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FAQ - iPad in the Classroom

Updated: Aug 2, 2023




I have never used an iPad, is it hard to learn?

The iPad is designed to be easy to use, even if you have never picked one up before. Apple’s Education teams also provide a variety of meaningful professional learning programmes to help you make the most of the iPad in your classroom.


Are iPads less powerful than laptops?

An iPad is like having several devices rolled into one. You can write a paper, film a movie, record a song, paint a picture, surf the internet, create augmented reality, and more, all with the free apps that come built in.


iPad also has a much larger library of apps available to explore, opening up more possibilities for you and your students.


Is it worthwhile to get the iPad without the keyboard?

A keyboard can be helpful when typing long papers, but is not essential for the iPad. The Apple Pencil has a new feature called Scribble, which allows students to handwrite in any text field. Most students also grew up with on screen keyboard and can type even faster than on a physical keyboard. Do I have to worry about my students easily damaging the iPad or the Apple Pencil?

Any personal device must be protected from damage. The impact of a drop can not only damage the exterior, but also damage the battery, processors, camera and other components inside of the device.


Does iPad cater to special needs students?

Yes, the iPad has built in features to support vision, mobility, hearing and cognitive needs.


Isn’t the iPad too expensive for the students?

If we factor in the quality, longevity and endless new learning opportunities of an iPad, it is probably the least expensive in its class. It has a long battery life, superior privacy settings, and wider variety of free features and apps built in that can be useful in your classrooms.


Will the iPad battery last for the whole day or will I need to charge it during school hours?

The iPad battery is rated for 10 hours of video playback, which means that if you come to school with a fully charged iPad, it will last the day.


Is 32GB enough storage for an iPad?

Education customers get an additional 200GB free iCloud storage with a Managed AppleID. This expands the available storage and ensures that you can back up and access your files easily, from any device.

How I can I project my iPad onto the screen in my classroom?

You can easily share what is on your iPad from anywhere in the classroom with an Apple TV that is connected to your screen or projector.

Do we need to connect to our school WiFi for Apple TV to work?

If you are using the Apple TV to mirror the screen of your iPad, you do not need to be connected to WiFi. If you want to stream content using the Apple TV, then it does need to be connected to WiFi. How can I stop people from taking over my Apple TV screen?

Apple TV can be set up with password protection so that only those people with the password can Airplay


Most of my classroom materials were created using Microsoft Office, will I have to start over and recreate everything?

No, you can continue to use everything you have already created. Microsoft Office and Google Suite all have iPad apps that can import your files seamlessly.


Is it easy to transfer files from my Windows laptop to an iPad?

Absolutely. You can link any cloud based storage you use on your laptop to the Files app on the iPad, and quickly click and drag to transfer files.

You can also physically connect the iPad to your laptop using a USB to Lightning Cable and use the iTunes app to transfer files. Adaptors are also available to connect a small external hard drive or SD card to the iPad.

Is it hard to use Google Classroom on the iPad?

Not at all. In fact, many teachers prefer the iPad for Google Classroom because the Apple Pencil makes annotating/marking student work so easy.


Can I format Mathematical equations on the iPad?

With free apps like Nebo, you can use the Apple Pencil to handwrite a mathematical equation and convert it to a text-based format with a simple tap.


Microsoft Word also has an add-in called MathType that works great with the Apple Pencil.


Can I collaborate with my students on a project?

Yes, and your students can also collaborate with each other. The collaboration functions in the native iPad apps allow anyone with an Apple ID to share notes, files, presentations and documents. You can even sign in to access and view these files from a non-Apple device.

During lessons, I use videos. I worry that if I get students to watch a YouTube video they can click on other things too. Can I prevent that?

The iPad has tools that can help you keep your student’s attention on task. Instead of asking students to open the video using a web browser or app, you can embed the video into a presentation, like Keynote for example.

You can then use Apple classroom to lock them into one app for the specific learning activity for as long as you need.


Does Scribble work well with Chinese characters?

Yes, for both traditional and simplified Chinese characters.


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