"Key" Learning for the Future

Over the past month, my students have been using the Apple version of Powerpoint, Keynotes to create presentations.  We are currently completing biography presentations and the results have been outstanding!  Keynotes is one of the productivity apps that I would definitely recommend for any 1:1 classroom setting from Grade 3 and above.  This app allows students to create professional looking presentations, with some of the most AMAZING transitions you may have ever experienced!
Students are thoroughly engaged throughout the entire research process.  Having the opportunity to create projects on the iPad has provided my students a strong incentive to complete their assigned background research, planning, and writing drafts. Completing research and presentations using Keynotes, provides students with a real-life experience that will help them acquire "key" skills for the future.

As we implement Common Core, we must continue to shift our thinking in terms of instruction and assessment.  Instead of worrying about filling our students' minds with lots of content, we need to be conscious of helping students acquire skills that will benefit them as they progress through school and into adulthood.

This weekend I ran across an excellent video on YouTube focusing on the need for teachers to shift teaching practices in an attempt to help students acquire "key" skills for the future.  Please follow the link below and enjoy . . .

Teaching in the 21st Century

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=OTIBDR4Dn2g

"Show Me" the Evidence!

After several weeks away from the blogger, I am back at it and wanted to share  a fun and FREE app, Show Me.  I've been using it in my morning Math group with some great results!  Show Me is an interactive whiteboard app.  The features of Show Me are that you can record and teach anything you desire, or learn from already recorded Show Me's.  It is simple to use and requires virtually no training and little practice!  When teachers post Show Me lessons, students can visit ShowMe.com and access the lesson.  Teachers can also access student Show Me activities from a class list.  I have been using it in Math to have students show me that they can perform various algorithms and demonstrate knowledge of Math concepts.  The students love it!
Another powerful aspect of using the interactive white board is the way it supports the implementation of the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS).  The CCSS require students to go beyond just giving an answer, but to explain their thinking and show evidence.  Our grade level has been big this school year on trying to get the students to give evidence with their answers.  So many times students struggle with these explanations, and may even give up.  Show Me is the perfect way to engage students by the use of the interactive whiteboard.  It makes them WANT TO TELL why or how!  Over the past two weeks my Math students have created Show Me lessons on long division, angles, multi-digit multiplication, and fractional parts of a whole.  After the students finish one, they are begging to share it with me or their classmates!  Show Me time definitely makes this teacher smile!
Most teachers could easily utilize Show Me in their classrooms.  Teachers don't have to have a classroom full of iPads.  Students could access and create Show Me activities in small groups or in station work.
Teachers can sign up for a free account at ShowMe.com or download the ShowMe app at Apple App Store and sign up.  Once you have an account, you can add a class list and assign students their own log-in information.  Students may then access the teacher's account from any device that has internet access.  The students can watch teacher lessons or those they have created themselves!
There are SO many apps out there and it is important to choose apps that will help us get the most from our instructional minutes. Show Me is a keeper - for sure!  Check it out at the Apple App Store or at ShowMe.com.

New Post, New Year, New Independence

After a break from school and from blogging, I'm ready to embrace the fresh start a new year brings and get my students moving toward being more independent, critical thinkers.  This time of the year is actually my favorite in terms of academics in the classroom.  With the holidays over, classroom teachers have a 10-12 week block in which to really move students - before the excitement of spring activities, breaks, and testing begins.  This is the point in the year where students can really start applying the skills that we have been trying to instill in them over the first semester.  Expectations and routines have long been established and practiced, and students now have the opportunity to "show what they can do" as independent learners and thinkers.

The third nine weeks is when I typically have that epiphany moment "They are doing it on their own - Wow!"
But this year, that idea of independence is even more on the minds of teachers with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards.  One of the greatest tasks with the implementation of CCSS is fostering critical thinking and independent learning.  Using iPad technology on a daily basis can make an impact on students acquiring those skills.

In addition to helping students become more adept at grade level curriculum,  teachers in the iPad classroom must also teach students procedures and expectations for the acceptable use of the technology.  One of the biggest challenges to the iPad classroom is teaching the students the appropriate uses for the device and apps.  The iPad must be more than just a device to play games and practice drills.  For the iPad to make an impact, students must use it as a productivity device.  For this reason, much of the first semester has been spent introducing productivity apps and giving students the opportunity to practice using these apps to create research and writing pieces.  As we begin the second semester, my students have the skills to use a multitude of productivity apps with great results!
My students create research and writing projects using three key applications - Pages, Book Creator, and Smart Notebook.  Each of these apps offer something a little different in terms of creativity, but all three are easy to use  - and most of all fun for the students!

Pages is the word processing application for Mac.  One of the major features of Pages is that it offers professional looking templates where students can create signs, posters, and documents with ease.  Book Creator allows the user to write and create books.  Font, backgrounds and graphics can be easily added and manipulated to make fun and colorful books.  My students recently did research on animals and created books about their animals.  Each book was unique and chalked full of facts and graphics.  I was in awe of the success each and every student experienced with this project.  The best part was sharing these books!  Once the books were finished, the students uploaded them to PaperPort and then downloaded them onto their iBooks bookshelf.  Students are able to retrieve their classmates books and have them readily available in iBooks.

Currently students are researching the planets and solar system.  Not only do they use the typical classroom book resources, but they also use content specific apps, like NASA,  to find facts and information about their topics.  For this project, students will be creating Smart Notebook slide presentations on the iPads.  These presentations will be displayed and shared on the Smart Board - which will once again give the entire class the opportunity to interact with their classmates projects.  This interaction and sharing of ideas helps students to see alternative ways to create, share, and present information - which can potentially foster creative thinking and problem solving in future endeavors.  



Having a classroom full of iPads allows us to research and create on a regular basis - no waiting to get into the computer lab, which can draw projects out over weeks!  Giving students the opportunity to experience and use these different productivity apps should be of benefit as we move toward more rigorous standards in the classroom.  I am excited to see how our latest projects will turn out - but I am even more excited about students now having enough skills to make choices about which productivity software to use when creating a project for a classroom assignment!

Ten Ways the1:1 iPad Classroom Can Support the Implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

Like schools and districts across the nation, Blue Ridge Elementary is deep into implementing the Common Core State Standards.  As we explore the best ways to increase rigor and achieve mastery of content in our classrooms, it is apparent that helping students become problem-solvers and independent learners will be the foundation to their academic success.  The 1:1 iPad classroom is proving to be an even greater asset to Common Core implementation than I had ever imagined!  Below is a link to my school website.  There you can find a PDF copy of the presentation I gave on iPads and the Common Core State Standards (last on the list of files at the bottom of the page).

Ten Ways the 1:1 iPad Classroom Can Support the Implementation of the CCSS

Purse Size Presentations

My blog typically focuses on classroom use, so in this entry I want to share another great productivity app for teachers, - Keynotes.  Keynotes is the PowerPoint software for Mac.  Keynotes has been around for long time, but now Apple created an app for the iPad ($14.99).  It is well worth the price if you are an iPad user involved in presentations for meetings, etc.

This past week I had to give a short presentation at our school improvement committee meeting.  I decided to purchase Keynotes for my iPad and try it out when creating the presentation.   I found that Keynotes is extremely easy to use and has a good assortment of templates, backgrounds, and transitions.  Media, files, and links can be pulled in - and best of all it is so convenient!  A professional looking presentation can be created quickly - all on the iPad! I also have the iPad VGA adapter cord.  It attaches to the projector cord and instantly your iPad screen display appears on the screen or monitor.  There isn't any lugging around a laptop, cords, or a projector!  Finally, a presentation that fits in my purse!

Part Two . . . The Bad and the Ugly

I know what a lot of you may be thinking - having an iPad classroom seems fabulous!  The truth is that having an iPad class is wonderful, but it certainly has its share of headaches.  The implementation of iPads in the classroom is ridden with details to consider and frequent hiccups along the way.  There are a lot of these logistical problems at the district level, but most of the annoyances for the teacher, occur from the daily management of each device in the classroom.

The Bad . . .
First, downloading apps and updates to each device can be pretty cumbersome.  Whether you sync your iPads to a Mac or use the Cloud to receive and update apps and software, there isn't a real efficient way to do this - yet.  Our district has set up a separate Mac server and our iPad classrooms use the Cloud to purchase and update apps.  The problem is that most apps only load onto 5-10 devices with each update or purchase.  That means I have to go back into the remaining 10-15 devices and enter I the password for each app on each device.  Talk about time consuming!  For example, at the beginning of the year, I had to put about 50 apps on 22 devices, and enter the password each time!  Do the Math - Wow!  And, this is a task that I don't let students help with because of the password security, so it falls all on the classroom teacher.  There aren't many easy alternatives to back-up and app downloads.  Schools that download apps and updates by syncing to a Mac computer face the challenge of hooking up each device to an individual computer, which is equally time consuming.  However, there are now "syncing" and charging carts available for  iPads - but they are very pricey for the average school to purchase.
Managing the apps on these devices brings up other important considerations.  How will the teacher pay for and purchase classroom apps?  There are plenty of really good free apps, but true iPad integration requires the purchase of educational and productivity apps to meet the curriculum.  My iPads are linked to one main device in the classroom.  Apps are purchased by the district using allotted funds, through the Apple Volume Purchase program.  This purchasing program allows a 50% discount for purchases of 20 or more apps of one individual kind of app.  Purchases through the iBook Store have to be confirmed and purchased through the building administrator.  Once app purchases are made I receive a redemption code for my class, which is entered in the main device.  From the Cloud the app is downloaded onto the other devices.
Another big consideration is storage and charging of the iPads.  Most classrooms don't have twenty extra outlets!  When the iPads first arrived, I had charging cords and power strips everywhere!  It was a mess!  Our district looked at several options for storage and charging.  Many of the commercially manufactured carts are quite expensive, or lack a design suited for the classroom.  For this reason, our district asked the students at the area career center to design a cart.  It works wonderfully!  It is compact, easy to move, and charges 25 iPads at one time.  Below is a picture of the cart.  The students at the career center actually redesigned a medical supply cart.  Pretty nice work!

And last, the Ugly . . .
iPads break. Having a 1:1 iPad classroom is a big investment for schools and districts. And, teachers turn that investment over to the hands of little children.  So yeah, there are going to be some cracked screens and damaged devices.  It can be really upsetting when technology is damaged, but it is going to happen!  Schools need to have a plan to replace damaged devices.  Apple Care insurance is purchased yearly per device and is very expensive!  This is especially true when you take into consideration the actual number of iPads that may break in a year. Our district opted to buy several replacement iPads.  School districts doing wide scale implementation are even charging user fees in addition to having students and families sign acceptable use and replacement policies.  No matter how large or how small the implementation project, damage and replacement must be considered.

Problem solving for efficient management of the iPad classroom can be overwhelming at times, but the rewards of having students engaged in the curriculum through the use of the latest technology is definitely worth it!

A Day in the Life of the iPad Class - Part 1 - the Good . . .

Over the past few months I've spent a lot of time discussing some great iPad implementation ideas and apps that I have been fortunate enough to have been exposed to!  Many of the resources and activities I've shared are working wonderfully in my class and students are continuing to become more independent and responsible in their learning.  But some times those seemingly great ideas or creative solutions don't translate into the wonderful lesson or activity we had envisioned or even an efficient use of classroom time.  You may even be wondering: How is she implementing this stuff into her classroom routine?, or What does it look like in the iPad classroom?  For these reasons this week, I am going to try to give you a glimpse into my 4th grade classroom at Blue Ridge Elementary, in Seneca, South Carolina - to share some of the daily successes and ways we have been able to work the iPad into our day.

A day in the life . . . students arrive in the iPad classroom and do all the normal stuff - turn in papers, order lunch, etc.  We start our day with independent reading.  Students with up-to-date reading response journals now have the option of reading from our classroom library in the iBooks app.  We have a collection of chapter and non-fiction readers from which students can choose.  Students reading from the iBooks collection get the benefit of the speak feature for unfamiliar words and text, bookmarks, notes, and more!  As our morning continues, we move into our ELA mini-lessons and readers/writers workshop.  Each week during workshop, students are required to complete two fluency practice sessions using the Voice Recorder app on the iPad.  They also have individual word work practice three times a week.  For this, students use the Spelling Test app where they enter and record their own individual spelling lists.  They are then able to take their spelling tests during the week, during their independent work time.

One of the major ways we have implemented the iPad each day is for research and creative writing projects during the ELA block.  Once students have completed the daily practice assignments on the iPad, there is typically another creative project, where the students have to produce something on the iPad that shows understanding related to the current topic or subject.  These projects are based on ELA, Science, or Social Studies curriculum and are introduced and created during our ELA work time.  Almost every week we have worked on some sort of research or literature based writing project using the iPad.  The first week of school we explored using QR codes for the first time and did a scavenger hunt for random information facts via the web.  During the next few weeks we learned how to use the Photo Wall app for a story elements project and learned how to present our work using the Apple TV Airplay system.  From there we have been able to take literature elements and create a few word processing documents using pages.  Recently the students completed research of Native Americans using QR codes.  They then created some impressive posters about Native American tribes in Pages - all on the iPad.  We are currently implementing the new Smart Board Notebook app into small groups and independent learning time.  Students access the assigned Smart Notebook lesson via my Wiki Space page.  On the Wiki, I have uploaded various Smart Board lessons.  Students download the lessons on to their iPads and then open each lesson with the Smart Notebook app.  I am very excited about the Smart Notebook app because it allows for easy grouping and differentiation within the classroom!

During our Math block, we use the iPads to reinforce and teach skills through educational apps, or in small group lessons using the Smart Notebook app.  Typically, we will complete our traditional whole group or small group lesson and then students are assigned a particular skill and app to work on for the day.  My favorite Math app is  - Splash Math!  You can get a free version, but the paid version is wonderful!  It contains practice and feedback on all the grade level Math strands.  Teachers can assign "homework" on the iPad and receive weekly reports.  It is great for progress monitoring - each student's work is tracked and graphed within the app.  The iPads are used at the end of the day for Math enrichment time, and also used throughout the day for practice - as needed - depending on the subject, skill, and content.  On special days, indoor recess, and Friday afternoons students are given free choice on the iPads.  This is the time to explore all the cool features the device has to offer - it is also a time that the kids get to learn and share with each other!

As I continue through my iPad journey, I often times get frustrated at all the things I still want to do with the students!  But, as I sit here and reflect on our classroom use of the iPad as a learning tool, we are not doing so bad!

Because things don't always go as planned . . . next week I will also share some of the headaches or annoyances of having an iPad classroom and how to handle it without going crazy!