iPad Scout- Week 1

The iPads are here! The Bartin Bunch has been selected to participate in a scout for the district, trying out 1:1 iPad Minis in our classroom for the fourth quarter. We have been talking about it for several weeks, but when they finally arrived, the excitement in the classroom was huge.

We started out by participating in iPad Boot Camp. I know that everyone has had different experiences with iPads before, but I wanted everyone to pretend they had never used an iPad. Together, we went through some basic skills, such as how to turn it on and off, how to use several features in settings, how to use finger gestures, etc. As I suspected, everyone caught on very quickly. The favorite activity of day 1 was to take their own picture and set is as their wallpaper.

Allison takes a picture of herself.

Zack and Alex take pictures of each other as we explore Photo Booth.

Alexis and Kira help each other learn some new skills.

Throughout the week we learned some more basic skills and tried out a few apps. Some favorites were PhotoBooth (this was a huge hit), Spelling City, Edmodo, and Kidblog. We realized we had a few kinks to work out in using some of these, but that is the purpose of a scout, right? Other favorite activities were learning how to scan QR codes and take screen shots.

Learning to scan QR codes

Pete explores some apps on his iPad.

Learning to mirror our iPads to the projector. We discovered that we could mirror up to five at a time.

On Friday, we learned how to use Notability. This is a note-taking app in which students can type or write with a stylus, record their voice, or take pictures right in the app. We went through a basic tutorial in the morning and practiced making a note. During science time, we had our first really great learning experience. Since we have been learning about simple machines, we went on a scavenger hunt around the school. I told students to take pictures of anything they saw that makes work easier. Students were supposed to take pictures, and then type or write notes next to it that tell what the object does.

Sydney and Sarah learn to use a stylus.

I was very impressed with how students handled this task. The kids were almost silent as we walked around school taking pictures. Then we went outside, and they found many more things to take pictures of. I love how observant they were. They took pictures of little things, like screws on a table leg, wheels on the bottom of an easel, and door handles. We learned that taking pictures outside (on a beautiful sunny day) was a little trickier due to the sunshine on the screens, but everyone managed.

Olivia, Audrey, and Eddie find simple machines at the bike rack.

Clayton finds a shady spot outside to take some notes.

The most powerful part of this learning experience came when we returned to the classroom. One student realized that he could move the pictures on his note around. He asked, "Would it be OK if we organize the pictures by the type of simple machines we think it is?" Of course- what a great idea! I love that this idea came from a student, and that it took the learning to a whole new level.

Without the iPads, we could have done the scavenger hunt with paper and a clipboard, making sketches and taking notes with a pencil. The iPads definitely brought a much higher level of engagement to the activity. But with the idea of moving the pictures around and sorting them, I feel like this really enhanced the learning. When we returned to the classroom, students spent at least another 30 minutes writing notes and organizing their pictures. Then several students mirrored their notes to the projector and shared their images and thinking. They were completely engaged and participating in some very high-level thinking. It was a great learning day for the Bartin Bunch, and I can't wait to see what other adventures we have with our new learning tools.

The Bartin Bunch has an awesome outdoor learning experience- with iPads!