Recommended Apps

The following apps have been recommended by faculty teaching using the iPad Pro. If you have a College-owned iPad, you can install these apps on your iPad by going to the Jamf Self_Service app and clicking "install" next to the apps you want.

Notability

Notability is a good general-purpose app for annotating pdfs or note-taking with an Apple Pencil or stylus.  It can also record sound annotations. Many faculty have found it useful for grading. 

Sample Grading Workflow With Notability

1. Collect student work through a Moodle assignment

2. On a computer, download all student files from Moodle in a zip file, unzip the file, and copy the files to Google Drive or Dropbox.

3. On the iPad Pro, open the files from Google Drive or Dropbox, and mark up as needed.  

4. Save the modified file back to Google Drive or Dropbox.

5. On a computer, zip all the marked-up files and upload them back to Moodle

Physics and Astronomy Professor Eric Jensen made a video walkthrough of this method and generously shared it with us.   

Google Drive

Google Drive is our online file storage provided through your Gmail account. Access your College and personal Google Drive easily for use with Notability and other apps. It stores all your Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. You can organize and create folders, share photos, videos, and more with others for collaboration or distribution.

Google Docs

Google Docs allows you to write and format text documents much like Microsoft Word. Share with anyone, edit and collaborate with other people in real-time, chat, and add comments. All your changes are automatically saved as you type. You can even use revision history to see old versions of the same spreadsheet, sorted by date and who made the change.

Google Slides

Google Slides allows you to create and edit slide presentations, much like Microsoft PowerPoint. Share with anyone, edit and collaborate with other people in real-time, chat, and add comments. All your changes are automatically saved as you type. You can even use revision history to see old versions of the same spreadsheet, sorted by date and who made the change.

Google Sheets

Google Sheets allows you to store and organize information much like Microsoft Excel. Share with anyone, edit and collaborate with other people in real-time, chat, and add comments. All your changes are automatically saved as you type. You can even use revision history to see old versions of the same spreadsheet, sorted by date and who made the change.

Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote is part of the Microsoft Office 365 suite of apps. It works well for keeping both handwritten and typed notes organized.  You can choose to sync your notes to a Microsoft 365 website where they can be automatically shared with your students.  Please note, you must first set up a free Microsoft Office 365 Education account using your Swarthmore email address in order to edit Microsoft apps on an iPad. See examples on our Teaching with OneNote blog post.

Explain Everything

Explain Everything makes it easy to record screencasts.  This is useful for creating 5-10 minute explanations or mini-lectures.  Explain Everything records pen strokes and a voiceover, which can be exported as a video.  

Zoom

Zoom is a College supported video-conferencing app. It is great for hosting guest speakers or providing virtual office hours. When you first open the app, log in using your Swarthmore email address, and you will be redirected to the familiar Swarthmore login and Duo prompt.

After the app is installed, you can click on an existing Zoom meeting invitation from email or Google Calendar, or you can create a new meeting yourself from the app or in Safari through https://swarthmore.zoom.us.

Grading

Using an iPad with Apple Pencil can make it easier to mark up work by hand.  Physics professor Eric Jensen created a step-by-step video showing how to download student assignments from Moodle, mark them up with an iPad and Pencil, and re-upload them to Moodle to return the assignment to students: Eric Jensen’s Electronic Grading Workflow.

Wireless Projection

You can wirelessly project or mirror your iPad onto the projector screen by using an Apple TV installed in many classrooms.  For information on using AirPlay from an iPad, see Apple's AirPlay help page.  If you'd like a demonstration, please contact Classroom and Conferencing Technologies (x6201, @avbox).