SS_Jenn

Goal: Improving student engagement so as to foster better learning In addition to the above goal, I wanted to try to use the iPads everyday. I used an iPad cart last year for part of the year, but only with half of my classes, which was frustrating because I had to essentially make double the lessons. This year, since I had the cart for all of my classes, I wanted to see how I could use the iPads to augment my lessons on a daily basis, as well as use them as a means for student to explore the content creatively.

Getting started: This year I had the benefit of my experiences last year, as well as the experiences of the other teahers who had already used the iPads this year. Each student was assigned a numbered iPad, which was important for accountability as well as the getting out/putting away routine. On the first day I showed a 3 slide PowerPoint that highlighted basic features (volume, home button, etc) and established ground rules-no downloading or personalizing, and introducing the "generals up" idea for when they had to put down the ipads and pay attention to me. this was a key tactic that was very effective with my students. Then they used the ipads for a WWII Webquest, so they could get content, as well as practice some basic tasks, like saving an image from a website and uploading a doc onto weblockers.

Evidence of student engagement: Students love using the ipads! I haven't given them a final survey yet, but based on their engagement in activities, they really enjoy using them. The students in my generals period also benefited, since I have them all in class and they have their "own" ipad they could use them daily if needed.

Evidence of distraction of the technology: Distractability is always an issue. While the iPad does indeed have a lot to cause a student's attention to stray (esp. photobooth!) it can be managed as any other distraction (phones, notes, etc) Teacher management in this regard is crucial, because you want them to enjoy the technology and feel comfortable using it, but only up to a certain point. I tended to allow a little tomfoolery during group work, etc. but overall, when kids we tasked with something, they stayed pretty focused. On a few occasions I did have to take away an ipad after someone was done with their assignment and was using their iPad to distract others. It was easier to tell if they were off task on an ipad vs. a laptop because they can't hide the screen, so that is a plus.

Best projects and apps that you used and the students used.

iMovie and Showme and Socrative, for different reasons

Socrative was great for warm ups or checks to gauge understanding, and it provides immediate feedback in an excel sheet emailed to you--easy!

Showme was awesome for things like analyzing a political cartoon or image because the kids had to do it orally, and they can annotate as they go. It was like giving a little mini presentation without the fear of standing in front of the class. This was great to get participation from everyone, not just the usual talkers. However, grading does take a while, so that is a legitimate downside.

iMovie is the best though. The kids made newsclips about the Cold war from Soviet and US perspectives, mini documentaries about Gandhi, and videos about the Arab/Israeli crisis. While similar tasks could be done with a regular skit in front of the class, iMovie allows them to incorporate actual pictures and maps they find online, forces them to write an actual script instead of winging it, so the quality tends to be much better.

Best strategy/ies for iPad use. Daily warm up Webquests/research/reading articles rather than printing them out creating projects that augment your lesson

My personal goal was to try to use the iPad everyday in the classroom. Students were each assigned a specific numbered iPad, which became "theirs" for the quarter. I created an initial webquest activity that had students exploring websites and learning how to save images and do other basic tasks. In the beginning, I used an app called Socrative for daily warmups, which allowed the students to get used to finding their iPad and putting it away seamlessly. Students used the iPads in some ways that were similar to laptops, by engaging in webquests, creating keynote presentations, and writing reflections. However, over time I used the iPad's video capabilities more and more. Students created individual 30 second clips with voiceovers, then progressed to live action newsclips, then to 2-3 minute long mini documentaries that combined still images and live footage. Students are using the iPads to create a comprehensive final project as well. The speed at which they adapted to the technology was impressive. I also used an app called ShowMe, which allows students to record themselves talking and annotating images. This was a excellent way for me to engage quieter students in an oral analysis of an image or political cartoon. Overall, I found student engagement in iPad lessons to be very very high. What is less clear is whether using the iPads has helped them retain content any better. I would assume that making a video about Gandhi would result in higher retention of information, but I don't know how to actually gather data for a question like that. Additonally, it was harder to provide feedback for iPad products. It took much longer to grade them, and so by the time a student found out that an analysis they had done contained errors or misinterpretations, they didn't really care as much. I came pretty close to my goal of daily use--testing days did not involve any iPad use, and while Socrative was a good tool to administer some practice SOL questions, I did not use them very much during SOL review. With my intensified classes, the iPads provided an interesting experiment for me to "flip" my classroom, so that the students read text for homework and then completed projects that allowed them to evaluate and synthesize the content on the iPads in class while I acted as more of a facilitator than a disseminator of information. This was harder to do with the regular classes since the vast majority of students in those classes do not do homework on a regular basis. They were still able to do mini projects on the iPads, but not ones that were as in-depth as those the intensified kids were able to do. Wrap-up: final observation on the value of the experience, student attitudes, any changes since you don't have the iPads anymore.

After using the iPads this quarter, I am convinced that they are a powerful tool for classroom use. I still waver over the benefits of one-to-one devices, because I feel that kids need some non-screen time in their day, and I also don't want gadgets to overshadow key skills (writing analytically, critical thinking, debate) that I feel are important to foster in the classroom. That being said, students love using them, and the camera feature on the iPad 2 has been a game changer in terms of the variety and quality of products that can be created. However, I do not think they are a miracle cure for all that needs improvement within education. There are a variety of limits associated with Ipads, like no flash capabilities for example, which put many of the cool interactive websites out there out of reach for iPad users. Additional complications include much longer time required for grading products that are made on them, distractibility issues among the students, and time-consuming and confusing methods for submitting work electronically. I think the successful implementation of iPads in the classroom has to have the teacher buy in for it to work. Teachers need TIME in order to play with iPads themselves to see what they are capable of and think about how they can be used in the classroom. My experience with the iPads this year was very different than last year, when I used them for the first time and was continually frustrated by what they could not do. Whether this year's success can be attributed to the fact I have had more time to work woth the iPad or because the new iPads's camera feature makes it a more usable tool is unclear. Either way, teacher training, collaboration, and mentoring will be essential to any successful adoption of this technology on a bigger scale.

And finally, if APS were going in the direction of iPads 1:1, what are your recommendations for PD?

Teacher training is key, as is time to play with these devices. a collaborative spirit is essential, and peer groups with teacher-leaders, rather than a hierarchical, top-down instructive approach would probably be better. One worry--much of the student engagement came from the novelty of the device...if everyone has it, it ceases to be special, and thus making a movie is no longer fun and interesting...