How iPad and a Drawing App Beautified My Life as a Math Teacher?
Before I begin, this is not a product review, and I genuinely intend for the information herein to be of service to others for the benefit of humanity.
Technology is pretty integrated into my daily life. As such, I try to benefit from its use in the classrooms that I teach. However, my technology adoption does not mean that I have entirely abandoned traditional teaching methods. At the very least, my goal here is to effectively integrate traditional methods of instruction with technology in the ideal manner possible. I might say that this is genuinely my foremost goal in life. As a math teacher, I find myself increasingly contemplating more and more on how to utilize technology more effectively. Being able to reach a solution requires me to be an outstanding assessor.
Mathematics isn’t merely composed of numbers, as many people assume, and it is quite a visual discipline, as well. For example, while Algebra II only features charts and graphs, Calculus harbors many complex and highly-detailed diagrams. Geometry, as you know, is made up of patterns and figures. That is why when I brainstorm things related to math, I take notes on a piece of paper to visualize my thoughts.
While the patterns we observe in nature change our perspective of the world, our view profoundly affects our thoughts.
When I started teaching math, I had envisioned doing my job to the best of my ability and being regarded by my students as “a cool math teacher.” I needed to teach all of my students who harbored the slightest desire to learn how to think mathematically. That is why I was initially required to prove that everyone that walked into my classroom could learn math. However, standing at the whiteboard with a pre-written curriculum did not work at all. Instead, I had become a boring math teacher rather than a “cool” one. And it wasn’t as if I enjoyed my job either.
One day, while utilizing the best tool to be found in this ugly world known as Paper, a light bulb went off in my head for a personal project. I asked myself the question of “why don’t I utilize the amazing trinity that is Paper, and iPad and the Apple Pencil to teach in class?” with the same zest as Archimedes claimed “Eureka!” on that fateful day hundreds of years ago. I was teaching Algebra II, Calculus, and Geometry, and Paper was an excellent candidate to serve as a blackboard for instruction. In theory, I had become excited as the Apple Pencil and Paper app were the most effective means of teaching math and solving problems.
The next day, I brought my iPad to my class and tested whether this theory had any real practical value. The results were evident after 10 minutes: the Apple Pencil and Paper app could indefinitely replace the dry-erase markers and notebooks I had used for years. I could now draw outstanding figures very quickly, and my handwriting was reflected onto the screen just as it would’ve been on paper. I could directly translate everything in my head onto the board in a very creative way and show my students in a very visual and aesthetic manner. I could now see that taking notes had become much more exciting and engaging in my students’ eyes.
I am aware that I have dragged this discussion out for too long. Now I will go ahead and answer the question that has been on your mind this entire time and tell you what has made this whole experience so useful for me as a mathematics teacher for the past five years.
How can a teacher utilize the Paper app while instructing?
The answer is quite simple. With the aid of Apple TV, Reflector, or AirServer, it is possible to link an iPad to a computer (to be projected onto a projector screen or whiteboard) while utilizing the Paper app as a whiteboard and the Apple Pencil as a marker. Otherwise, how can a math teacher solve a problem using a computer mouse? How productive can that be? The excuse of a wireless tablet known as MimioPad could hardly be sufficient either.
When I first picked up the Apple Pencil, I noticed that the ergonomics and weight make it like a traditional pencil or pen. Apple has successfully engineered the pencil so that you don’t need to adjust the way you write to use them effectively. I think the Apple Pencil is incredibly useful. I love that simple white stick. I was like I found a new apparatus to get support for my explanations and thinking.
• Most importantly, I can use my iPad and my Apple Pencil easily while standing up or walking, which I think is one of the main benefits of tablets.• More and more, I’ve found myself able to do everything I need on my iPad while in my classroom without needing to return to my desk.• Apple Pencil helps me improve my classroom management. Beautiful.• After about two months of daily use, I reached the point where it felt equally natural to write on the Pro as I did on paper.• My handwriting on my iPad looks exactly like my handwriting on paper.
Paper by WeTransfer
For me, the Paper app is the most beautiful drawing and note-taking application on the face of this planet. Finally, designers made a tool that could work at the speed of thought because you can capture ideas so quickly at the moment. It is the best way to get what’s in your head onto the screen. It is a natural creative experience. Yes, there are more specific drawing and painting apps, but for me, they are garbage. Mostly that notability app is wasting off time. If someone tells you to try notability, stop talking to them immediately.
Here are major profs of this drawing app:
• It is the best way to get what’s in your head onto the screen.• It gives the feeling of real paper.• This tool is also so useful for anyone because it doesn’t take many artistic talents to create something that looks pretty cool using it.• The integration with Dropbox and Google Classroom makes the content I create in Paper instantly more shareable and useful.• Uploading the class notes in high quality, or just sending an email to the parents if that is more convenient.• Whenever I need a document, I can get to it from any of my internet-connected devices no matter how long ago I've made it. For instance, I can display the solutions to a past exam paper on a projector for the whole class to see at any time.• Overall, a basic but still an excellent app.
Paper gives me infinite notebooks to capture all my ideas, notes, and drawings quickly and intuitively. So I opened different notebooks for each teaching subject. For instance, I have three different notebooks for Geometry, Calculus, and Algebra. So I can be well organized, tap on any of my notebooks, and start my lecturing, writing, and outlining.
First of all, I have plenty of paper options for each notebook. I work on blank paper most of the time, but I choose graph paper when I need to deal with a coordinate plane. For instance, when I graph lines in the y=mx+b form and the graph paper of 10×10 in the app worked very well.
I can draw any geometric shapes quickly and color them in seconds. This tool makes my lectures attractive and is a gateway to creativity through the use of digital art and creativity. I like to solve problems using the multi-colored pens available in the app. The terrific colorful pencils, brushes are helping me make my lecture notes more noticeable and unique. I can quickly draw perfect geometrical shapes, color them, and cut them.
I used to prepare presentations on Powerpoint or Keynote for every lecture, and the simplest one took at least an hour. However, after work, I have had only 4 hours for my family, and I could spend more time with my family. And my new apparatus solved this issue. Now I don’t have to prepare presentations, and all I need to do is take the screenshot of the questions and open them with Paper. Then I can quickly solve them.
I am also a master’s student. Thus I was using a lot of paper. For one of my math courses, I produced hundreds of pages of handwritten notes. Thankfully, after Paper and Apple Pencil, I have all those notes electronically filed and organized.
Finally, I have shared some of my drawings and works on Paper below. I hope you enjoy them!
When I decided to use my iPad and Paper for my mathematics lectures, I hoped to make much difference in my student’s performance. However, it helped me much more directly in managing and differentiating instructions. Paper can be used for enrichment and creativity at its basic level by any level of a student.
Anyway, I haven’t said many things, but I think I showed you enough good things.
** Note: I might get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
