Teaching students with special needs I love using the iPad. I love the independence it gives some of my students and allows them to use resources they would never think of. Some of the people that I work with only think that kids play games on them all day long or they don't see the potential since they haven't made changes to their lesson plans in years.
So what do we do with our iPad?
- Textbooks: Some of my students have the newest version of PDF Expert which allows their textbooks to be read to them. Great for my auditory learners.
- Create math review videos using YouTube. Kind of modeled after the Khan academy videos, I have the students create their own video where they show the steps of their work.
- In our building every classroom has an interactive white board. I tend to send my students the flipcharts for them to take their own notes and examples. I no longer need to send a study guide, just let them know what specific materials they need.
- Google Drive and Google Docs: We take all of our notes on these programs. Students currently are making their own presentations on the similarities and differences of similes and metaphors. They love when I comment as they are working on the page.
- Educreations, Screen Chomp and Doodle Buddy: I can put a problem on the board to be solved, they solve it on their flipchart page of notes and then show us the answer. I can scan the room to see who does not have the correct answer.
- Qrafter: We are just starting to use QR codes to check our answers and get to the exact page or app that I need them to.
- Schoology: Just started to use this for the 2nd semester. Friday was the first time I had kids log into it and get/complete an assignment. Comments from them "This is so easy."
I am pretty sure that as we explore and listen to the kids, what we have on their iPad will evolve. Am I always using the iPad to the best of our ability? Probably not but that it why I continue to try new things with my kids.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Our 5 Favorite Things to Accomplish on an iPad
We are so new to one to one iPad technology that we don't have overall building or grade level goals as to what we want the kids to be able to do. I am in the process of learning with them and trying to provide options on creating and analyzing instead of taking in information passively.
Middle schoolers are an interesting group. I never thought I would land here but I have been in this magical world for the past 13 years. After being home for 3 days last week due to weather and then 2 days worth of delays, I asked my students what their favorite academic things to do on the iPad were. In no special order here they are with their reasoning.
doodlebuddy/skecthes: solve math problems and then share with everyone in the class like an whiteboard.
youtube: both creating and watching movies. I had one student tell me that he watched his own video of how to solve equations before his quiz as a review. He got a 95% on his quiz.
PDF Expert: "we don't have to worry about not bringing our textbooks home." I have a select few students who have the latest version of PDF Expert 5 on their iPads. The love that it will read their history book to them. No more relying on someone to read it to them.
SIRI: "Mrs. S. it spelled the word for me." Again another sense of independence. Hard to be in 8th grade and have trouble spelling words.
Google Drive/Email/Quick Office: Access from any computer. They share folders with me and I can leave comments for them. I have kids that will check for comments during lunch and then come and talk to me during academic assist. I have kids that email me pictures of their new nephew because they wanted to share, drawings that they did while home for snow days and others that just check in.
Middle schoolers are an interesting group. I never thought I would land here but I have been in this magical world for the past 13 years. After being home for 3 days last week due to weather and then 2 days worth of delays, I asked my students what their favorite academic things to do on the iPad were. In no special order here they are with their reasoning.
doodlebuddy/skecthes: solve math problems and then share with everyone in the class like an whiteboard.
youtube: both creating and watching movies. I had one student tell me that he watched his own video of how to solve equations before his quiz as a review. He got a 95% on his quiz.
PDF Expert: "we don't have to worry about not bringing our textbooks home." I have a select few students who have the latest version of PDF Expert 5 on their iPads. The love that it will read their history book to them. No more relying on someone to read it to them.
SIRI: "Mrs. S. it spelled the word for me." Again another sense of independence. Hard to be in 8th grade and have trouble spelling words.
Google Drive/Email/Quick Office: Access from any computer. They share folders with me and I can leave comments for them. I have kids that will check for comments during lunch and then come and talk to me during academic assist. I have kids that email me pictures of their new nephew because they wanted to share, drawings that they did while home for snow days and others that just check in.
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