In taking a look back at the work we did over the summer and into these first few weeks of school, I am amazed at the amount of information we have learned. As you have read in my past blog posts, I like to joke about how much my son Aidan knows and has learned about the in's and out's of an IPad in comparison to his mother! I have an IPad of my own, but prior to the class, I was strictly using it for games, checking my Facebook account and work email. I knew that the IPad had so much more to offer and my goal in taking the class was to become more knowledgeable of this "tool" and not only how I could use it as a teaching tool/professional resource, but to be somewhat more tech savvy. What was most valuable during this journey was the opportunity to play around with some of the apps. This trial and error approach, although frustrating at times, allowed me to gain confidence that this old dog could learn new tricks. An even greater lesson was learning from others- whether a colleague, student or my son - and respectively teaching them something I had learned or discovered.
So how will I utilize this new found confidence in the IPad? Since this summer I have been using my IPad a lot to access my google documents. It has been very useful to access school documents, including lesson plans, and review or edit them anytime or anywhere (for the most part). Along the same lines, I had considered using my IPad at EST meetings to take notes and then share the new/updated EST plan via google docs, but I have just recently learned that this confidential information can not be shared via the cloud. I have plans to sit with a colleague who is going to share a different way to do this without violating FERPA regulations. Thank you Lisa for that important tidbit!!!
There is an app we were introduced too - Scoop It - that gave me the idea of using this as a parent newsletter based on a specific topic. I can use articles they suggest or it allows you to create a link to a website or article that you may have come across. Comic life is an app that I plan to use with students. In the 5th and 6th grade I typically have students write and draw the solution to a conflict or a bullying situation. I will now use comic life as a tool for this assignment. I have also considered using I-Movie for these same topic areas as the students in the 5th and 6th love role plays! It would seem that the possibilities are endless, but as a non-classroom teacher who has limited time with students, sometimes it comes down to logistics and the reality that the IPad is not necessarily the right teaching tool for every situation. As a person who teaches social skills, I feel students need a balance between screen time and face time...and being aware of social and online etiquette. Our community is not immune to cyberbullying situations and/or poor choices about what information students choose to share online about themselves or other people. Finally, with my 8th grade students I plan to use the IPad as a communication tool to get information out about the high school transition process. Last year I had created an email link to the parents and now I can send email info or reminders to the students directly (rather than chasing them around with flyers that then get lost or end up in the trash).
And where do I go from here now that our class has come to an end? I certainly do not feel that their is an ending to my learning. In regards to the workflow process, I feel I need to continue to "play" with the IPad and practice, practice, practice. I am the type of person that if I am not using a particular app on a regular basis, then I will forget how to use it. The difference now though is I know how (i.e. a you tube instructional video) or who I could turn too if I needed help. I really enjoyed the Ed Camp format and am hopeful that we continue to learn and share from each other about the various apps on the IPad as this adventure is far from over!
