12 Reasons Why Teachers Should Use an iPad as a Notebook

By David Unwin •  Updated: 06/10/23 •  Teaching Tools

The iPad, particularly the iPad Mini, is the best option today to double as your notebook for professional use. You’ll be hooked once you get the hang of the pen feature and writing and drawing notes.

Let’s be honest; with iPads becoming increasingly commonplace in classrooms, it’s a no-brainer to ask why teachers should use iPad instead of traditional textbooks. After all, educators have long used notebooks to hold notes, assignments, and other important information.

However, today’s technology has offered teachers new options for their educational toolkit –and chief among them is the iPad. Yes, there are other tablet manufacturers, but the iPad dominates this space, and with it, you get access to IOS. So if you want to upgrade to a feature-rich digital notebook, we strongly suggest the iPad mini. It’s what we all use here at Teach and Go.

Anyways, here are seven reasons iPads make the best notebooks for teachers and why they should use an iPad in their classroom:

  1. Interactive and engaging content.
  2.  Organizational capabilities.
  3.  Easily accessible information.
  4.  Versatility and portability.
  5.  Easy to use.
  6. Increased student engagement.
  7. Collaboration and communication.
  8.  Secure cloud storage.
  9.  Integration with educational tools.
  10.  Personalization.
  11.  Timely updates and upgrades.
  12.  Accessibility and inclusivity.

Interactive and engaging content

The iPad can display interactive and engaging content, such as educational games, videos, and simulations, to help students stay engaged and motivated. By connecting iPads to a projector and using wireless keyboards, teachers can facilitate lessons in an interactive way that isn’t possible with traditional notebooks.

From Blooket to Google Classroom, once you use your iPad to manage class and take notes, you’ll wonder how your workflow will function properly without it.

Organizational capabilities

The iPad is a superior choice for the organization of your documents. With the help of various apps like Notion, Trello boards, and the calendar function where you can set appointments and notifications, educators can easily keep track of grades, assignments, class rosters, student attendance records, and more.

Instead of dealing with paper, you can use the “Easy Attendance” app on your iPad for classroom management. As a teacher, you will be surprised by how useful educational apps are for your classroom. Even something as simple as the calendar, which visually represents things you need to do and upcoming events, is incredibly helpful.

Easily accessible information

Unlike notebooks, where information is scattered throughout different pages or binders, iPads provide easy access to all your notes and documents in one place. Teachers can also store digital versions of worksheets and handouts so students can view them on their own devices during class time.

Versatility and portability

The iPad, particularly the mini, is lightweight and portable, making it easy for teachers to move around the classroom and bring it on field trips or other offsite activities. It can also be used for various purposes, including taking attendance, grading assignments, and communicating with parents.

As teachers, we constantly seek innovative tools to help our students succeed. iPads offer a versatile and portable solution that can be used to enhance teaching activities, from digital storytelling and engaging multimedia projects to real-time problem-solving and collaborative learning.

With an iPad, you can take your lessons anywhere from student desks at home or on a field trip abroad. Beyond their portability benefits, iPads offer incredible features that allow teachers to maximize lesson plans with creative approaches like augmented reality apps and virtual reality experiences.

Please look at our breakdown of virtual field trips you can take your students on for inspiration.

Easy to use

Using an iPad is straightforward. The user-friendly interface makes it easier for teachers to quickly access the necessary information without spending extra time figuring out how the device works. They are designed for consumer use and are not overly technical. On top of that, it’s easy to find a free online tutorial or app for any specific feature or function you’re looking for.

Increased student engagement

Students with access to interactive content on their devices are likelier to stay engaged and participate in class discussions. By using iPads in the classroom, teachers can create a more dynamic learning environment that encourages student engagement.

An iPad is the way to go when choosing the best notebook for teachers. With its interactive content, organizational capabilities, portability, affordability, ease of use, not to mention increased student engagement, the iPad is the perfect choice for any educator looking for a reliable and effective educational tool.

Collaboration and communication

The iPad can facilitate collaboration and communication among students and teachers. For example, students can work on group projects using collaborative apps, and teachers can give feedback and communicate with students via email or messaging apps. This makes it much easier for teachers to keep in touch with their students and provide feedback.

One of our favorite apps for interacting with students and their parents is Class Dojo (check out our comprehensive guide).

Secure cloud storage

With iPads, teachers can store their notes and documents securely in the cloud instead of on a physical device. This allows them to access information from any location with an internet connection, making it much more convenient than traditional notebooks. The data is safe and secure since it’s stored on a remote server.

Integration with educational tools

The iPad can be easily integrated with various educational tools such as Google Classroom or Edmodo, allowing teachers to assign lessons and track student progress more effectively. With this integration, teachers can stay up-to-date on what’s working and stay on top of technology as it develops.

We also want to note that integrating iPads into the classroom can also be a potent tool for teachers. They can help create more engaging and interactive lessons like we touched on and offer exciting new ways to incorporate educational resources into the curriculum.

With iPads providing access to highly visual tools like virtual field trips offer forms of technology-enhanced learning. This results in a great potential for deeper understanding among students in all subject areas.

Personalization

We all have a different workflow and organization process that makes sense to us as teachers. From project management apps to appointment apps to taking notes or using educational-specific apps you find helpful.

You can customize and personalize an iPad greatly based on how you think and work.

Timely updates and upgrades

Apple is excellent at updating and supporting their devices for years into the future. The iPad is no exception to this. With your purchase, you can be confident that your device will perform well for at least five years before the technology develops into something more sophisticated.

Accessibility and inclusivity

The iPad can make learning more accessible and inclusive for students with disabilities or learning differences. For example, students with hearing impairments can use the iPad to access closed captioning or sign language interpretation, and students with dyslexia can use text-to-speech apps to help them read.

iPads for teachers’ conclusion

Overall, the many benefits make iPads the best notebooks for teachers. With its interactive content, organizational capabilities, portability, affordability, ease of use, increased student engagement, collaboration and communication tools, secure cloud storage integration with educational tools, personalization and

More? More!

Take a look at the best iPad charging stations for school.

We also have a breakdown of the best tablets for online teaching.

Thanks for reading!

David Unwin

I've taught as an ESL teacher in Thailand for 5+ years at all levels of education, from elementary to University. I was also one of the first 1000 VIPKID teachers. Here I create content on teaching abroad, online and helpful tips for the classroom. Learn more.

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