. The BookLeveler does exactly this task without having to do a lot of research in the meantime. By scanning a barcode on a book, users can locate the level of a text with ease. Typing in the name of a book and the author works just as well, too.
GroovyGrader
The iPhone also has an app that can make grading all the easier. GroovyGrader allows teachers to figure out the percentages of questions that students struggle with rather easily. In other words, it does the math for teachers when it comes to converting grades into percentages.
Scan those Documents
Keeping track of paperwork can be a trial in patience for teachers. However, there is an iPhone app that will make tracking paperwork so much easier. DocScan HD allows pictures of documents to be turned in PDFs or JPGs without much of a hassle. This app comes with an upgrade that then stores the files automatically in Dropbox, a cloud sharing service.
Conclusion
There are so many apps that are available on the iPhone for teachers and students to use. These are necessary for a functional classroom at all costs. Ironically, most of these apps do not cost anything to use, and those apps that do charge a fee are relatively affordable compared to other programs that do not operate on a mobile device as easily. A teacher living in these modern times simply cannot live with iPhone apps such as these.
