I’ve just read this article on my favourite website Edudemic (it’s now set as my homepage!).
the part I love the most about in this article is where it talks about the use of technology and the shift we as teachers need to grasp in moving from enhancement to transformation in our teaching. This is explained using the SAMR model below.
This SAMR model really spoke to me because it is what I strive for when creating my lessons for publishing The Interactive Music Room. It started off with creating for the interactive whiteboard BUT now while writing/creating level 4 I am now constantly thinking of how I can redefine the activties to flow across all platforms… data projection, interactive whiteboards & tablets. When I say redefine I don’t just mean something that looks pretty and is “cool” to use BUT an activity that is going to increase the scope and opportunity for students to focus more on being creative than a gimmick of using a piece of technology in school.
This is the challenge we as teachers need to take on in redefining the methodology we use when implementing technology in the classroom.
Teach to transform!
Introducing one-to-one iPad’s into classrooms has become one of the hottest topics of conversation. I thought I would share with you the benefits I see of this new form of technology in schools. The 10 things I love about using iPad’s in my classroom is written through the lens of the Learner Profiles from International Baccalaureate (IB), in the context of the Primary Years Program (PYP).
In my teaching and research I see iPad’s developing students to be…
- They are able to ask and present questions verbally and in written form (Siri, search engines, word processing, voice recording apps eg notability)
- with one-to-one devices students are able to be independent in their learning, not only working in working by themselves instead of sharing devices/computers, but teachers are able to tailor the use of apps and activities to cater for individual needs. This provides excellent opportunity for differentiation in learning. For example iPad’s give students the opportunity to watch a video, listen to text or read text and then respond through a video diary (iMovie), voice recording (Garage Band), word processing (Pages) or even just presenting dot points or observation/key words (Visual Poetry).
- students are quicker to engage with technology and don’t give up as easily on tasks set using iPad’s
- They use what they know to research, create, write & publish
- They use their prior knowledge to link with new; technology, information, and understanding how to use universal & content specific apps
- they make decisions on content they view and create
- follow directions eg. how to use an app
- express ideas in more than one mode; visual (art, photo, video) , aural (video, voice recording), written (word processing, note taking, visual poetry)
- work together with others eg one group creating sound in Garage Band while another group works in iMovie and then merging the 2 projects for final presentation
- explore; locally using note taking apps, videoing or voice recording interviews, viewing local websites or globally using the internet or You Tube
- use a range of disciplines to get an in-depth understanding (viewing, reading, listening, interviewing)
- iPad’s enable students to make mistakes, there is always the ‘back’ or ‘undo’ function
- they encourage students to explore and do or present things in new ways (written, video, image, oral)
- the opportunity to learn how to act with integrity and honesty in their use of iPad’s (publishing content, social media, taking photo’s and video)
- the opportunity to take responsibility for their actions and use of the device, accepting any consequences that come along with misuse
- the opportunity to show responsibility for an expensive piece of equipment
- the opportunity to act thoughtfully using blogs and social media in critiquing peers work (Edmodo, Social media, Instagram)
- listening to, viewing and commenting on other’s work (Edmodo, Web browsers, Youtube, blogs)
- accepting that you can present information in a variety of ways (written, oral, visual)
- acknowledging that you can look at things and interpret different meanings or points of view (eg Youtube, music)
- understanding that not all your time and all your learning should be spent on the iPad
- being organised and using time wisely (organisation apps eg calendars, time logs, timers)
- about their learning (blogs, video diaries, written diaries, Edmodo, social media)
- thinking about how things could have been done better eg. could we use a different app
Using iPad’s in my classroom has enriched and diversified my teaching program. I believe they are definitely a fantastic tool if used to their full potential in catering for students needs.
Teach to transform!
I was sent a link to this fantastic article (click on the title below) on implementing iPad’s in Schools and the mistakes schools/teachers can make.
5 Critical Mistakes Schools Make With iPads (And How To Correct Them) By Tom Daccord on September 27, 2012@edtechteacher
Tom highlights these as the 5 critical mistakes made
- Focusing on content apps
- lack of teacher preparation in classroom management of iPads
- treating the iPad as a computer and expecting it to serve as a laptop
- treating iPads as multi-user devices
- failure to communicate a compelling answer to “why iPads”
I would have to say that in my experience working in 2 different schools implementing the use of iPad’s as both one-to-one devices and mutlti-use/class sets these are definitely some of the areas we have had to think about, experience and work though ourselves in trying to work out the most effective and efficient use of this new technology. As I myself make mistakes in using this new teaching methodology, as any person does when implementing new things, I am constantly learning what works and what doesn’t. This I will share with you along the way.
In my own music classroom I have come to realise that focusing on using only music apps is not the way to go to efficiently use this technology. As you will see with a lot of my posts so far, I use many other apps that are not content specific. While content apps can be a great resource for teaching specific knowledge, combining these with the use of other apps opens up the use of iPad’s to be more inquiry based learning.
As an author/web app developer myself, I am actually working at the moment on a content specific music app (The interactive Music Room: Book 4) hopefully it will be ready for distribution early 2013. As I create each lesson in the app I am constantly aware of allowing the activities to be as open to creativity as possible, not locking students into a black & white, right or wrong answer, thus not limiting the students when creating & composing.
I would say that the more research & PD I have done has definitely helped me to become more confident in using iPad’s. I have also found that I need to be an expert on how an iPad works to problem solve & fix issues with student’s iPads, for example understanding how settings can impact on the ability to use apps.
I definitely advocate for the use of one-to-one iPads in the classroom, however the implementation is not as easy as 1,2,3. If you are thinking of going down this path I would definitely encourage you to read this article and share it with your colleagues.
Teach to transform!