Here are some of highlights of the week:
- In math, we used our iPads to show work on different problems. We used Notability, which we had used the previous week. In this app students can show their work by typing or annotating (with their finger or stylus). The most powerful part of this is being able to mirror their work to my desktop computer, which then shows on our projector. This is much more efficient than students coming up to the board to recreate their work to show the class. Students have gotten really good at mirroring their iPad to the board. It is very engaging because they want their work to be selected, so everyone stays focused and does their best work.
- In addition, we used the app Educreations in math. It is similar to Notability, in that students can annotate and show their work. Another great feature of that app is that students can record their work, both the writing and their voice, and save it as a video. Students practiced solving problems, while explaining their thinking aloud and recording it. Again- engagement was high, and the quality of work was great.
- This week students installed their first apps from the App Store. To do this, they needed to know their Apple ID passwords. These are pretty long (which makes them more secure), so it often took a few tries to type them in correctly. We installed a poetry app, to go along with our writing unit, as well as a counting money app, to use in math rotations next week. One thing that was interesting- I had originally found a different poetry app I wanted to use, but the students could not install it on their iPads. I hadn't realized that it was set as ages 12+, so the filter wouldn't allow it. That's just another way that our students are being protected from inappropriate content.
- In addition, I created a Dropbox account for the class, and each student set it up on their iPads. They each have a folder in the Dropbox. It is one way that they can share documents with me and with each other. Since my students can't take their iPads home, it is also a way for them to share some of their work with their families. They can open the Dropbox on any computer. I know that it may fill up quickly, so we will careful about how much we put into it, probably just 1-2 files per week. Hopefully that will last us the next six weeks.
-On Friday, we used Kidblog on our iPads. We have been blogging all year on the laptops using Kidblog, so I wanted to see if it would work on the iPads. We had tried using the Kidblog app a few times, but students were not able to publish. On Friday we decided to just use kidblog through the Safari browser, and it worked pretty well. Students blogged about their experiences so far with the iPads. You can see their blog posts here- www.kidblog.org/bartinbunch
As usual, they have some great ideas, and I love learning about what they think is most important.
Things that didn't go as well:
- We had some problems with Safari this week. Mrs. Handley, our fabulous technology specialist) had to collect all of the iPads and change some setting, and by the end of the week, all was fixed. Thank goodness for Mrs. Handley!
- We also had some kinks with Edmodo. Our district tech gurus were on the case, and they got it working for us. We are so lucky to have such smart and hard-working people working behind the scenes.
- Google Docs is not working right now. I am sure our above-mentioned district tech gurus will figure this out soon. I have created some Google forms that I want to use with kids.
- I am learning about what is filtered and what is not. Things that work on my iPad do not always work on the students' iPads. For example, I had a YouTube video I wanted students to watch, but it wouldn't let them open it. I am sure this is for a very good reason, as YouTube has a lot of content that can be inappropriate for kids. I just need to think ahead and find ways to share some of the content I want them to have, while still keeping their safety in mind.
Overall, it's been a good learning experience for the students and me. I am looking forward to using the knowledge and skills we have gained so far as we venture into even more exciting uses with this new technology.
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