Apps and Shared Ipads

Currently I am in charge of a rolling cart of iPads that is used for several grades and classes. Most recently, we have been doing the same project for all three classes across a grade level. One thing I have quickly learned is that you have to have a plan if a project is going to take more than one seating to complete.

In the past, I've enjoyed using the free version of the graphic organizer 'Popplet' with my students but realized that it cannot have multiple projects going on at the same time…and this dawned on me in the midst of seeing back to back classes one day. Oops! I needed a plan.

So here is how I combat this issue…
I now look for apps that allow multiple projects to be going on at the same time. For instance, Idea Sketch is a graphic organizer that allows students to log in using their name before they start a project so the same iPad can let 3 different students from my 3 different grade level classes to be working on the same day. I now have a graphic organizer answer to my problem (even though Idea Sketch can be a little quirky when attaching lines). Toontastic is a presentation option also allows multiple projects at the same time.

Next, when doing projects I've also let different classes present "findings" using different apps. Next week, all my fourth grade classes will fill out a graphic organizer with information found about southeast states during one class time, the next time they will enter that information into a shared google document saved as their own document after their information is inputted. The next class time, one class will use the app Toontastic to share information they found. Another class will use Tellagami to share their information. The third class will use Morfo to share their information. These are three completely different apps but each are very creatively based and will allow the students freedom in choosing how they want to share their information.

Sharing a rolling cart of iPads has it's advantages and disadvantages but so far there always seems to be some "work around" that allows me to use the iPads to their full potential.