Blog Post 2: Using Hand Held Devices in the Classroom

For this assignment, we were asked to find an article about using hand held devices in the classroom; I found quite a few that were really interesting and helpful ( I love when authors provide loads of tried and tested resources!), and will be talking about this one in particular:

Bennett, K.R. (2011). Less than a class set. Learning and Leading with Technology, 1-4.

Bennett (2011) introduces the idea that iPads are like personal electronic whiteboards. And, she suggests that they are "less of a hassle" for most school IT departments since (1) apps can all be added under one iTunes account, (2) apps are automatically updated across devices, and (3) IT doesn't have to continuously add/monitor/coordinate updates like they do for all the PCs and lap tops that share your school's site license.

Of particular interest are the many ideas Bennett offers for utilizing iPads in the classroom - the number you have available does not have to limit what you can do! Her article is based on real-world classroom experiences of pre-service second grade teachers; they are easily adaptable to other grade levels:

• Centers - if you have a limited number of iPads, but also have other media devices in your classroom such as PCs, lap tops, iPod touch, or a whiteboard, make each of them a Center that students can rotate in and out of. This lets your students experience similar apps/learning modules on different devices.

•  Partners and Trios - specific lessons work well in small groups, the number of groups can  correspond with the number of iPads you have available. Bennett (2011) suggests using an app such as DoodleBuddy (a small-group whiteboard) that lets the students use visual     representation to answer questions. They can save their responses in the iPad's photo album for teacher review.

• Teacher Only - the teacher can walk around the room showing collected pictures, use the iPad as a digital book, or use it for administrative things like attendance logs and parent contact lists. (Another source also suggested using the iPad in conjunction with a document camera so the whole class can see the screen simultaneously!).

Additionally, Bennett (2011) provides some "lessons learned" that serve as great advice for educators planning to use iPads in the classroom:

• Provide specific rules and self-navigated instructions - whether it's an instruction card or a list of instructions that is posted somewhere in your classroom, this will give your students a clear set of rules to follow each time they use the iPad so you never have to hear "no one told me".

• Organize your apps - Bennett (2011) suggests keeping all the apps most commonly used on the first page, and/or creating a folder to keep them in on the main screen - great timesaver and easy way to be sure students can navigate quickly back to an app they were working in if they close out too quickly, their finger slips, etc.

• Turn off 3G - To keep kids safe (and to limit "surfing") Bennett (2011) suggests using only your  school's Wi-Fi access to the internet, and to also make sure that any iPad you use in your classroom has to go through your school's firewall to get on the internet. She also offers the reminder that "most apps function offline, so you can still get a lot of instructional value even if your students can’t go online." - this may be a real selling point for administrators who are hesitant to introduce another avenue to the web in their classrooms!

• Think outside the app - since there are literally thousands of apps available, Bennett (2011) suggests not limiting yourself (or your classroom)  to content specific apps. Look especially for those that require problem solving skills and creative thinking - answers can be saved in the iPad camera roll or photo album, or even added to an app such as Dropbox or Evernote, so the teacher can check it later.

In addition to a list of resources, at the end of the article, Bennett (2011) provides a full page list of classroom apps that her pre-service teachers helped her compile - they include apps for curriculum, language arts, math, science, social studies, special education, productivity/creativity, and reference - very generous!

Bennett (2011) really provided a lot of "food for thought" since all of the methods and suggestions she introduced would be applicable to a library setting as well as a classroom. Libraries that are fortunate enough to have iPads can use them for teaching library skills, access to ebooks, as a reference tool, or as administrative tools. As Bennett (2011) points out, there are thousands of apps available, so depending on the needs of the library, there is likely to be some sort of app available that will make the lesson/task more interactive, more accessible, more entertaining, faster, more efficient - or a combination of all of those things.  A presenter at ALA mid-winter last year spoke about how the Dallas Library system is utilizing iPads - they have them attached to shelves throughout their stacks so patrons have easy access to their online catalog. So many ideas…so many apps….such a fun journey to find the best fit for your own classroom/library/students/colleagues, etc!

And, because I can never stop at just one.......here are a few other articles I read and would recommend to educators wanting to learn more about iPads or other tablet devices in the classroom:

Berson, I.R., Berson, M.J., & Manfra, M.M. (2012). Touch, type, and transform: iPads in the social studies classroom. Social Education, 76(2), 88-91.

Foote, C. (2010). Checking out the iPad. Multimedia and Internet@Schools, 17(6), 17-19.

Kendall, K.E. (2010). Continually emerging technologies: Will the iPad really change the way we live and work? Decision Line, 11-13.

Roschelle, J., Tatar, D., Chaudhury, S.R., Dimitriadis, Y., Patton, C., & DiGiano, C. (2007). Ink, improvisation, and interactive engagement: Learning with tablets. Computer, 42-48.