Sharing an iPad Cart With Young Learners

Have you ever wondered how to keep a shared iPad card organized particularly when working with our youngest learners? In my role as a district Assessment and Technology teacher I am in and out of a lot of classrooms. It was during one of my visits that I discovered and easy and effective way to help even our youngest learners access and return their shared iPads to the right place in the cart. In this instance there was one class set of iPads shared by three classes. Each child in each class had a long card with their name and picture on it. Think of it like a ruler but instead of a ruler it was hard paper. When it was time for the students to get an iPad they found their long card and went to their shared iPad cart. Once they selected their iPad they unplugged it and left their long card in the spot where the iPad was. They then were off to do their activity. Once finished they returned to the iPad cart, saw where their picture was, and put the iPad back in the right spot. They then took their big card out and returned it to its appropriate place. This worked with even the youngest learners in the school since everyone can recognize their picture. If your child needs access to a QR code to a specific site make a second card with their name and picture on one side, and the student specific QR codes on the other. It works like a charm!