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!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
New Ideas and Affirmations - the 2012 SC Ed Tech Convention . . . Clarifying Direction
Is it really November? The past month has really flown by and here we are into the new grading period! Although classroom challenges can present weekly setbacks with our iPad integration, I've still been able to infuse quite a bit of iPad technology into our daily routines - albeit there is so much more to implement! Fortunately, I was recently given the time and opportunity to learn and reflect about the 1:1 classroom.
A couple weeks ago I spent three days at the South Carolina Educational Technology Convention in Greenville. Not only was it great to have the opportunity to see what other educators are implementing in their schools, it was nice to have time to think just about the iPad implementation. Face it, an elementary school teacher's day can be down right crazy sometimes! It may be difficult to complete the day's plans, let alone think about an entirely new way of presenting curriculum to students! So Ed Tech gave me some much needed time to think about my goals for the 1:1 implementation, and how well I am advancing towards them. Now my mind is racing with new information and ideas to try with my students!
So here are my Top Ten Technology TakeAways from SC EdTech 2012!
10. 1:1 integration of small devices in the classroom is in its infancy, but is catching on quickly!
9. Charleston, SC School District is an incredible resource and model of 1:1 integration. Their district shares experiences for other schools to examine while creating their own implementation model.
8. My feeling that it's not all about the individual apps, was reaffirmed - its how the iPad technology is integrated into the students daily curriculum as a learning and productivity tool. Teachers are truly the facilitators of "how to" and the students are the producers by "doing" the work or "creating" on the iPad.
7. Wiki Spaces and the Paper Port app are quickly becoming an online classroom for the students. These file storage sites and apps provide teachers with a place to upload word documents, PDF files, images, etc. Students then access the teacher's Wiki page or Paper Port site. From the storage site, the files can be downloaded and opened from different apps on the iPad - including iBooks, Pages, and DocAs.
6. The new DocAs app can help lead the way to true paper reduction in my classroom. This app is a word processing app, but will also open files saved on storage sites and apps - like Wiki and Paper Port. The really cool thing is that once you open the files, you can write and type on the document or file - even if the file is a PDF! The students' work saves automatically, and the file can be uploaded to the storage site or app - eliminating the need for a paper copy!
5. There is now a Smart Notebook app for the iPad - YAY! This app will open any Smart Board Notebook file. Notebook files can be uploaded to Wiki Spaces. Students then download the files onto their iPad and open them in the Smart Notebook app. ($6.99). I have began to use this with small groups in the classroom. It allows me to differentiate the lesson easily and for the students to be more self-directed in their learning
.
4. The presenters from the Charleston schools are a HUGE resource for Smart Notebook lessons as well as the 1:1 iPad implementation. They have created over 1,000 CCSS aligned Smartboard lessons for their district. They shared sets of unit lessons for each grade level k-2 and 3-5! Fantastic!
3. 1:1 iPad integration into the curriculum may allow for an easy transition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), as students are engaged in research and productivity through the use of the iPad.
2. I feel pretty good about the progress in iPad implementation for my students. Ed Tech showed me that we are ahead of the game compared to most elementary classrooms, but can learn a lot from the experiences of the larger-scale implementation models like the Charleston, SC schools.
1. True 1:1 integration requires a mind shift for both teachers and students. Teachers are discovering a new and engaging way to present curriculum and truly become the facilitators in the classroom. Students now get to engage in school curriculum in a familiar way - through the use of technology - but within the structure and discipline of school.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
iPad Integration = Purposeful Play
With the thousands of educational apps now available, students need to be given a purpose for using the various iPad Apps available. Some apps are informational while other apps are interactive. The children need to have a reason to use the app to get the most out of the instructional activity. For that reason, I spent a lot of time this weekend creating subject based activity and project pages to use with a variety of educational apps. In the classroom, we will be creating folders for our iPad activity sheets. Each sheet has a place for the students to record data about their interaction with the app, or perform research on a subject using the app. I am confident the app activity booklet will help guide the students' independent learning while using the iPads. Below, I've included a link to my school web page that has the PDF activity sheets for ELA Game Apps, Native American Research and Project, and Life Science Research.
http://www.oconee.k12.sc.us/webpages/bcloyd/ipads.cfm
I hope you find the app activity sheets helpful! Have a great week!
Sunday, September 30, 2012
iPads in the Classroom - A Work in Progress for Students AND Teachers
One thing about piloting iPads in the classroom is that there is a lot of experimentation and frankly, extra work! Not only do you spend time researching and looking for appropriate apps, there is the time spent introducing the students to the appropriate uses for the apps. Luckily, teaching is a profession where people are willing to share!
This week all of our classroom teachers received an iPad for professional and student use. Many of our teachers are tech savvy - but there are those who aren't quite sure where to start. For that reason, I want to share with my fellow teachers apps that are easy, free, and helpful in our daily jobs.
iPads come equipped with several apps that I use each day. These are my favorite and most used: Calendar - put in all your appointments, meetings, etc. It will sync with your iPhone or Mac computer and will also pull in email appointments from Outlook Mail accounts. Notes - a handy tool for jotting down information, those "aha" brainstorming moments, and note-taking during meetings. It saves everything automatically in the order that it was created. PowerTeacher - This one you can get free from the App Store. I love being able to put grades in easily while I am sitting on the couch and don't want to move! It beats getting up and going to my office upstairs or doing it at school, on those days when I am to busy or to tired to think. iBooks is another free one from the App Store, but you do have to purchase many of the books you are interested in reading. Also, it is different reading from the iPad, but I have found that I actually like it more than I thought I would. I use the Weather Channel a lot - you can program in your home town or your favorite cities. Since most of my family is out of state, I have my own children's, parents', and siblings' towns saved as favorites. That way I can feel good about living in the South in January! If you are willing to spend $9.99, I would definitely recommend getting Pages. This is a word processing program. It saves your documents automatically, is easy, and you can use it anywhere at anytime. You can also email the documents as a PDF for printing. Of course, there are hundreds, if not thousands more of good apps - these are just the ones I personally rely on each day!
Have a great week and be sure to share your great ideas with others!
This week all of our classroom teachers received an iPad for professional and student use. Many of our teachers are tech savvy - but there are those who aren't quite sure where to start. For that reason, I want to share with my fellow teachers apps that are easy, free, and helpful in our daily jobs.
iPads come equipped with several apps that I use each day. These are my favorite and most used: Calendar - put in all your appointments, meetings, etc. It will sync with your iPhone or Mac computer and will also pull in email appointments from Outlook Mail accounts. Notes - a handy tool for jotting down information, those "aha" brainstorming moments, and note-taking during meetings. It saves everything automatically in the order that it was created. PowerTeacher - This one you can get free from the App Store. I love being able to put grades in easily while I am sitting on the couch and don't want to move! It beats getting up and going to my office upstairs or doing it at school, on those days when I am to busy or to tired to think. iBooks is another free one from the App Store, but you do have to purchase many of the books you are interested in reading. Also, it is different reading from the iPad, but I have found that I actually like it more than I thought I would. I use the Weather Channel a lot - you can program in your home town or your favorite cities. Since most of my family is out of state, I have my own children's, parents', and siblings' towns saved as favorites. That way I can feel good about living in the South in January! If you are willing to spend $9.99, I would definitely recommend getting Pages. This is a word processing program. It saves your documents automatically, is easy, and you can use it anywhere at anytime. You can also email the documents as a PDF for printing. Of course, there are hundreds, if not thousands more of good apps - these are just the ones I personally rely on each day!
Have a great week and be sure to share your great ideas with others!
Sunday, September 23, 2012
A Gentle Nudge or a Big Push - Acquiring Independence in Reading
A big part of being a fourth grade teacher is helping students to become more independent in their academic environment. I have always felt strongly about this notion of independence and each year have tried to instill that in my students - mainly by providing a structured environment with an ample amount of modeling in my instructional practices. But with the implementation of Common Core, students are being required to problem-solve and think for themselves, beyond what my past teaching strategies may have provided on a daily basis. So this past week I got a good lesson in "letting go" thanks to our wonderful Science coach!
The Science Lab at our school has been booked with activity and our coach has been busy supporting teachers in their Science lessons. My students were scheduled to set up their animal habitats as part of our life science curriculum. When we arrived, another class was leaving. Our materials had been gathered but were not set up and organized. In the past we would have had this activity a little more structured and given the students specific instructions about the procedures of building the habitats. But instead Ms. Science Coach told the children, "We are building a frog habitat, turn to page 14, read the instructions, come get your materials, and build the habitat." Amazingly, they did it - ALL BY THEMSELVES and DID IT WELL! They proceeded to build their crab habitats as well, with the same lack of direction! It was a highly successful moment for my students and myself. The time crunch forced us to let go and see what would happen and it worked! That one activity has made me believe that it's going to be okay! My students can be independent thinkers and problem-solvers. I am now determined to take that success and carry it over into other lessons in my classroom.
The Science activity was a perfect example of reading for information and then performing a task. The Common Core State Standards have a greater emphasis on non-fiction reading and informational texts. According to the CCSS, Fourth Grade students should be reading about 50% literature and 50% non-fiction. Unfortunatly, many of our students may initially lack the skills to read informational text with great comprehension. But, fortunately the iPad classroom can now offer the students support and independence at the same time. I discovered over the summer that the iPad 2 can read any highlighted text out loud - whether it is on a web page, a text document, or a reading selection from iBooks. To make the iPad read, go to your Settings, choose Accessibility, choose Speak Select "on", and then set the speaking rate. Then while reading on the iPad, highlight the text to be read and choose "speak". It's that simple! Although I haven't implemented this in my ELA block yet, I am excited about the possibilities it may offer my low to average readers! I plan on trying it out over the next couple of weeks through our Native American research projects, and some new Discovery Ed non-fiction readers I am purchasing through iBooks. I'll let you all know how it goes!
I've got to give Ms. Frankie Broom a BIG THANK YOU for giving this structured teacher a gentle nudge . . . I hope it makes a big difference for my students.
The Science Lab at our school has been booked with activity and our coach has been busy supporting teachers in their Science lessons. My students were scheduled to set up their animal habitats as part of our life science curriculum. When we arrived, another class was leaving. Our materials had been gathered but were not set up and organized. In the past we would have had this activity a little more structured and given the students specific instructions about the procedures of building the habitats. But instead Ms. Science Coach told the children, "We are building a frog habitat, turn to page 14, read the instructions, come get your materials, and build the habitat." Amazingly, they did it - ALL BY THEMSELVES and DID IT WELL! They proceeded to build their crab habitats as well, with the same lack of direction! It was a highly successful moment for my students and myself. The time crunch forced us to let go and see what would happen and it worked! That one activity has made me believe that it's going to be okay! My students can be independent thinkers and problem-solvers. I am now determined to take that success and carry it over into other lessons in my classroom.
The Science activity was a perfect example of reading for information and then performing a task. The Common Core State Standards have a greater emphasis on non-fiction reading and informational texts. According to the CCSS, Fourth Grade students should be reading about 50% literature and 50% non-fiction. Unfortunatly, many of our students may initially lack the skills to read informational text with great comprehension. But, fortunately the iPad classroom can now offer the students support and independence at the same time. I discovered over the summer that the iPad 2 can read any highlighted text out loud - whether it is on a web page, a text document, or a reading selection from iBooks. To make the iPad read, go to your Settings, choose Accessibility, choose Speak Select "on", and then set the speaking rate. Then while reading on the iPad, highlight the text to be read and choose "speak". It's that simple! Although I haven't implemented this in my ELA block yet, I am excited about the possibilities it may offer my low to average readers! I plan on trying it out over the next couple of weeks through our Native American research projects, and some new Discovery Ed non-fiction readers I am purchasing through iBooks. I'll let you all know how it goes!
I've got to give Ms. Frankie Broom a BIG THANK YOU for giving this structured teacher a gentle nudge . . . I hope it makes a big difference for my students.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Few Steps Forward, a Few Steps Back
A successful beginning of the year has a lot to do with setting the stage for learning - getting students into the routine, classroom expectations etc. Some days seem to go magnificently, while other days we may want to beat our heads against a wall! Consistency is the key, of course, but these past two weeks have been a bit on the inconsistent side in our classroom. First, I took a couple of personal days to spend time with family visiting from out of state. When I returned, one of my students said, "It's about time!" Well, if that didn't speak volumes! Students really do need to feel that security we provide through our daily routines and classroom structure. On top of that, we are in the midst of our Fall MAP testing. So, with that being said, our classroom has been a little off this past week - including the teacher's schedule, up-to-date blog posts, and at-home routines!
We have been making some progress with our iPad implementation, but these minor kinks have set us back slightly. This past week we were finally able to complete our Photo Wall projects with success! I believe my students are really becoming engaged in the uses for several of our apps.
As mentioned in earlier posts, the use of the Scan app is a great tool for guiding students through research. For it to work, you need to create a QR code for each website. Follow the link below for a QR code generator site.
http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
I typically save the generated code to my photo album, then paste it into a word document to print for the students. It's a handy little trick that keeps the students active and engaged in research!
I'll discuss those "talking iPads" next time . . . have a great week!
We have been making some progress with our iPad implementation, but these minor kinks have set us back slightly. This past week we were finally able to complete our Photo Wall projects with success! I believe my students are really becoming engaged in the uses for several of our apps.
As mentioned in earlier posts, the use of the Scan app is a great tool for guiding students through research. For it to work, you need to create a QR code for each website. Follow the link below for a QR code generator site.
http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
I typically save the generated code to my photo album, then paste it into a word document to print for the students. It's a handy little trick that keeps the students active and engaged in research!
I'll discuss those "talking iPads" next time . . . have a great week!
Monday, September 3, 2012
Small Steps Can Bring Giant Leaps! More on Goal 3 - Reading Comprehension
Last week I delineated my goals for the year and some of my proposed startegies to meet those goals. I was much less specific in my strategies for addressing reading comprehension in my students for a variety of reasons. One of my friendly teacher colleagues even asked, "What apps are you using for reading comprehension?" Honestly the short answer is there are not a lot of apps to address this specifically. I've found that most reading apps focus on decoding words and phonics at the primary level. To review many of these apps as well as other subject-specific apps, Apple has created a special link for teachers and education apps. If you go to the App store, choose the Education Category, scroll down to Quick Links, choose Education Collections. From there you will see that Apple has divided this page into subject categories - love it! There you will find the educational apps dedicated to Reading instruction. The majority of these apps are wonderful for beginnning readers through the primary level grades, but there is really not much in this category for the middle and upper grades.
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewMultiRoom?cc=us&fcId=432100011
Addressing reading comprehension in the middle and upper grades has more to do with helping students employ strategies and build understanding of text elements. Reading comprehension encompasses three parts:
1. The reader
2. The text to be read and understood
3. The activity in which comprehension is a part
It is the strategies that we teach our students that will help them become readers with understanding. These strategies must be introduced, practiced and repeated to help a reader grow. Students must become aware of text elements and features within the selected material and learn how to effectively use those elements to improve their comprehension.
We teach these strategies and elements in a variety of ways - balanced literacy frameworks like the Daily 5 and CAFE or a version of, give educators a way to introduce those strategies and elements and offer students a chance to practice becoming aware of their reading habits. These best practice strategies help students become more deliberate in their reading - helping them to remain alert throughout the process and organize the information in the text.
So with all of that being said, how will the iPad help this? Well, the iPad becomes yet another tool to help engage and motivate students in their learning. For example, last week I taught story elements in fictional books. We read Freckle Juice by Judy Blume together which is at an independent level for many of my students - easy to understand, so that they could focus on the elements being addressed. We are now using the iPads to create a story board about the story elements of the story -including the characters, setting, main idea/problem, important events, and conclusion. The iPad becomes that "hook" to engage students into deliberate thinking about the story. To complete this assignment students are using the Scan app (free!) to locate pictures that go with the different elements. I created a page with QR codes for the students to scan that links to an image page for each of the main elements. This week the students will take the images they selected and place them in the app PhotoWall. In this app, students can choose background colors, borders, text, etc. For each image, they will use the text options to create captions about each particular story element. We will then share our work via the Apple TV. A concept that in the past I would have assessed through a graphic organizer, writing notebook, or poster project, now becomes an exciting, engaging learning experience infused with technology!
FREE Scan App
Being the beginning of the year we are taking baby steps with iPad integration, and this simple project is just the tip of the iceberg for using iPads to improve reading comprehension!
I can't wait to introduce my students to all the ways we will be using our iPads in our ELA curriculum.
In upcoming blogs, I will address using iBooks for novel studies and nonfiction reading - AND as a sneek peek - Did you know your iPad 2 can read to you? Yep! If you didn't know, I'll tell you how in my next post . . . have a great week!
Addressing reading comprehension in the middle and upper grades has more to do with helping students employ strategies and build understanding of text elements. Reading comprehension encompasses three parts:
1. The reader
2. The text to be read and understood
3. The activity in which comprehension is a part
It is the strategies that we teach our students that will help them become readers with understanding. These strategies must be introduced, practiced and repeated to help a reader grow. Students must become aware of text elements and features within the selected material and learn how to effectively use those elements to improve their comprehension.
We teach these strategies and elements in a variety of ways - balanced literacy frameworks like the Daily 5 and CAFE or a version of, give educators a way to introduce those strategies and elements and offer students a chance to practice becoming aware of their reading habits. These best practice strategies help students become more deliberate in their reading - helping them to remain alert throughout the process and organize the information in the text.
So with all of that being said, how will the iPad help this? Well, the iPad becomes yet another tool to help engage and motivate students in their learning. For example, last week I taught story elements in fictional books. We read Freckle Juice by Judy Blume together which is at an independent level for many of my students - easy to understand, so that they could focus on the elements being addressed. We are now using the iPads to create a story board about the story elements of the story -including the characters, setting, main idea/problem, important events, and conclusion. The iPad becomes that "hook" to engage students into deliberate thinking about the story. To complete this assignment students are using the Scan app (free!) to locate pictures that go with the different elements. I created a page with QR codes for the students to scan that links to an image page for each of the main elements. This week the students will take the images they selected and place them in the app PhotoWall. In this app, students can choose background colors, borders, text, etc. For each image, they will use the text options to create captions about each particular story element. We will then share our work via the Apple TV. A concept that in the past I would have assessed through a graphic organizer, writing notebook, or poster project, now becomes an exciting, engaging learning experience infused with technology!
FREE Scan AppBeing the beginning of the year we are taking baby steps with iPad integration, and this simple project is just the tip of the iceberg for using iPads to improve reading comprehension!
I can't wait to introduce my students to all the ways we will be using our iPads in our ELA curriculum.
In upcoming blogs, I will address using iBooks for novel studies and nonfiction reading - AND as a sneek peek - Did you know your iPad 2 can read to you? Yep! If you didn't know, I'll tell you how in my next post . . . have a great week!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)