Google ‘iPads in education’ and you’ll find two types of result. The first cohort will be teachers exclaiming how innovative and engaging Apple’s tablet can be. The second will caution you of the lack of evidence suggesting that iPads make a measurable difference to pupils’ learning outcomes.

Around 20 years ago, Mr Apple himself, Steve Jobs, uttered the sentence “What’s wrong with education cannot be fixed with technology.” Somehow, though, iPads and other tablet computers have found their way into classrooms and learning environments across the world, helping people of all ages pick up new skills more efficiently than ever before. Each of these comparatively tiny devices contains more power than the supercomputer of yesteryear, and the number of ways in which it can be harnessed for the sake of education continues to grow.

The Minecraft Music Project began simply. The majority of my students in grades PS-8 love Minecraft, and I want them to enjoy learning, as well as gain mastery of the nuts and bolts of music. This prompted the question: How can I integrate Minecraft into the Music curriculum to successfully reach the most students?

When I started at Westmorland School 18 months ago, I was given the task of raising standards in Computing and implementing new technology across the school. Although this was a massive task, it was an exciting challenge - I could both share my experience and also raise the excitement of using technology across the school.

With Bett taking place this week, schools across the country are once more turning their attention to the opportunities offered by education technology (edtech), looking for the newest innovations in classroom resources to support teaching in the digital age. But behind the excitement of new developments, what are the crucial factors that schools need to consider moving forward with their edtech provisions?

Presenting in front of a large audience can be a nerve-racking experience at the best of times. For young school students it can be a harrowing experience. Introverted learners, who prefer to quietly think and assess a situation, can feel incredibly uncomfortable being heard in class. This presents challenges for students and teachers alike as great ideas and input can go missing. It is therefore vitally important for teachers to find ways to help these students contribute in class.

Explain Everything: Without a doubt my signature app, I have used Explain Everything in a number of ways. It is ideal for editing and improving pupils’ written work. By simply taking a photo of the child’s work, I record myself reading it out, using the cursor tool to encourage children to read along with me, and the pen and shape tool to annotate positive features of their work.

We are witnessing a huge sea change in the way education is being offered in our schools now. Devices are cheaper than ever, and it is now an option to provide a machine to every student in a school. Whether it is through BYOD, or the whole-scale purchase of technology for the classroom, 1:1 is becoming a reality in all of our schools.

The relationship between Ofsted and school technology is an issue relevant to every school. If yours isn’t one of the 70% of schools using iPads or tablets, you’ve probably had discussions about whether or not to go ahead and implement them. What I’m going to talk about should be of interest, then, because Ofsted’s focuses are shifting, and the progression towards attention to tablet computing has been swift.

What are the essential resources for the supply teacher? Sharon Wood, founder of National Supply Teacher Week, takes a look at her absolute favourites.

On supply, normal rules don’t apply. You may be left a set of plans, fully resourced, for the day. Or you may turn up with five minutes (10 minutes after you received the call to go) before the children arrive, to an empty desk, a missing laptop, and no password for the photocopier. You don’t know that the children have some work to finish off in any spare five minutes. You need to make sure that the children are fully occupied and engaging with their task to help minimise fuss and poor behaviour. You may be warned assembly is a 9:30 sharp, only to arrive and discover that it has been cancelled for today. In short, you need help! From five minute time fillers, to whole session activities ideas on the hop, apps are an essential tool for supply teachers.