Indispensable iPad Apps for Teachers Professional Development

June 2, 2014
The concept of teacher professional development has radically changed due to the boom in digital technologies and social media websites. The web now is replete with a variety of professional learning networks and communities of practice on almost any topic you think of. There is also another type of portals that have seen the light recently and which offer massive courses and trainings on different subjects, these are MOOCs. MOOCs are a great way for growing professionally particularly that most of the courses they offer are free. I have already featured some interesting MOOC resources that teachers can use for the enhancement of their PD and today I want to share with you some wonderful iPad apps that will allow you to pursue your PD on the go.

I have arranged these apps into 5 main categories :

1. On the go learning apps
2. RSS reader apps
3. Social media Apps
4. File storage apps
5. Note taking apps
6. Task management apps

1- On The Go Learning Apps

iTunes U

The iTunes U app gives you access to complete courses from leading universities and other schools — plus the world’s largest digital catalog of free education content — right on your iPad.\

iBooks

iBooks is an amazing way to download and read books. iBooks includes the iBookstore, where you can download the latest bestselling books or your favorite classics – day or night. Browse your library on a beautiful bookshelf, tap a book to open it, flip through pages with a swipe or a tap, and bookmark or add notes to your favorite passages.

TED

TED talks are a great source of inspiration and insights.With the TED app installed on your iPad you will be able to watch TED videos anywhere you are with an internet connection.

Kindle

Kindle is definitely one of the great apps for reading electronic books. It offers several interesting feaures such as highlighting portions of text using different colours, bookmarking pages, integrated dictionary, the ability to sort books into different collections and many more.


2- RSS Reader Apps

FlipdBoard 

This is my favourite feed reader for reading articles and posts of blogs and websites I am subscribed to. What I like the most about it is the enhanced reading experience it offers  through the magazine style layout.

Feedly

This is another great RSS reader you can use on your iPad to keep updated about  new content. Feedly also has some minor customization tweaks to enhance your reading experience.

3- Social Networking Apps

Twitter

Twitter is the social networking platform number one I would recommend for teachers. There are a variety of ways you can use Twitter to grow professionally, most important of them all is taking part in the different educational chats that take place on Twitter, a list of all these chats is available here. You can also use Twitter to build your personal learning network and connect with other educators and teachers from all around the globe.

Google Plus

Though it is not as popular among educators and teachers as Twitter, Google Plus is also a good way to connect, share, and learn with and from others. Google Plus has also integrated the hashtag functionality which allows you to track and search for specific topics.

4- File Storage apps

Dropbox:

Dropbox is a powerful cloud storage tool that you can use to store your files and access them anywhere anytime you want.

Google Drive

Google Drive is another great alternative for saving and storing files. Just like Dropbox, Google Drive offers a certain amount of free file storage to users (15GB).

5- Note taking apps

 Penultimate

The most natural digital handwriting experience on iPad, Penultimate gives you the convenience and feel of writing on paper with the added power and availability of Evernote. Take notes in class or a meeting, journal your thoughts, or outline your next big idea -- in the office, on the go, or at home on the sofa.

Evernote

Evernote is an easy-to-use, free app that helps you remember everything across all of the devices you use. Stay organized, save your ideas and improve productivity. Evernote lets you take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists, record voice reminders--and makes these notes completely searchable, whether you are at home, at work, or on the go. 

Notability

Notability allows you to annotate documents, jot quick notes, sketch ideas, illustrate concepts, and create outlines. You can also use it to back up  your nots to Google Drive, Dropbox and Box.

5- Task management apps

 Get It done Task

Organize your life once and for all! Get It Done is a simple but powerful todo list and project manager. Sync wirelessly with GetItDoneApp.com or just use the iPhone app to organize your tasks.

 Wunderlist

Wunderlist is the easiest way to manage and share your daily to-do lists. Whether you’re planning an overseas adventure, sharing a shopping list with a loved one, or simply keeping track of your daily to-dos, Wunderlist is here to help you get things done. Download now to see why more than 4 million people around the world love Wunderlist and have made it their daily companion.

Doit

Doit.im conducts you to have your head cleared, to get rid of various pending ideas on your mind, and helps you organize tasks and focus on items in hand, so that you can closely track the process of your work and feel easy when faced with bulks of complicated projects. With no pressure but efficiency, you’ll further enjoy your work and achieve unexpected success.

 Follow us on : Twitter, Facebook , Google plus, Pinterest .