Whether you have iPads, Android tablets or a bring your own device policy for students, mobile devices are a great way to engage our students.
And the best part is that these devices encourage our students to get up and moving because they are made for using on the go.
So how can we utilize mobile devices and available apps to make our teaching different?
Whether your classroom provides a device for every student or not, there are lots of ways you can engage with your students during or after school with mobile devices.
During our weekly Twitter chat (Thursdays at 7 p.m. PST / 8 p.m. MST / 9 p.m. CST / 10 p.m. EST), we asked educators to share their favorite ideas for using mobile devices in the classroom. They shared ideas for teacher productivity, 1:1 or group settings, along with the apps they love the most.
Below you will find 25 ideas for using mobile devices in or out of the classroom. Check out this Wakelet to see even MORE ideas from the chat.
1. Use Seesaw to connect with parents and show student learning.
A1 @Seesaw is a game changer for students, teachers AND parents!
Most (if not all) of these ideas can be done on tablets too!
20 Seesaw ideas with Chromebooks for K-12 classeshttps://t.co/NRh5005toc #ditchbook pic.twitter.com/6Lpe2r9Jtz
— Karly Moura (@KarlyMoura) September 20, 2019
Resource: 20 Seesaw ideas with Chromebooks for K-12 classes
2. Use Google Keep to organize photos during projects for later presentations.
A1: I Used Google Keep to have Ss take photos of what they were viewing thru their🔬🔬(very tricky) & then easily load it into Google Slides to make their presentations. #ditchbook https://t.co/jc7Bo1XU1R
— Vicki (@33heupel) September 20, 2019
Resource: 10 ways Google Keep can help streamline life at school
3. Utilize the Google Classroom mobile app to increase productivity.
Google Classroom’s mobile app isn’t just for students. It can be a powerful productivity tool in your pocket as a teacher.
How to use Google Classroom’s secret productivity tool: the mobile apphttps://t.co/kTVn6cmLq3 #ditchbook pic.twitter.com/avF7FNUV9c
— Ditch That Textbook (@DitchThatTxtbk) September 20, 2019
Resource: How to use Google Classroom’s secret productivity tool: the mobile app
4. Use Apple Clips to create outside of the classroom and showcase learning.
A1: Clips is one of my favorite for creating on-the-go. I am also a big fan of the @AdobeSpark tools and of course a fan favorite @Flipgrid … learning doesn’t only happen in the classroom anymore! #ditchbook
— Omar López (@OmarLopez0207) September 20, 2019
5. Use Instagram to communicate with parents and house tutorial videos.
A1: I love adobe spark and instagram and remind. They help me to communicate with parents and students. I’m thinking about using the memories part of instagram to house tutorial videos. Also, I’ve got a thing for Wakelet #DitchBook
— Jon Fortney (@fortneyTECH) September 20, 2019
Resource: Instagram for Teachers by Tony Vincent
6. Use AR apps like Froggipedia in science and in math!
A1: I teach math. I have used Froggipedia to introduce nets in Geometry. The students dissected the frog and then we talked about why we dissect. Then we talked about the “insides” of shapes and why we need to know about nets. #Ditchbook https://t.co/dO4gZSbVKS
— Brandi Green (@mrs_b_green) September 20, 2019
Resource: Froggipedia review on Common Sense Media
7. Use Flipgrid on a mobile device to record writing conferences.
A1: I’ve used Flipgrid via my phone /iPad to record writing conferences w/ Ss recently. Also, haven’t used it but there is a PostIt note app I just heard about on #shukesandgiff podcast that sounds interesting #DitchBook
— John Hartmann (@hartel30) September 20, 2019
Resource: 20 activities to “Bloom” with the new Flipgrid camera
8. Take your students on a virtual field trip around the world.
A2 If you’re 1:1 there are tons of virtual field trips you can take your students on. Check out some ideas here!
20 virtual field trip ideas and activities for your classroomhttps://t.co/JCfQ9bcR8m #ditchbook pic.twitter.com/rBA66ktI9D
— Karly Moura (@KarlyMoura) September 20, 2019
Resource: 20 virtual field trip ideas and activities for your classroom
9. Use the Everyone Can Create curriculum on iPads to teach drawing, photography, and movie making.
A2: As an #ADE2019 alumni, I would say that the #EveryoneCanCreate curriculum is the go-to resource. The iPad is truly magical and it’s accessibility features allows any learner to explore and be creative! #ditchbook
— Omar López (@OmarLopez0207) September 20, 2019
Resource: Everyone Can Create curriculum from apple.com
10. Use an interactive whiteboard app like Doceri to present to the whole class.
Doceri is my favorite app to use as a teacher, by far #ditchbook
— Craig Klement (@craigklement) September 20, 2019
Resource: Doceri Interactive Whiteboard review from Common Sense Media
11. Record videos on mobile devices then add to an Adobe Spark Video project.
A2: Love it when mobile apps and a web browser version work seamlessly together.
Example: Shoot photos on cell phone, sync to Google Photos, use image on laptop.
Example: Create video with phone on Adobe Spark, finish project on Chromebook. #DitchBook
— Matt Miller (@jmattmiller) September 20, 2019
Resource: 5 ways to use Adobe Spark Video in your classroom
12. Give students the opportunity to use a tool like Snapchat to show what they know.
A2: I had a student use Snapchat to create an inequalities reference. She used herself as the inequality and bundles of money to show less than and greater than. I don’t have Snapchat, but some of the stuff they can do in there is interesting. #Ditchbook https://t.co/JHBxsCqI1k
— Brandi Green (@mrs_b_green) September 20, 2019
Resource: 15 ways to use Snapchat in classes and schools
13. Create a scavenger hunt with the Goosechase app.
A3b: A Goosechase or similar activity in teams also makes use of a few devices. Here’s my first mobile phone. No old person jokes.🤣#DitchBook pic.twitter.com/7uHcd6ZpFf
— Lᴀᴜʀᴀ Sᴛᴇɪɴʙʀɪɴᴋ (@SteinbrinkLaura) September 20, 2019
Resource: Scavenger hunts in the classroom from GoosechaseEDU
14. Use iMovie to create short movies to teach school expectations.
A4: @Kchavmore and I made imovies around the campus to show younger kids the norms and expectations of the campus. I want to use mobile devices for… literally everything in my class now! #ditchbook
— Jon Fortney (@fortneyTECH) September 20, 2019
Resource: iMovie review for teachers from Common Sense Media
15. Create AR projects using CoSpaces and share using mobile devices.
A4: love having students view @CoSpaces_Edu on mobile devices. They create on chromebook and view using mobile app #DitchBookhttps://t.co/7HNpRhoDQC
— Mike Mohammad (@Mo_physics) September 20, 2019
Resource: 6 ways to start using Augmented Reality in your classroom
16. Create “about me” acrostic poems using Adobe Spark Post.
A4: LOVE @ClaudioZavalaJr‘s acrostic poem idea using @adobespark.
Student takes a picture of himself/herself.
Finds adjective to describe self using each letter of first name.
Add that acrostic poem to the photo using Spark!
Link: https://t.co/Sia2uhKRdn#DitchBook
— Matt Miller (@jmattmiller) September 20, 2019
Resource: 5 ways to use Adobe Spark Post with your class tomorrow
17. Use an app like Geogebra to teach math concepts using AR.
A3: @Geogebra has a really cool augmented reality function I would like to utilize. Creating augmented shapes from real shapes could be effective in small groups. #Ditchbook https://t.co/8AjtUTRgEt
— Brandi Green (@mrs_b_green) September 20, 2019
Resource: 3 tips for creating a positive AR and VR experience in every classroom
18. Use an app like iMovie or Adobe Spark Video to create “A Day in the Life” videos to highlight staff and students.
A4: This year I am planning to have my students produce short documentaries titled: “A Day in the Life of …” My plan is to document and highlight the unsung heroes of our campus: custodians, cafeteria ladies, security officers, receptionists, maintenance… #ditchbook
— Omar López (@OmarLopez0207) September 20, 2019
Resource: 20 video project ideas to engage students
19. Have students take pictures of a project over time then turn it into a stop-motion video using Google Slides.
A4 students took pictures of what was happening in Petri dish at times intervals. They then created slides and shared with others to compare results of experiments. In the end collected and shared a bunch of data in one class period. #ditchbook
— Mike Brosovich (@MrBrosovich) September 20, 2019
Resource: Learning in motion: EASY stop-motion animation with Google Slides
20. Use a QR code creator to make a scavenger hunt to practice writing directions or foreign language skills.
A4: Used QR code scavenger hunts to practice giving/receiving directions in Spanish.
Use this tool to generate the scavenger hunt: https://t.co/3gzsYwRlFS
Hang up QR codes. Students use a QR code scanner for directions — and go! #DitchBook
— Matt Miller (@jmattmiller) September 20, 2019
Resource: Tech Tuesday screencast: QR code scavenger hunt
21. Use an app like StarTracker to teach students about constellations or to study the night sky during the day.
A4: I have Ss use the StarTracker lite app to find the constellations for Astronomy class. Also the Stellarium app for in class (daytime) activities. cool features. Gets them oriented & gives them a general idea of where to look when they actually are outside at night #ditchbook https://t.co/Y7sdsE7nyO pic.twitter.com/2qvDIR7ra2
— Vicki (@33heupel) September 20, 2019
22. Use mobile devices to create BookSnaps then upload to Seesaw to share with parents.
A4: I have used mobile devices with Ss to create #BookSnaps, #CaptionThisEDU #CaptionThis, and so many more! Currently loving @Seesaw for Spanish Ss to have/record conversations. Love giving verbal feedback too! #ditchbook https://t.co/rtj8fy3gtI
— Lᴀᴜʀᴀ Sᴛᴇɪɴʙʀɪɴᴋ (@SteinbrinkLaura) September 20, 2019
Resource: #Booksnaps – How-To Videos and Examples by Tara Martin
23. Use a few mobile devices with a small group by playing a Kahoot in team mode.
Q3: You can utilize mobile devices in small groups by using a website like @GetKahoot https://t.co/gazu6YdTBf to allow them to answer questions on the screen together. #ditchbook
— Chloe Bay (@MissBay2023) September 20, 2019
Resource: Using Kahoot! and others the way your brain craves
24. Use one mobile device to record interviews for a class podcast.
A3: With a mobile device in small groups …
— Video a group discussion
— Collect photos together in a collection
— Record audio/interviews for a class podcast#DitchBook— Matt Miller (@jmattmiller) September 20, 2019
Resource: Why your students need a podcast: How to do it fast and free
25. Use a tool like Quizizz or Quizlet Live in a new way if you only have a few devices.
A3: utilizing self paced tools like @quizizz or @PearDeck are great for stations where only 1 or 2 stations have devices #ditchbook
— Craig Klement (@craigklement) September 20, 2019
Resource: 6 new ways to play a Quizlet Live game
Looking for even MORE ideas? Check out these related posts:
What are your favorite ways to use mobile devices in the classroom? Leave your recommendations in a comment below.
Having trouble? Still unclear on how a Twitter chat works? Feel free to tweet to these #DitchBook ambassadors and they’ll help — Karly Moura @karlymoura, Sean Fahey @seanjfahey, Sandy Otto @sandyrotto, Rachel Marker @rachelmarker, Evan Mosier @emosier3, Mandi Tolen @TTmomTT, Craig Klement @craigklement, Tara Martin @taramartinedu, Krista Harmsworth @zonie71, Anne Kamper @annekamper, Rayna Freedman @rlfreedm, Lance McClard @drmcclard, Stephanie DeMichele @sdemichele or David Platt @herrplatt!
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