What's So Great About Keynote?

I first started using keynote when we switched to iPads because it gave the students the ability to work like they did on PowerPoint on desktop computers, but on the iPads. When you are using iPads for multiple students, you run into licensing issues with things like Microsoft office where each user requires their own account. Microsoft and Google accounts all require email addresses, which are really tough to assign to elementary age kids.

One thing that I always didn't like about being a Microsoft school, was that we didn't have the ability to interact with our students sharing things like Google docs, or at least it wasn't as easy for us as everybody who uses Google classroom. Imagine how excited I was when I found something they can do almost that for my students using the iPads. Collaboration is not a Microsoft specialty, although they are working on some options. 

That being said, we thought that Keynote was a good alternative, and it already came on the iPads so it was easy to access. I have never really used Keynote before, even though I own a Mac, because I am most familiar with Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides so I would just use those, because most of us like to stay in our comfort zone, right?

Keynote allows you to send fully editable presentations to your students via AirDrop and Apple classroom. You sent each student a copy, so they are not messing with your original. It is super easy for them to send it back to you via AirDrop, or through Google classroom. If you are just using it for something like lecture notes, then they can just store it right on their devices. I love how easy it is for students to add text to blanks or thought-provoking questions that you leave them in your keynote presentations.

With some exploration of the app, I've quickly become relatively proficient at it after just a few uses. You can easily add links to anything you want your students to open and view or research on the internet. My students have watched videos, navigated to websites, and to other slides in the presentation, and it has worked really well for my students. It also has many of the same features that normal document editing would have. You can also add animations and such, just like you can with regular PowerPoint. 

A few disadvantages I've found with the Keynote iPad app, is that it isn't easy for adding pictures. If you have a picture on your iPad, the students can easily add that, but it isn't easy for them to search the internet for pictures of content you're discussing or to add to a research presentation that they are creating. For my students who like to wander while working on iPads, this is nice because they have less distractions. For me when I'm creating these presentations and like to add lots of visuals, it's a little bit of a hassle. 

Overall, I love working with Keynote and look forward to exploring more of its features. If you've used Keynote before, tell me how it works in your classroom!

-Hilary