IPads in the Classroom Tamika Durrah ITEC 7445 Dr. Moore November 11, 2013 Emerging Technology Presentation

An IPad is a handled computing devices that...  Allows a user to gain access to the internet  Create and view video  Create and listen to audio  Run a wide range of software applications  Produce and publish products using various productivity tools  Enhance literacy skills

How do Ipads support the Vision or East Clayton Elementary?  To develop a community of successful learners and responsible citizens.  To prepare ALL students to live and compete successfully in a global society.  IPads will provide students with cutting edge technology that is used on a global scale.  Considering that they are becoming more commonly used in the workforce, exposing students now will work towards helping them meet the goal of being more globally competitive.

Who Will Benefit?  General education learners K-5  Students enrolled in special education program K-5  ESOL Students K-5  Students in the gifted and high potential programs

Reaching Everyone  Use the iPads as a tool to develop literacy development for English and ESOL.  Make iPads available for all teachers to use with all students.  An iPad cart will be available for teachers to reserve for classroom use.  Make a sign-out sheet available for all teachers.  iPads will be available for sign out to support specific goals related so special needs students and ELL students.

Requirements  Ideally, Our school would have two iPad carts equipped with iPads and a charger for each device.  Each iPad would have a protective case to guard against accidental damage.  The school would need an iTunes account to gain access to applications.

Technical Support  The CCPS technology department can set up training sessions for the iPads and the iPad cart.  Each grade-level can assign an “expert” to provide technical support for team members and download applications.  Schedule once-a-month Modeling Mondays to introduce new applications, refresh training and discuss updates.

Limitations  Even with two iPad carts, there will most likely not be enough iPads in a single cart to allow every child in a single classroom to have an iPad at one time.  iPads are not equipped to handle Adobe Flash, so many videos from the internet will not be viewable.  iPads do not have keyboards. Typing longer text can be difficult.  It can be difficult to store data on peripheral devices. Most information will need to be saved on the iPad itself.  There is a risk, especially with the lower grade levels, damaging the iPads.  There is a risk with older children of having them go to inappropriate sites or use this technology in negative ways such as Cyberbullying.

Estimated Costs  Each ipad itself costs about $299.  20 iPads per cart, and 2 carts at our school would run an estimated $6,000.  In addition, the cost of the protective cases would be about $50 each for the more sturdy OtterBoxes. This would be an additional $1,000  The iTunes account is free, and we would very carefully explore and use as many free apps as possible.

Potential Funding Options  Researching and applying for available grants.  Reaching out to sponsors and stakeholders for support.  Starting an initiative or program such as Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT). Many students have these devices personally already.  There is also the option of using another type of tablet other than Apple, which would be more cost efficient.

Benefits in the Classroom: Meeting Content and Technology Standards.  The iPads are rich with applications and tools that will allow our teachers to implement technology-enhanced learning experiences.  An Accelerated Reader application will allow easier access to AR tests. This data can be compiled and analyzed by the teacher to guide instruction.  Graph and table applications can support the Math standards for collecting, charting, and analyzing data.

Promoting Student Learning Goals  Students can engage in authentic learning tasks and project-based learning through applications like Keynote that can be used to create PowerPoint and slideshow presentations.  With the iPad students will have an easier access and more portability than a desktop or even laptop computer.  Students will be more engaged in writing across the curriculum as they will easier access to add journal entries to classroom blogs.  As part of the assessment process students can quickly exchange iPads for peer evaluation.

Benefits in the Classroom: Differentiating Instruction  There are hundreds of apps, many that are free, that offer reinforcement for standards taught in the classroom.  Applications like AB Math allow students to work at different levels of proficiency.  Reading applications offer the possibility for students to read books independently, with assistance by tapping on a word, or have the book read to them.

Benefits in the Classroom: Communicating Locally and Globally  Students and teachers can use features such as FaceTime to quickly and conveniently connect, communicate and collaborate with other classrooms that have iPad access.  Students can share projects, videos, and audio with peers, teachers, and parents.

Available Research  “Tablet computers, engaging and dynamic teaching and learning tools, are increasingly prevalent in K–12 schools and university settings…” (Riley, P. (2013). Teaching, Learning, and Living with iPads. Music Educators Journal, 100(1), 81 doi: /  “Devices such as the iPad now promote anytime, anywhere learning in schools where the student does not have to be sitting in front of a computer in a laboratory setting (Brand & Kinash, 2010).

Research Continued  In a recent study, the authors made the following conclusions: “We found that using the iPads for literacy instruction not only supported student learning, but students were also highly engaged and able to demonstrate unique and creative ways of responding to text using a technology tool that offers some unique affordances to users.”

Implementation Plan  Provide training sessions to introduce teachers to the use of the iPads.  The iPad cart will be stored in the media center and will be available for any teacher to check out.  Each iPad will be labeled so students working on long-term projects can keep track of which device they used.  One person per grade-level will be assigned to update and download applications and provide technical support.  Assign a team of student “technicians” to provide support to teachers and peers.

Reflection: What I learned  Apple has a section on their website dedicated to educational use of their products.  Applications can be downloaded on a computer through iTunes and automatically updated to devices remotely.  Many educators who are already using iPads in the classroom admit that implementing them is a long process.

Reflection: Professional Impact  I picked up quite a few tips on analyzing the effectiveness of different applications in the classroom  These devices can be beneficial to teachers as well as students at East Clayton as we strive to fulfill our vision. I currently use a tablet by Google during instruction, and look forward to one day having tablets for my students.  The following article gives a lot of insight and ideas about how to use these devices for literacy instruction.  Hutchison, A., Beschorner, B., & Schmidt-Crawford, D. (2012). Exploring the Use of the iPad for Literacy Learning. Reading Teacher,66(1), doi: /TRTR.01090