Every classroom time is special and unique. In 40 minutes lots of things happen in the classroom. You start your lesson by taking attendance (maybe) then continue with announcements (if there is any). After that you check homeworks which are in any form, a model of something or maybe just solutions of some questions on the notebook. When you are finished you continue with your lesson. It can be a traditional teacher centered lecture or a collaborative group work. Whichever method you use you have to remember your lesson plan and follow it. In the meantime students ask questions, you live moments which were not in the lesson plan etc. By the end of the lesson you assign homework, make additional announcements and so on.

When you look at your job in this perspective it is hard to believe how you survive a lesson right? We all have developed different methods to manage this process. Some of us took the advantage of using technology and some of us didn’t. I have recently discovered the power of iPad Mini in the classroom as a personal assistant. By the way let me inform you that this article is for classes in which students are NOT using iPads or not in a 1to1 program.

My laptop is always attached to Smartboard through a USB cable and also to the projector so I am never able to use it for extra things. I tried iPad but its size was a problem. Carrying an iPad in the classroom is not very practical for a teacher but iPad Mini is different. First of all its size makes it a perfect hand held device. Sometimes I forget that it is in my hand. Also if I have to leave the office I can easily carry it in my pocket so my internet connection, my personal notes, lesson notes (in Google Drive mainly) is always with me.

To make things perfect I installed Splashtop remote access app so I can reach my main computer, which is in the office, from anywhere. This means I carry two computers at the same time. Being able to reach your main computer from anywhere in the school is like living a dream. Words fail to describe the benefits of it.

Now you wonder how I use my iPad Mini as a personal assistant. First of all my notes, announcements, reminders all of them are recorded in it. So whenever I need to make an announcement I note it and set the reminder. During the lesson I hear a beep and that’s all. It’s not a problem for me to remember an important issue anymore.

Secondly, I use the camera to take a picture of student notes. Some of them are good solutions, comments or maybe some of them are fatal mistakes. I take the picture and share it with myself (or with the whole class) so that I can open that file through my laptop which is connected to projector. Also I use camera to record students explanations. I don’t want to carry a big camera, record whole lesson and try to cut the good parts of the lesson everyday. iPad clips are easier to handle.

Thirdly, I use it to access internet when I need to. Sometimes students ask questions which require a little search. Instead of postponing the answer I use my iPad Mini which is always on my palm to make that search. I don’t need to pause the lesson to use my laptop.

Fourthly, I use math apps to demonstrate things. Actually I don’t want to write anything about how I do it because it is obvious.

Last but not least I use Splashtop app to control my laptop. I can use my laptop however I want from any corner of the classroom. This is a life saver feature. Think about it, you are walking around the class and a student asks something and you have to go to the board or your computer because you need to write something to answer the question. With my iPad Mini and Splashtop app I don’t need to do that anymore. I write on my iPad and it is instantly on the board.