Mid-Season Form

The sun has (mostly) returned and the world is once again waking up following another winter, and we're into full swing at Turning Point. Spring is always an exciting time at Turning Point because graduation is getting closer and closer. If a student feels she/he is within striking distance a light may go on inside and push them across a line they never though possible - graduation!

At this point in the year we're also all in a pretty good groove - not a rut, but a confident place where we are comfortable with out systems and students (if we're ever brave enough to feel that - it will likely be now). At this point, lots of our students are using the English BLOG for assignments, and the iPads are being used everyday, by a growing group of students in class.

Currently we are trying to further develop our roster of pad friendly assignments and are planning a teacher training session within a month's time. We've booked a computer lab at our site and have invited a handful of alternative educators from other programs in the HWDSB. The day will hopefully be a building day for BLOGs for these teachers and their sites. We've assigned homework and teachers are now compiling resources they'd like to have on their own BLOGs.

It's been nice to receive some teacher feedback, and we look forward to more. We've also restarted our student surveys in order to get feedback from the students. It's nice to be able to generate assignments based on this feedback, and it's nice to hear "sir, can I do that assignment when I'm done this one?"

We still need to find a way to incorporate the iPads into student creations (word processing, slideshow creation, etc.) - it's new technology for them, and the touch screen may be a limiting factor keeping students from typing up assignments on the pad, but we still have a lot to learn with this.

The next step may be generating a BLOG (or a section in our current BLOGs) that is focused on student collaboration and dialogue. It is difficult to have discussions in a self-paced program - students are rarely in the classroom with a group of students studying the same assignment, so we're experimenting with a 'virtual disussion' concept that will utilize the BLOG platform. We'll let you know how it goes, but has anyone tried something like this?

We're always looking for wisdom from other educators more experienced in these matters - literally, all ears!

Problem or Opportunity?

I find that it's important for me to occasionally take a step back. I need to remember the nature of this program - we are an alternative program. To be considered for enrollment these young people need to be what our school board calls "early leavers" - when I went to school they would have been called "dropouts". Regardless of the name, the fact remains that my students are my students precisely because they have  not had success at school before.

Now granted, most Turning Point students have known success at school in the past, in that they were able to complete at least two-thirds of their diploma before coming to us. In generalities, a Turning Point student is not the most in need - most have moderately stable homes, most are not hungry or worried about where they're going to sleep tonight. But almost all of them have had problems coming to school for periods in their lives. Whether the cause was employment, family responsibilities, mental or physical health - a lot of my students have had and may still have difficulty attending school with regularity.

 Of course, our programming reflects this. Turning Point curriculum is delivered in chunks, and our learning environment is 'self-paced'. As long as students are progressing (attending regularly, or at least submitting work for assessment and meeting with teachers regularly) then how and where they do their work is not important to us.

And here's where I will finally make my point. One problem I've noticed with the tablet project is the inability for students to do any work on these assignments from home. Now, we're not a correspondence program, but we like to give the opportunity for some of our students to start an assignment with a teacher in class, and to have the option of finishing up at home (or wherever they choose). I didn't consider this until I asked a student why he never did any of the newer (iPad based) assignments. "Because I can't take it home to finish it" he said. Simple. He wanted portability in his assignment. Too bad? 21st century gone too far? Maybe. But our goal is to help this young man graduate, and these assignments likely won't be part of that effort.

Now, as the post's title accurately points out - this 'problem' could also be an opportunity. We are also a college preparation program, and the idea that sometimes school has to be a priority is an important lesson for these students to learn. Sometimes you have to go to school - if you want to be successful with it - and so, an assignment that not only demands, but perhaps even entices a reluctant attender to come to school, well that's something - isn't it?

I'm currently working on some HIGH INTEREST assignments using the pad, hoping to woo these would be truants to come to class. And if there are still too many barriers for some to make it in regularly, then we will tackle that problem another day.

Anyone else have stories about technology (or any other 'lure') successfully drawing non-attenders to school? I've had good results with food in the past as well.

Keynote

Just learning the Keynote application for the iPad. This appears to be the best presentation app for the iPad. Easy to learn and use for staff and students. As well, the ability to save presentations to the cloud for use on all devices is a great bonus.

We've noticed that there have been a few issues around using the iPad and a projector for in class presentations. This, we believe has been remedied by using Apple TV as the interface between the iPad and the projector.

Very interesting to watch a class full of kids using keynote, the iPad and the projector. Things can get lively! But a noisy, engaged class is a good class.

Cost-effective Protections with My iBallz

I have to admit that I had some fears related to releasing the iPads to the students. We worked together to co-create iPad use and safety procedures.  However, I know 9 and 10 year-olds.  They might have the absolute best intentions, but in every classroom, things happen.

I was looking for an inexpensive alternative to the hard cases on the market.  My principal had a set of iBallz to show me.  I was intrigued with the design but further struck with the expense.  

iBallz official site

The company states that the iBallz are versatile and work with other popular tablets and other cases.

I found some examples of people dropping the iPad.

One test

I tried my own test, albeit tentatively, a few times.  The iPad simply hit the ground, had a slight upward 1cm bounce, then rested easily for the next test.

I am more confident in releasing more responsibility to my students now.

Issues

Just a quick note on some of the issues we've had with our project.

The biggest issue to date for us has been the inability to get supply teachers. A combination of the job action, a low supply teacher pool, and our unique location has resulted in a shortage of supply teachers for release time. We've had to do internal coverage which hurts the group dynamic as well as leaving the bulk of our release money untouched. Frustrating to say the least.

As well, it is not easy to get fellow teachers to use the technology. Sometimes we have to step back and realize some teachers are just not comfortable with technology. We will continue to work around this issue in hopes that we can encourage the use of this innovative technology.

Find my iPad!

Well it goes without saying that our biggest fear is having a student misplace or steal one of our iPads. We've turned on the " find my iPad" function on all of our iPads. This should be the first thing that is done when you bring the iPads to your classroom. Technology is a prized possession in the classroom and needs to be protected at all times.

The other day we thought we had lost one of the iPads, which sets all parties into a state of panic. We used the "find my iPad" function and in no time our frayed nerves were put to rest as we realized the teacher had left it at home. The find my iPad function showed us on a map the street location, which just happened to be the teachers house. All ends well!

Changing Culture

So we're about one full month into this experiment - and for the most part things are going well. We haven't 'lost' any, they're all working properly, and there are fewer student complaints than usual about our technology. However, things are not going as well as some may have expected.

To be honest, I am experiencing a little difficulty simply getting some students to use the iPads! I know - it's strange. I assumed I'd need to entice students off of them to allow others to use them, but rarely do we have more than 4-6 out at one time. I think there are a few reasons for this.

For one, the iPads (and all of the technology we're using this year) is a pretty large step from where we were last year. For some context, Turning Point is an alternative program designed to help early leavers graduate - we employ self-paced learning and are very flexible, allowing students to complete assignments around their job/family commitments. A common question is "do you use booklets"? - these are a staple of the self-paced educator as they allow students to come and go and provide a unified platform for credit delivery. Our students don't necessarily like them, but they know them (most have been in alternative education programs for some time) - and I think it is this familiarity that is keeping them from embracing the tablets completely.

Other reasons why students may not be embracing the tablets right away likely has to do with their inability to take them home (they'd rather start an assignment that they can take home) or they are not confident generating their work on the tablets (they'd rather use paper or the desktops - again, it's a known technology). I will deal with how we are hoping to tackle these dilemmas in later posts.

Also, in an effort to help expedite this slow uptake we are working to put more and more high-interest content on the iPads as well as assuring that each course has enough assignments to work on with the iPads. A "The Walking Dead" assignment using the first volume of the e-graphic novel was just added to the senior English courses and it has been very popular!

Hopefully, with time, these devices will become part of our school environment, like the pencil sharpener and the desktop computer.

Any tips on changing a culture?

Graphic Novels, In App Purchases and The Walking Dead

So I think I've figured this out, and it should be no problem but I had an issue today with some purchases and I wanted to share. 

One of the main uses for the iPads at Turning Point is as an eReader. The pads hold many more books than we can fit on our tiny bookshelf, they are current and shiny to our readers, and because we can share one iBooks account library among 10 (maybe more) iPads it is more cost-effective than buying a class set of books. 

However, that last bit of math only works if you can actually share your library. It took us a little while to figure out how to share the libary across a class set of pads, but I think we've done it. So wasn't I surprised when I stumbled upon a different way many companies are choosing to sell their eBooks. 

Now I should briefly explain - I've been a proponent of graphic novels in the classroom for some time. I think they're interesting for some reluctant readers, but also think that they're simply a new part of the canon that deserves to be discussed in a classroom much in the same way we study poetry, drama and the novel.

Knowing that, it is no great surprise that I investigated options for graphic novels. Now you can buy graphic novels at the iBooks store, and I did that first. But some of the most current material is published by more independent book sellers - companies like Dark Horse press, and IDW publishing - as well as comiclogix, the publisher of the eComic "The Walking Dead". Now these companies, for whatever reason, don't sell their books via the iBook store. Instead, they each develop their own app, or potentially, for a serial like The Walking Dead, they develop the series its own app - the Walking Dead app looks like this...

You download the app (no problem for us - download it to the account at iTunes and it pushes the app to the class set of apps) - and then you download the books inside the app, for a few dollars an issue (like a comic book) or a few more for a collected set (a volume). Originally I was worried about this because I wasn't sure how well I'd be able to share these books. Unlike iBooks the comiclogix app is a little more secure and passwords and accounts can be cumbersome at best. Nevertheless, so far it is working out well. I have successfully logged onto the same account on two different pads with no problems - the purchases volume was waiting for me when I opened the new pad. I will now try to install it on all of the pads. 

I will let you all know how it goes. Does anyone else have any experience with the in app purchase option presenting a problem to their classroom? Any benefits? 

Turning Point Blogs!

BLOGGING - Makes me feel like I'm on the Bridge of the Enterprise!

While it is much more nerdy and C21 I can't help but feel like a pirate radio privateer from 40 years ago. While this job is done with much more assistance (most bloggers don't codde - we don't even know how to spell it!) I still love the idea that like a pirate radio station what we create will be appreciated by our select audience, and that it could potentially help any number of people who happen by the blogs. I admit  it, I may be stretching it.

Nevertheless, Turning Point now have a couple of blogs! In addition to this one dedicated to the TLLP process, I mean. As of last week every assignment currently available for grade 11 and grade 12 college level English (ENG3C and ENG4C) can be accessed via our new English blog - TurningPointEnglish@blogspot.com. As many of our students are also working full time hours, an ability to access their assignments remotely is a major boon. Moreover, students can use the iPads (or the computers) to access their electronic assignments while at school - replacing the dated filing cabinet and photo copier methods.

The online format also provides a very user friendly platform for sharing assignments with other teachers. Keep in mind that Turning Point runs as part of the alternative education umbrella at the HWDSB. We are a ram-shackle crew of 30-40 dedicated teachers spread out over a dozen sites all trying to deliver every credit with some modicum of credit integrity, standardization, and differentiation. The blog platform can be accessed by anyone - and we are already making connections with other alt. ed. teachers out there who need resources and who have resources to share. Our teaching world is unique, but that doesn't mean that we all need to reinvent the wheel.

So I know we're slow learners, and I know that educators have been blogging since the early days - but I'm still proud of myself for learning another way to connect with my students. This isn't a game changer, and it isn't even really that tied-in with the iPads, but it's still development, still progress, and it needs to be celebrated and encouraged.

Check out our first curriculum blog TurningPointEnglish@blogspot.com and let us know what you think. Also keep checking for new subject specific blogs, we'll continue to work on it, but we're very open to suggestions/tips.

Early (Modest) Success

(Photo/Flickr Flickingerbrad) 

Well the fun has really begun at Turning Point. A few weeks ago we started encouraging students to use the class iPads using some of the new lessons/assignments we've developed. For the most part, the feedback has been positive. Everyone says they're 'neat' and they paw at them like groggy eyed kids on Christmas morning - and while they do get a little disappointed when they realize they aren't set up for gaming or social media-ing, no one has turned one down yet. 

For the most part students are using them as an updated library (books and videos) as well as a curriculum resource - completing assignments created in educreations, utilizing educational apps, and via the net on our new blogs (more to come on these soon). Which is pretty much what we had intended when pitching the project.

So far it's working out well. The library is more secure (they don't take them home the way they did books) but more interesting (newer titles, hook-y ebook format), it contains a much more streamlined media library (our computer population is pretty tired) and they don't complain when they get a new assignment (not right away, anyways).

We still are interested in what we can do with these in regards to assessment and student creation - we've asked them to explain their learning with an eductreation - but it's not perfected yet and we're still playing around with ways and means.

Ultimately the iPads do something that we expected but are still pleased with - the iPads make our students excited about being at school, maybe for the first time in a decade. These learners, our students, have, for whatever reason, not had success at some point in school. When they realize that they still have a chance to graduate with a meaningful diploma, they get excited. And when they learn that they also get to work with advanced, premium quality resources, they come back. It isn't a panacea by any accounts, but it doesn't hurt to remind students that learning should be interesting, even fun. The iPads will no doubt continue to be used in more innovative and enriching ways, but already they are helping our learners get the job done.

Progress Report Season

I had a lot of hope during this progress-report season.  The iPad has been a versatile, portable device allowing me to take pictures of student work, take video of their presentations, and record audio of conferences.  I think this three months has seen me procure way more assessment information than I normally would.  My thought back in October was, "This is going to be great; I can show parents EVERYTHING their child is doing."


Ah, then there's the "IF." If I only had more memory space.  If I didn't have to export files to my personal laptop.  If I could find an app that could manage all of the data.  What was originally going to be me opening up each student's Evernote "note" to show to parents became the traditional "this is what is happening in our class, this is what your child is doing."  Actually, this was the year that students directed their own interview, but that's another story.  Back to my wishes and reality, part of the issue is Evernote.  It's a good app.  However, when I learned that it couldn't hold video, I needed a resource for storing video to include with Evernote.  Another teacher informed me about Vimeo.  It is a web portal for storing video which you can access through an http address.  Upside?  I have a place to store all that video instead of my own laptop.  Downside?  Unless one decides to pay to upgrade their user status, they're limited to uploading only 5GB per week.  With recording presentations and evidence of collaborative problem-solving, I could bump up against that barrier in one day...easily.

I am leaning toward purchasing the annual Vimeo upgrade.

Conferences did go well.  Parents enjoyed listening to their child talk about their learning, their strengths, and their chosen areas to improve in.  They also appreciated watching and listening to recorded evidence of their learning.  It wasn't as "tablet-based" as I would have wanted, but it was the best set of progress report interviews I've ever had.

Syncing and Growing Pains

The learning curve in this project is quite exciting, if frustrating. We now have most of our hardware in place - the most exciting of which, at least for this avid typer, are the various bluetooth keyboards we are trying out with the pads.

We only have a few different kinds - one that is also a case, one made by HipStreet that the pad sits in, and two wireless apple keyboards. We're testing them out to see which we prefer, in different applications, in case we decide we would like more. And so far they are working well. Or, should I say, well-ish. One issue we're starting to realize is not uncommon is syncability (I make up words all the time, it's a condition) - the ability for disparate software and hardware to work together with the iPad.

For instance - we are using the Cloudon app as a cloud based storage space and document generator. We like Cloudon because it not only allows you to view .doc/.ppt/.xls files, but you can create them as well (you can't do that with the pads while using Dropbox/Google Drive - so far as we can tell). However, the first time I tried to use the HipStreet keyboard with Cloudon - it was essentially a non-starter. After a while I realized that you need to be very particular with the order in which you do things for the keyboard to work - and the arrow keys (something I desperately miss on the touch pad keyboard) are always a little funky.

I'm sure this will improve - with lots of parties involved (Cloudon people, apple people, HipStreet people) there is sure to be some communication woes - but as the pads become more of a known commodity in our world, and as accessory companies have longer to play with them, I am sure these inks will get ironed out. In the mean time we're finding the best combinations and running with them.

The BIG news is that our pads are now in the hands of our students - which will speed up this whole learning curve in a big way as well, I am sure. Wish us luck!

Has anybody experienced any "syncing" problems with other apps/accessories? Just curious. 

Blogging away

One thing that has been a nice addition for us. Is the integration of blogs based on our subjects. These blogs are led by the teachers and contain assignments for the students to work on. As a background many of our students do not have the ability to come to school everyday. The reasons could vary from parenting duties, employment to mental health issues. These subject based blogs allow for students in those situations to keep up with their studies. It also lets students work ahead if they choose or catch up if they miss school for various reasons.

Need a date?

Part of this project has been trying to improve productivity between my peers and myself.  We are a small team of four who have little time to meet throughout the week. Since we are also a program that has limited support administratively, it is imperative that we communicate and be organized as a group.  There are student intakes, course add/subtracts, counselling, graduation ceremonies and all around administrative duties to be done. The best way to do this is through productivity apps.

We started to improve our productivity through the google suite of software.  The reason for this was two fold. One, we were introducing the google suite to the students as it is a free web based software so it is something they can all use for life, no matter if they own technology or not.  While doing this we became more immersed in the programs ourselves. From that point it was an easy extension to see the benefit of the google suite for our productivity as a staff.

Though we use the google software regularly, there were some issues synching it to the iPad. The one area that stood out was synching the staff calendars to each other and the to individual iPads. The issue that became apparent was that items put into your google calendar synced to your iPad but items entered into your iPad calendar did not sync to the google calendar.

The solution was to get a calendar app that did this. After reviewing a few apps I ended up purchasing the app "Calendars". It is a simple install and syncs great to the google calendars. It is a great app for overcoming the Apple vs. Google software battle.

iBooks Oops! Finding Limitations With iBooks.

If this project is about learning, then I guess I'm doing well. And if the root of all learning is making mistakes, perhaps epic mistakes, then I am excelling! Let me explain. 

I am an English teacher, and as an English teacher in an alternative setting, I am always looking for books. Not just any books, though. They need to be high interest (I have reluctant readers, mostly). They also are received better if they are new(ish). Perhaps most importantly, they need to be cheap - like most English departments, the book budget starts small and shrinks daily. Thus my excitement when the possibility of using iBooks came about. 

This near perfect solution would work in so many ways: they could be current; they could be high interest; and they could never be stolen/lost/damaged (we allow students to sign out paper books, but we do not let them sign out the iPads). It seemed like a perfect system, and I still think it will work out great. But I have identified an issue. 

I recently stumbled upon this issue in a round about way. Here's my story.

I started by preparing a list of books I wanted to buy, and I downloaded the samples of these books - this way I could peruse the material, determine if it was suitable for class, and go from there. So I chose a book - From Hell, a graphic novel by acclaimed artist Alan Moore. The reviews were convincing - the text was compelling (the story of Jack the Ripper), I liked the idea of using a graphic novel. Great. Until I got home one day and decided I had better read the whole thing - all I'd read was the prologue (what was included in the sample you can download before purchasing from the iStore). So wasn't I surprised when I read the 3rd page after the prologue, and found a rather explicit (if short) sex scene! Now my students are almost all over 18, so this may have been fine - if I didn't get a GRAPHIC NOVEL! 

Nowhere in the description to the book did it mention these types of scenes, it wasn't rated for Adults Only, and without the ability to browse through the entire book (as you can with a traditional book in a brick and mortar book store), I was taken completely by surprise. The prologue included a pair of old men talking and walking by the shore, how was I to know what was coming? 

Needless to say, my students won't be reading From Hell, at least not as part of their school library. I went through the iPads and deleted it from them all. Fortunately, iBooks doesn't require you to purchase a class set (up to 10 iPads can share one purchase - so a "class set" is much cheaper this way) - but I will be more leary going forawrd, particularly when it comes to buying Graphic Novels. 

Does anyone have any ideas for previewing eBook purchases before spending any money? Am I going to have to go to a brick and mortar store, peruse the hard copy book, then retire to my quarters and purchase the now vetted title via the iBook store. I think it's my best option at this point - I just don't want to spend any more money unnecessarily. C'est la vie. 

#ECOO12

I had the opportunity to attend this year’s ECOO (Educational Computing Organization of Ontario) in Richmond Hill this past weekend.  I went with the mission of learning as much as I could about how teachers are currently maximizing student assessment and feedback with technology, particularly with the iPads.  It was also an opportunity to hear about how the education paradigm is shifting...from the top-down, hierarchical “Sage on the Stage” model that most of us probably experienced in our elementary and high school to one where the teacher is a facilitator and coach; students can access anything they need to know in a matter of seconds, but they still need to learn how to be effective in their search for, and use, of information.  

But, to my concern at hand.  I learned about two apps frequently being used to collect student work and allow the ongoing feedback with peers and teacher, and even parents.  Edmodo (@edmodo) (http://www.edmodo.com) is a Facebook-like social media platform that teachers are using with their classes to collect assignments, provide automatic and digital feedback, and post in a safe, social way.  I was familiar with Edmodo a few years ago but the format seemed difficult.  I’m sure the honest reason is that I was afraid of the learning curve I would have to work on.  I will be having my students create accounts and join my site this week.  

Evernote (@evernote) (http://evernote.com/) is an amazing app, available for tablets and traditional computers, with the mission of “Remember Everything.”  As a teacher struggling to keep track of anecdotal feedback using the Notes app on the iPad...read that as, I could handwrite this just as quickly but I wouldn’t be able to read it later on, and I’d probably lose the paper...I was immediately interested in Evernote.  It was easy to find to download to my MacBook Pro and I also found the app easily enough through iTunes.  There are several add-ons for Evernote but I won’t get in to them this early on.  I can’t really describe Evernote with justice, so immediately from the application itself, “Put everything in one place - your notes, images, documents, web clips and audio notes. Find what you're looking for using our powerful search. Sync makes your notes accessible across your devices.”  Again, the app looks daunting.  I’m sure I will find myself frustrated at times this year as I will be learning Evernote alongside my students.  I think it will be good for us as a class though, and good to see that even as I experience frustration and the desire to quit, I need to stick with it for the good of the group.  Part of my contribution to this blog will be to document my learning and trials with these, and other, apps.

All in all, this was a good conference, with some presentations that floored me, and others that underwhelmed me.  I came away with a lot of information that I am still trying to distill.  Please use the hashtag #ECOO12 to read the ongoing commentary that happened with, and among, educators and presenters over the length of the conference.      

Making Progress...Slowly

So we have finally made the last step - we've been cleared by our board to go ahead, purchase apps, books, and films, and get these iPads into the hands of our students. We have been waiting to get cases, but since the roll out will begin with a very few number of selected students, we don't want to wait any longer to wait for cases to arrive. 

In hopes of minimizing purchase duplication we've decided to distribute our purchases. We've divided our 20 student iPads into two groups. All of our apps (paid and free) will be available on all pads, and any free iBooks will be available on all pads as well. However, we've decided to denote half of our pads (#s 1-10) as iBook pads (where we've placed our purchased iBooks) and the other half of the pads (#s11-20) as film pads. We set up two Turning Point iTunes accounts for this purpose, and will make purchases from those accounts accordingly.  

The iBooks has been wonderful. We have a desktop at the back of the classroom that we use for purchasing (signing in and out of itunes accounts as need be) and as soon as I purchase a book from the iBooks store it is automatically pushed to each of the iBooks pads (#s1-10). Some of the graphic novels took a little time to transfer - but not more than a minute. 

I wish the films were as simple. We are starting slowly with the films (because they cost more), and have only purchased two (Paul Haggis' Crash (2004) and Gary Ross' The Hunger Games (2012)). Everything worked very well during the purchasing - clicked "buy", downloaded them both to the iCloud, and they both showed up on the videos "purchased" file on the pads. But when it came to actually downloading the films onto the pads - we've hit a roadblock. Or, rather, a huge puddle of molasses. Now we are choosing to download these wirelessly (we have a rather robust wireless network here at the college) - so that may be slowing things down a little, but this is taking forever!

Currently I am monitoring 3 different pads as they download those two films - and it's coming up on an hour with moderate progress so far. The saving grace is that this, like many other 'teacher tasks' is likely   only onerous on the front end (we don't imagine we'll be purchasing films everyday) - but it is something to keep in mind. The thought that we'd be able to identify a students' interests, locate an appropriate film that also fit said interests (proper DI), download the film and hand the pad to the student. That clearly won't happen. 

It's not the end of the world at all - and once we get the 10 film iPads loaded we should be fine, but there must be a faster way. Any ideas? Is this the best way to accomplish this task? I feel I'm aging as I sit here. 

Cases Cases Cases

We've been shopping for the ideal ipad case for the classroom. Though there are a plethora of choices out there to choose from, finding the one that is best for your class environment might be a bit more challenging. We are testing a couple of bluetooth keyboard cases to evaluate their usefulness in the classroom setting. Early results seem to suggest that if you are just using the ipads within the classroom and on desktops then the keyboard cases can be quite useful. However, if you are moving around a lot with the ipad, or have to use it while standing or in unconventional environments then the cases tend to be a bit cumbersome.

A work around can be just buying a couple of cheaper bluetooth keyboards (tigerdirect.ca is cheaper than the Apple store) that can be interfaced with any ipad. Then you just buy some cases that offer protection and versatility.

Elementary, My Dear Reader...

I was excited when talk of my joining this TLLP project began.  I differ from the other members in that my teaching area is in the elementary field.  I had, at one point, considered myself a fairly tech-savvy person, but I lacked either the creativity to adapt technology into my daily practice, or, I didn't have the technology available to me.  I transitioned to a new school last September and, by some accounts, it is one of those schools facing the "app gap."  I tried making use of the Smart Board on the rolling cart but the lack of wireless connectivity, the need for a 50' ethernet cable, and the logistics needed to move desks and kids to enable the movement of that juggernaut around the classroom proved difficult.  We also have one computer lab shared with approximately 600 JK - Grade 8 students.  How could I help my students bridge into 21st Century Fluencies when I was lacking the technology piece?

Fast forward to this summer.  I began to look at the functionality of 1 tablet in the classroom.  Luckily for me, I had accumulated an array of people on my Twitter PLN (professional learning network) who had experience with tablets in the classroom.  There were also several people posting links to "1 Ipad in the Classroom" websites on Pinterest and other social media venues.  When the opportunity to utilize more then 1 tablet presented itself, I felt like I could embark on my own learning journey, help others in the same situation, and more importantly, help my students.

My focus for the use of the tablets in the classroom is two-fold.  First, and probably least important, is to cut down on the amount of paper used, and hanging, in my classroom.  I love chart paper but, being an adult with attentional and distractibility issues, it can overwhelm me.  If it has that impact on me, I can imagine what it means for some of my 9 and 10 year olds.  With students creating, solving, and sharing on the tablets, and recording or saving these endeavours, I could have evidence of their curriculum and learning skills progress that would be of benefit during reporting.  

The most important reason, and also the main focus of my contributions to this blog, is for me to increase the amount of feedback and assessment my students experience.  The more they are able to engage in that feedback loop of teaching and on-going assessment, they are bound to make stronger gains.  I was familiar with feedback early in my teaching career but it was certainly improved and heightened by this summer's reading of How To Give Effective Feedback To Your Students by Susan M.  Brookhart (2008, ASCD).  My goal is to give my students more, and better, feedback this year and it is my intent that the use of tablets will help me in this endeavour.  I look forward to your reading about my journey and welcome your comments and questions.

Brian      

To Tweet or Not To Tweet

Well, I guess we know where this is going. By now, most of us know what Twitter is, or at least we know that it exists. Like Facebook, and MySpace before it, Twitter exploded onto the psychic consciousness of my students far faster than I could adapt. Leave it to the TLLP to bring me into C21!

As part of this project we have added a Turning Point twitter account (@TPointHWDSB) - and we have been slowly learning how we can use this. Fortunately, the Twitter app for iPad is extremely easy to use and we have learned how to "socialize" without too much trouble at all.

For now we are using the Turning Point twitter account as an announcement tool - since we are only two classrooms within a much larger college, and since our alternating schedule means that we don't always see every student everyday, it can be difficult to inform all of our students about upcoming events. So, we use Twitter for that - with it we can 'tweet' out to quickly advise students about changes to the day, to celebrate milestones (credits completed, OSSDs earned, etc.), and for various community notices (job postings, college presentations, etc.). Since most of our students have either a smart phone or a computer (often both) at home, and because Twitter is used on both devices, it's a fairly simple way to get ahold of our hard to get ahold of students!

We are also considering using it as another curriculum delivery tool, but we have some reservations. Because it is such a new medium, the board is not yet equipped with a Twitter policy, and the only advice we've received from the scant teachers using Twitter in class is that it's important to ensure students only 'tweet' the school account with a 'professional' Twitter account. Sadly, because our students are often transient and usually scattered, this extra step has the potential to slow this process down to the point of making it cumbersome.

Thoughts? Any advice on using Twitter as a curriculum delivery tool would be welcome.