Mastering Maths Teaching and Learning on iPad


Increasing engagement is one challenge that the iPad can solve (as we’ll explore more and more during this case study), but another element that is particularly tricky when teaching maths is differentiation and keeping each individual learner on track. Mrs Goss has found that the iPad can help in that regard as well… “The tech is great for the different levels in the classroom. You can set the difficulty levels of some maths apps and then the children can succeed at their own level. It’s very tangible to see progress. They’re all working alongside each other and so it’s both personalised and inclusive.” Having multiple iPads in the form of a ‘class set’, opens up more opportunities for self-paced learning. As Ruth has experienced… “At their tables, they each have an iPad as opposed to working on the interactive whiteboard. With one piece of technology between them, nothing is individualised. They’re not achieving anything on their own.” 

Of course, not every learner in the room will benefit from being left to their own devices and 1:1 time with a teacher can never be replaced. However, from an accessibility point of view, the iPad can offer a range of options that can support an individual’s learning styles. Ruth has found that… “all the multimedia elements are great. A child’s literacy levels might not match their maths skills and so audio prompts enable the material to be more accessible to them. They’re able to hear the question and answer it and so the iPad is almost like a third teacher in the room. The Touchscreen is key on the iPad as well. They can get stuck in. They don’t need an adult’s help. They’re able to get to it.” When an extra layer of explanation is needed Ruth can turn to the iPad again… “If I don’t have the answer, I’m able to say ‘Let's see, can we find the answer’ and it’s always very easy to find kid-related videos or websites. So, I can usually find something visual, that helps us with problem-solving.” 

The iPad can provide a more personalised and accessible experience in numeracy lessons but Ruth maintains that its most important role is to make maths fun. “Children are hardwired to play. If it’s competitive or if it’s fun, their concentration is better. By turning the learning into a game, they forget that they are in a learning environment and they get stuck into the activity.” Gamification in maths is just one piece of the puzzle when you’re keeping a class busy. As Ruth explains, “…attention spans can be limited. A snappy video, instead of my voice at the top of the classroom, is nice for a change and it increases personalised repetition. Attention and focus, at this level, is one of the hardest things to maintain and I think having the different tools on iPad breaks up the day whilst keeping them engaged in the structure of the lesson… It’s also prepping them for what their future will most likely hold.” She goes on to tell us that the children display “pure unadulterated joy when they see the iPad trolley”. I think it’s fair to say that ‘joy’ and ‘maths’ are not words you tend to see together a lot.  

It’s clear that the learners are benefiting from the embedment of iPad at St Pius Girls National School but, what about the teachers? What does their experience look like and can the iPad aid the transition into a new Maths Curriculum? The answer, according to Ruth, is yes. “The iPads give us easy access to changing materials and the tools to tackle the changes. For example, the topic of transformations (moving shapes) has changed. Straight away we were able to use the Freeform app to draw and turn a square. It’s lovely to be able to use the iPads to visually explain that the object is the same but has just changed position. Likewise, it’s easy for us teachers to see online what we’re supposed to be teaching and what level the children in class should be aiming at.” Another key change in the curriculum is the heightened importance of STEM lessons. Whilst Mrs Goss is only getting to grips with those chances herself, she did offer this insight… “Everything that they are learning - different curriculum subjects - are represented on the iPad. It might be through a webpage, game, a video or an app. The children are able to access all parts of the curriculum in different ways but all on the iPad. I’ve seen what is possible on the iPads in STEM lessons. Further up the school, they’re using their iPads as the computational point within STEM, but then with access to calculators, keynotes, video editing apps and so on, the iPads play a bigger role in STEM lessons.”  

When it comes to the practicalities of teaching with an iPad, Ruth feels that the ‘Apple Classroom App’ is a ‘game changer’. Apple Classroom enables any classroom teacher to manage an entire class set of iPads. Functionality on the app includes locking iPads, pushing open apps, locking iPads onto apps, viewing screens along with much more invaluable classroom management options. This is particularly useful if you wish to utilise iPads as part of a station teaching activity. Ruth says that “being able to open them all up on to the same app or the same webpage at the same time and knowing that they are on track by locking them into the app is amazing. They’re working independently, but I am able to have an overview of their screens. When we’re finished with the activity, being able to lock the iPads completely is very convenient because I know I have their focus back and they are ready to move on to the next task.”  

The exploration of Apple Classroom is just one small element of the Apple Professional Learning (teacher training) that the school invested in with Select. As Ruth puts it, “You’re either comfortable or you're not comfortable, and if you’re not confident with an iPad, it’s too daunting to use them in maths or any lesson. So the Apple Professional Learning in the school has made a huge impact. The training has been so helpful for us to hone in on the specifics of how to use an iPad in the classroom because I can use an iPad no problem, but I definitely couldn’t teach with it the way I can now having had the Apple Professional Learning days. I was excited to get my hands on the teacher iPad to see what I could and couldn’t do in the classroom”.