We are about 12 weeks into the school year, and about 9 weeks into an iPad pilot with my environmental science students. I’ve been trying to shift to a paperless classroom, allowing students to use iPads as “digital backpacks” for all their school needs. Here are some highlights and Apps used thus far:

1. Productivity. The kids have been using GeeWhiz! to mange our suite of Google Docs applications. This seems to be going fairly smooth, but there are a few glitches (see collaboration below also). One glitch is students cannot open attachments from mail in Google Docs, so they have to do that in Apple’s Mail application.  This app makes it easy for me to distribute the syllabus, project instructions, and supplemental notes.  With the exception of tests, I have pretty much gotten rid of paper in this class for this semester!

2. Presentation.  I’ve issued several “mini-projects” where kids have to prepare short presentations to help teach topics or review content.  The students have used Keynote, Explain Everything, and Pages with little to no training to prepare 3-5 slide presentations that require some research.  Here is a short post showing a student projecting from his iPad2 using an interactive whiteboard (Explain Everything).  With a iPad VGA adaptor any student can hook up to the projector and share their work!

3. Publishing. One year-long project for this environmental science class is raised rainbow trout for release in a local stream.  Students are taking turns writing updates using the WordPress app at our class blog.  The WordPress app has been pretty easy to use, but we have been disappointed to learn that we cannot upload video taken with the iPad2 directly into a blog post authored on the iPad2.  Maybe future updates of the apps will allow us to do more than just upload images and text. Since we use the tank to teach a 1st grade class on campus about stages of animal development, the blog is one way for that class to stay abreast of changes between their visits.  Please check out the blog and give them a few more hits on their ClustrMap.

3. Collaboration. We’ve been using collaborative spreadsheets in Google Docs (via G-Whizz!) to enter water quality data and observations during a ten-week artificial ecosystem experiment. Unfortunately,  the mobile version of the Google Spreadsheet is limited in that it only allows one member (has to designed “owner”) of the team to enter data from an iPad. Occasionally, for no obvious reason, the owner of the spreadsheet gets locked out on the iPad also! This does not seem to be an issue with the desktop version.

4. Science Stuff. I have been researching science apps all fall, and have amassed quite a list.  Several folks have Google Docs lists going out there and are soliciting app recommendations via Twitter.  I’ve only used a few thus far.  First, we used the Owl Pellet Activity app from Carolina Biological Supply Company for background info/videos on the owl pellets were were dissecting.  After the dissection activity, students used the iAnnotate PDF app to write up their lab findings and analysis questions.  Second, we used the Google Earth app to examine the concept of “ecological islands” (fragmented and isolated habitats) within our school grounds and surrounding area.  Third, we used the LeafSnap app to attempt to identify some native tree species on campus.  This app uses facial recognition software to compare pictures of leaves taken by students to a known database (see below).  Neat idea, but students really need some basic training on tree identification and leaf anatomy before using the app.  Just like with a Google search, students are apt to go with the first few search results!

Student using LeafSnap to ID a tree

5. Assessment. Thus far, this is a fail for me.  I’ve found eClicker and Clicker School apps that could give me the ability to use the iPads as interactive response devices and perhaps for formal assessment.  I tried eClicker, but realized too late all iPads needed to be on the same wifi network. Since faculty have a separate wifi network from students, I need to drop to the student mobile network and try again.  More on that subject later.  If I can find a solid assessment app that lets me have individual student accounts, I might yet eliminate paper from my class.

Of course, I would love to hear from other teachers (esp. science types) on useful apps…