These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

They are not apps. They come with the iPad. They are on the home screen. They're free! 

Camera:

• The obvious: Take pictures/videos and import them into emails, blogs, or student files.
• The not so obvious: Use it as a quick, compact scanner. (When I couldn't find a map that I liked online,  I took a picture of the one in the textbook, emailed it to my computer, and voila...It was on the Smartboard! During Writer's Workshop, when I wanted to showcase student work, I did the same thing.)

Notes:

• The obvious: Take notes. And shake to undo.  
• The not so obvious: Use it as a dictionary (highlight  a word and tap "define") or as a reader for students (highlight and tap "speak".)

Calendar:

• I like the look and feel of the iPad calendar, but prefer to use Google calendars, so I set up my calendar accounts on Google or my school's Outlook system and link them to my iPad. They show up beautifully color-coded, appointments pop-up on demand, and all changes are synced in the cloud.
• With a student set of iPads, the calendar becomes an essential part of any math lesson... and so does the world clock, for that matter. (Think elapsed time word problems.)

Maps: 

• The new Apple Maps is not very helpful when I need directions using public transportation, but if I want to plan a virtual tour, teach about directionality, neighborhoods, continents, landmarks, or just about anything geography related, I use Maps, and my students have the world at their fingertips. 

FaceTime:

• I have never tried this, but we can take our students on a virtual field trip to just about anywhere...as long as that somewhere has a someone (with an iPad or iPhone) who would be willing to host the tour. Think surgeons, professors, park rangers, museum curators, artists, authors, or just friends in interesting places...