SS_Steven


 * Goal:** Creating an online community and learning environment using iPads and appropriate apps. In doing so I hope to also improve student engagement so as to foster better learning


 * Getting started**: I prepared myself for this by taking part in the original iPad pilot last year and spending the summer investigating different apps that may be useful in the classroom. Also, taking part in group discussions with colleagues also using the iPads was extremely important in preparation as they shared many great ideas and apps to use in the class. I prepared students by typing up a list of expectations and appropriate uses of the iPads. Each student was assigned a specific iPads for classroom use and made to understand that the iPad would be a tool that would be used every day in the classroom, they were to pick-up the iPads upon entering the room along with their notebooks.


 * Evidence of student engagemen**t: I noticed that students entered the room excited to work with the iPads and would hurry to their desks even before the start of class. Attendance and tardies were not an issue during the quarter that the iPads were used. Time on task varied some from class to class, teachers do need to monitor student activity (much as they would in a computer lab because of the lure of e-mail, twitter, etc.) but what I noticed is that most students would work hard in order to have some left over time between tasks or at the end of class in order to do some investigating on their own. Join.me was very useful for keeping students attentiveness and on-task as it was easy for students to follow along with notes or class discussions.


 * Evidence of distraction of the technology**: As with all technology there are going to be distractions but as long as the teacher is monitoring students and moving about the classroom, they are minimal. I did not have any students comment about liking laptops better which is a change to last year when we first started using them and this may speak to both student and teacher increase comfort in using the new technology in the classroom.

Students in sociology took part in many projects in which they conducted all the research, data compilation, and final project creation using only the iPads. The final project in which they took part in test surveys (using polldaddy app), then identified a topic on which to create their own survey, analyzed data, created tables and put it all together in a Keynote presentation for the class was a wonderful experience for all involved.
 * Best projects and apps that you used and the students used**: Join.me and socrative were used almost every day in the class. As stated earlier, join.me was very helpful in keeping students engaged during class discussions and in helping all students have a clear view of what was on the SmartBoard. This would also allow teachers to more easily accommodate students with vision problems who would no longer need to be seated up front because they would have all the information right in front of them at all times (when the app is being used). Socrative was a great feature to use for instant feedback on student understanding of a lesson (as an exit-ticket), to have greener school by having quizzes and reading checks online, and for grading purposes since it sends you feedback through e-mail on students results.


 * Best strategy/ies for iPad use**: The best strategy for iPad use is to make sure it is a tool that is used every day in order to increase the comfort level of all those involved. Many times students would ask how to do something specific in their presentations and I would tell them I was not sure how to do it but I bet we could figure it out together(and most times we would).

My students and I truly enjoyed the opportunity to use the iPads during the first quarter of this year. All students commented that it made class interesting and they were very disappointed when they had to say goodbye to them at the end of the first quarter. They continue to ask if we will get them back at some point during the year. If found that it allowed students to easily research and create projects without leaving the comfort of the class.
 * Wrap-up**: final observation on the value of the experience, student attitudes, any changes since you don't have the iPads anymore.


 * And finally, if APS were going in the direction of iPads 1:1, what are your recommendations for PD?** I feel that it would be worthwhile for the first year of implementation to be a school-wide PDP for all staff to take part in led by experienced teachers and facilitators. If teachers do not feel comfortable with the technology they will be less likely to make full use of its possibilities in the classroom. I think that it would make sense to still meet in small groups of ten that would allow people to bounce ideas off each other and a school-wide message board that would allow groups to then share information and knowledge.