Our First Days of iPad Learning

Last week, we got our iPad Minis. We are the only second grade class at Keysor with iPads, because I am on the district's Technology Leadership Group (TLG). We are going to learn how to use the iPads in our classroom, and share the information with other teachers and students in the district.

Of course, my students have been very excited to get their iPads and get started using them. On the first day, we learned how to use some basic features and took a picture of ourselves to set as the background. We also went over all of the expectations and talked about the importance of being technology leaders. Students signed the iPad agreement, which their parents have or will also sign.

Since all of that went very well, I decided to be brave, and we ventured outside with our iPads on a natural resources scavenger hunt. Normally, we would have done this with clipboards and paper, but I thought that taking pictures might be even better. The students were very responsible, and they all did a great job taking pictures of evidence of natural resources in our school yard.

The following day, we used an app called Notability. First we went through a quick totorial, demonstrating all of the great things this app can do. I think it is a great app for second graders. They then import pictures, type, annotate, and record their voice in this app.  Then we uploaded the pictures we took the day before to make a natural resources collage. Students could move photos around to group them in different ways, and they could choose to type or write to label their pictures.

The biggest excitement came when I showed them the Airplay button on the iPad. Students got to take turns mirroring their collage onto the ActivBoard (using Apple TV). This got everyone very interested, and everyone wanted to do their best work.

It's going to be a wonderful learning adventure with our iPads this year!

Airplay! One student displays her natural resources collage and explains it to the class.

Helping each other as we install our first apps

Choosing "Just-Right" Books

Our main focus in reading workshop so far has been choosing books that are "just right." Last week we had a lesson in which we compared shoes to books. I brought in several different kinds of shoes, and we talked about the purpose of each. Students discussed that each type of shoe has a purpose, and it wouldn't work well to wear hiking shoes to a fancy occasion or to wear flip flops to go running.

In addition, we talked about shoes fitting just right. When I wore Mr. Bartin's shoe around the classroom, it was too big and floppy, and I almost fell. When I tried to put on a shoe that belongs to my four-year-old daughter, I couldn't even get it on my foot. Shoes that don't fit right are uncomfortable, unsafe, and can really ruin your day.

Books are the same way. We have to think about our purpose for reading. Do I just want to pick a book that I will enjoy, or am I trying to learn something specific?

Is the book the right fit? If I don't know the words, or I can't understand what I am reading, it's not a good fit. At the same time, if the book is too easy, it's not going to help me become a better reader.

To help us remember how to choose good books, we use a method called IPICK. This is what it stands for:

I choose a book.
Purpose (Why do I want to read it?)
Interest (Does it interest me?)
Comprehend (Do I understand it?)
Know (Do I know most of the words?)

Just as we go to the store or our closet to choose the "just-right" shoes, we have to think about choosing the best books for us. I am sure that soon our students will be excellent book choosers for themselves!