Instructional Techno K- 4

Volume 1, Issue 5

logy

January 2013

BVCPS

Inside this issue:

Feature Article: 1 10 Secrets to Unlocking the Learning Potential of the iPad Affordable Profes- 2 sional Development and Graduate Courses
Resources for 3 Incorporating iPads and Other Technology into Elementary Classrooms

10 Secrets to Unlocking the Learning Potential of the iPad

10 Secrets to Unlocking the Learning Potential of the iPad by Terry Heick was originally published on TeachThought.com, January 22, 2013.

1. Learning hasnt changed. The Zone of Proximal Development, critical thinking, transfer, backwards planning, clear learning targetsnone of this has changed just because the iPads in the room. When planning using the iPad, do your best to not think iPad-backwards, but content-backwards. The iPad is more flexible than the curriculum itll figure it out. 2. Find the overlap. The iPad provides access to peers, authentic communities, or content (whereas a textbook would only provide access to one of three). To maximize how it functions as a learning tool, consider what it does well in addition to what you (and learners) need, then find the overlap. 3. Insist on transfer. If students arent demonstrating an ability to apply thinking in new and unfamiliar circumstances, the iPad will engage and flaunt its magic more than it will promote learning. Insist on transfer. 4. Make student thinking visible. The iPad can publishso publish! Allow learners to share thinking not just with you, mom, and dad, but the local university, the group on linkedin dedicated to video game development, or organization in Calcutta that collects old technology pieces for use in tech-barren classrooms. 5. Publish the process as well as the product. The process of learning might mean more
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So the iPad, then. Pop cultures plaything and #edtechs darling. Its an app library, a media consumption device, and a mobile learning tool that makes yesterdays graphing calculators, smartboards, and laptops look like abacuses. So we buy them thenby the truckloads, in fact. We stamp them as district-owned, give teachers a few PDs that show them some tools and advise them on district policy, and then expect miracles. It is unclear exactly how and where we expect those miracles to show up. Student satisfaction surveys? Learner engagement? Test scores? The local newspaper? Creating A Learning Goal To establish how we can maximize the impact of the iPad as a learning tool, we first have to establish what kind of impact wed hope to have. In this case, well settle on understanding (as troublesome a term as that might be): Students being able to think critically about chosen standards or curriculum, and apply understanding in diverse, academic and non-academic environments. With that as the goal, here are some ideas. 10 Secrets To Unlocking The Learning Potential Of The iPad In Education

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Instructional Technology

10 Secrets... (cont. from page 1)

than the end-product itself. (Read more about this one here.) 6. Curate the work in an organized way Having students revisit and refine old thinking is among the many way learners learn. As they create concept-maps, record video blogs, make short films, or practice math computations, the beauty of digital work is that it can be saved, viewed, and revised in the futureand easily too if its curated properly. 7. Consider Project-Based Learning More than the projects themselves, Project-Based Learning is about the processa process of providing constant, authentic opportunities for students to demonstrate mastery of content. Almost everything PBL requires (outside of word processing), the iPad excels at. 8. Show me, help me, let me. The Gradual Release of Responsibility model works without the iPad. It will work with the iPad as well, only the let me part will be far more elegant and easy-topublish. 9. Clarify role of iPad while planning. Create a basic concept map between learning goals and the iPad as you plan. (The SAMR model can come in handy here.) This can help you see the macro view of exactly how you hope for it to function in the learning process, rather than something to squeeze in. 10. Ensure the ZPD applies to content, process and technology. While students may be able to handle the content, using an app or local WiFi network may stump them. The reverse can also be true (and probably more often is), where students can breeze through using the technology, but arent quite sure how you want them to use the technology, or may hit a wall with the content itself. The best iPad-supported learning will be within a students ZPD for all three areas.

Affordable Professional Development: Technology Integration and More

Offered through North TIER, a collaborative partnership between 13 North Virginia LEAs (K12 school divisions), higher educational partners (Germanna Community College, Colorado State University OnlinePlus), and organizations (EdTech Leaderss Online ). Located in the northeastern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, North TIER Partnership was started by the 2002 Enhancing Education Through Technology Grant (EETT) awarded by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education through the No Child Left Behind act. The purpose of the original partnership was to provide high-quality professional development to administrators, specialists, teachers and technology specialists in order to improve technology use and student achievement. Classes are $125 for 30 recertification points or $285 for 2 graduate credits through Colorado State University. Classes are online, students access when its convenient for them, and the typical course lasts 68 weeks including a week of orientation. Current offerings are listed below, and new courses are frequently added. Beginner Level Courses: Building a Better Classroom: Constructivism in a Web 2.0 World Cycling Through Science 2.0 Enhancing Mathematics Instruction Using Geometers SketchPad Get Engaged...Using Interactive Whiteboards in Your 21st Century Classroom Harnessing the Power of Digital Images in the Elementary Classroom Implementing Technology into Your Social Studies Curriculum Information Literacy and Technology

Integrating Technology with Marzanos Strategies for Inclusion Students Introduction to Blogs Reading and Writing in Your 21st Century Classroom Teaching Students to Navigate the Digital World Safely Technology in Support of the Struggling Elementary Math Student Technology Leaders: 21st Century Staff Developers Technology to Support Writing SOLsSecondary Upgrade! Integrating Technology into Models of Teaching Using Graphic Organizers to Promote Higher Order Thinking Skills Introduction to Gifted and High Ability Learners Instructional Coaching with Technology Journey through the Web: Creating Your own WebQuests Using Social Networking for Professional Learning Transition to the 21st Century Classroom Intermediate Level Courses: Assessing Technology Integration Blended for a Perfect Fit: Combining Face to Face with Online Learning Communication and Collaboration Web 2.0 Tools for Administrators Creating Educational Podcasts Daily Digital Images Designing Instructional Projects in Google Earth Differentiation Map It! Critical Thinking Skills through GIS Data Integrating Web 2.0 Technologies in Classroom Learning Lets Collaborate! Student Productivity and Communication Formative Assessment: Low Tech to High Tech Tools for Data Collection Universal Design for Learning Using Mobile Devices in the Classroom Virtual Environments, Games and Simulations Visual Literacy: Creating a Media-Rich Classroom
Resources for Incorporating iPads and Other Technology into Elementary Classrooms Sidwell Friends Schoolthe primary grades iPad initiative at the school the Obama girls attend Fraser Speirs - Scottish tech integrator, blogs about iPads in elementary schools Tony Vincent info on teaching and learning with mobile tech, with an emphasis on iPads Jennie MagieraChicago technology coach, author of blog, Teaching Like Its 2999 Advantage 2014primary grades literacy and math initiative based on a 1-to-1 iPad initiative in K-1.