iPads, MakerEd and More in Education

Snapchat has changed a lot in the past few years. Frequent updates means the app looks and works almost nothing like it originally did. 

Snap, the company behind Snapchat, is so aggressive with making changes to the app that it can be hard to keep up with how Snapchat really works, even if you're a regular user. To make things easier for you and newbies, Pocket-lint has compiled this straightforward guide. By the end of it, you'll know every facet of the app. And when the next update arrives, be sure to check back here, because we'll explain that, too.

In my first conversation about Snapchat with another educator, I didn’t have a very open mind.

“Let’s Snapchat each other to talk about it more!” she said. I politely declined.

I didn’t want anything to do with it. Snapchat had gained a reputation as a place where kids go to swap inappropriate pictures.

Today, it still has that reputation with many in the education world.

Recently, I signed up for a Snapchat account to share fun stuff with family, and I’ve learned a lot about the features and how they work.

Before, I thought nothing productive — or safe — could come from using Snapchat in the education world.

Now, I’m changing my mind.

Companies are starting to flock to Snapchat.

McDonald’s and Taco Bell are using it to get Snapchatters interested in their products.

The NBA and MLS are giving behind-the-scenes footage from their sports worlds.

CNN is reporting news content, and The Food Network is providing an extension to its programming.

They’re providing content that’s interesting.

They’re surprising their audience.

And they’re having some fun along the way.

If companies can do it, teachers and schools can, too … and we can learn some lessons about how to engage students by watching how they engage their customers.