Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Keith Fudge on October 1, 2011 at 4:18pm

This year we plan to purchase a classroom set of 25 iPads.  This purchase is being funded through a pilot project in our school district.  As well, lead teachers in 3 three schools where this project is being implemented, will be given an iPad for training purposes. We were wondering about purchasing 4 additional iPads for the other teachers that will participate.  Because, like students, if teachers don't have access we don't think there will not be much technology adoption with iPads. However, in some of our schools, upwards to 8 - 10 teachers may be involved.  Any suggestions as to how the other teachers in our project should be given access to iPads for training purposes?

Permalink Reply by Michelle Martin on October 1, 2011 at 5:33pm

This is a tough situation. After all, iPads are meant to be personal devices.  We ran a similar pilot last year with iPods. We found that some teachers had a personal iPod, so we only needed a few to give to the teachers. We had the same philosophy - teachers are more likely to use the technology if they have access to it on a regular basis.

 

Will your classroom set be used on a check-out basis?  We allowed our iPods to go home with students last year. However, only 6 of the 25 parents showed up to sign off to receive the iPod, and one iPod came back cracked. However, this is why we run pilots, right?  This year we plan to use the iPod cart for check out for the remediation block.

Permalink Reply by Keith Fudge on October 1, 2011 at 4:25pm

Personally, I don't think this is an optimal situation at all.  I would probably use the iPad:

• to train for the day when all students would have access
• to do one-on-one remedial or tutorial work with students
• use it to project resources to an IWB

Permalink Reply by Michelle Martin on October 1, 2011 at 5:30pm

I agree that it is not an optimal solution. Presently, our teachers do not have the attachments to project the iPad.  Also, some teachers are afraid to hand their iPads over to students. Thank you for your suggestions!

Permalink Reply by Matthew Carr on March 4, 2012 at 7:16pm

Hello! My name is Matthew Carr and I will be going into my fall methods and spring student teaching. I haven't had too much experience with iPads but what I have seen is that they can be very useful for teachers to teach all subjects. There are certain functions and lessons that each subject has and you can download that. I personally have used and played around with the lessons that each subject offered and they were very engaging and the kids would enjoy it because it is so visual.

Permalink Reply by rurik.nackerud on March 4, 2012 at 9:09pm

I had an iPad during my student teaching. Since then I have been teaching online only so I haven't had a chance to see what new apps are out there to make this more fun but --- 

When I was student teaching I used two apps heavily - iteleport and the iPad version of Bento. With Bento I was able to keep a running list of students, their grades, assignments, even extra notes. iTeleport allowed me to control my laptop from anywhere in the classroom. 

Now - imagine you don't have an interactive whiteboard. I could simply hand off my iPad and have the kids solving problems for everyone to see. It also meant I was not trapped behind my desk while sharing multiple resources and apps from my computer. I also had three iPod touches and I was able to give one each to my large groups so they could collaboratively compose ideas and submit them online. Once submitted they were available on the overhead projector (digital though there was a transparency machine in the corner). 

On the two occasions I was able to get a mobile cart the iPad meant I wasn't stuck at the front of the room - unable to monitor students computer use.

This transformed my formative assessments - active engagement was up...ahhh...if only the wifi at the community college I was working at during this time had extended to my classroom.