Using the iPad to teach Math — An interview with Joanna Crawford

Going paperless as a teacher can be a challenging quest. Joanna managed to do so using her iPad. She took the time to tell us about her experiences.

Hi Joanna, please tell us a little bit about your work and your background.

I taught high school math for 10 years in a 1:1 iPad district. I am now an instructional technology facilitator serving teachers in their use of technology to enhance and transform their learning environments.

When and why did you start to integrate technology in your classes?

I integrated technology in my classes the day I walked in the door. From the get-go, I was always striving to get more instructional technology in my classroom because I recognized its transformative potential. I started simple working to get a laptop and projector. From there I earned a SmartBoard and other tools. The big change happened almost 4 years ago when my school district gave students iPads. From there, I slowly started the process to going paperless. I was and am always on the lookout for technology that transforms.

How did your students and their parents react to your ideas?

Some of my students were resistant to change at first. They were used to lecture, paper and pencil, and the status quo. As they realized the technology improved the classroom and their lives, they got annoyed when I handed out paper! They were also surprisingly patient when I’d try new tech, and it didn’t work well. We’d simply try something else until we found what met our needs. I was very careful to always keep parents informed about technology use in my classroom, and I showcased it at our open house nights, so they understood not only what we were doing but why we were doing it. This ensured they were supportive through the process.

How did you discover GoodNotes?

I was searching for a good pdf-writer app. To go paperless in the mathematics classroom, students need to be able to easily write on a document rather than just type. I tried multiple apps, and all of them were missing key elements. My department head introduced me to GoodNotes, and it had all the features my students needed!

Which features are most important for your students?

Good Notes has all the features my students need: easy to use multiple ink and highlighter colors, typing and copy/paste capabilities, ease of sharing over multiple platforms, in-app archiving and organizational tools, and my personal favorite: smart shapes! My Geometry students who told me they couldn’t draw shapes well suddenly felt like Van Gogh with this app! This is the only app that has every single feature we needed.

Have you tried other Apps?

I have an entire folder of pdf-writer apps on my iPad. If someone suggested it, I tried it. I tried paid and free apps. Nothing was as awesome as GoodNotes!

What do you like especially about working with GoodNotes and how is it helping your students?

I love the smart shapes tool for math, and my students especially like all of the ink colors. They find it easy to erase mistakes and because of that, they’re more willing to start over and try again. No longer are they searching for missing papers or sorting through crumbled copies; instead, they organize notes, practices, and more right in the app. Importing from and exporting to specific folders in Google Drive works easily right in the app making app-jumping unnecessary. My favorite feature: I got to break up with the copy machine! No more late dates standing there waiting for hundreds of copies. Instead I create and share documents with my students right from the app. Find a mistake 2 minutes before class or ever during class? I simply fix it, export, and share with my students. Easy-peasy! Thanks for making life so much more productive, GoodNotes!

GoodNotes 4 is the perfect app for teachers that want to keep all their files neatly organized. The app lets you manage your documents and class notebooks effortlessly. Teachers worldwide trust in GoodNotes because of it’s powerful presentation mode: The toolbar and any actions that would distract the audience can be hidden if the iPad is connected to an external screen or projector. GoodNotes is available on the App Store for iPad and iPhone.