Beyond the Apps: A Pedagogical Approach to the iPad #ISTE2013

This session was presented by Aaron Svoboda, secondary learning coach, Kearney Public Schools
@Mr_Svoboda

The presenter starts by saying that he is tired of attending workshops where the speaker just talked about neat apps or "hey there's an app for that!" discussions. He feels there needs to be more meaningful discussion on designing lessons with the iPad. He is big on Madeline Hunter and promotes the principle of pedagogical design and purpose driven learning.

Check out his site here: https://sites.google.com/site/svobodagct/beyond-the-apps

Why ipads?
-In terms of a modes of delivery, he uses Wikispaces or google sites.
-Kids want to use the iPad, so it automatically engages them.
-The iPad provides a contained learning environment - everything is right in front of you.

Tools he uses:
-Quizlet
-Youtube
-Safari montage
-Socrative
-Mentimeter

Anticipatory Set
When working with kids, he starts with an anticipatory set. Question them and give them an activity or discussion topic to start with. It can be a quiz or a sharing of ideas using one of the tools above.

Objectives and Purpose
Then he moves on to the objective and purpose. Not necessarily what you're doing as much as why. He uses Google Forms to get feedback from students on their level of understanding on an objective. Allows them to interact with the objective.

Instructional input
Ways material can be delivered:
-Slide Decks
-Video
-Text
-Field trips
-Slide Share
-Google presentations
-YouTube
-Google docs video
-Websites

Tips for instruction:
Chunk instruction. Break up topics with activities; provide opportunities for understanding.

Modeling
Demonstrate understanding to your kids. In terms of the iPad, the teacher should be using the iPad in the same way as the kids so they know where they are or should be. Do as you want them to do.

Check for understanding
This is something that should happen throughout the lesson. It allows kids time to process and digest information. Teachers should provide multiple checks and do it between instruction to chunk - see above.

Guided Practice
Students are given time to work with the information. Support is present either in the form of the teacher or peers. Aaron is a big fan of Quizlet.

Independent practice
Time when the teacher is not available. With making info available on a website, the info is on 24/7. The student can work and review at any time.

Closure
This he feels is often the most underused step in learning. This is the time when students summarize and share what they have learned for clarification. To show understanding he has his students use a google form to write/respond with what they have learned.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

There's an App For That #ISTE12

Attended a forum for the ISTE Special Interest Group on Mobile Learning (SIGML). Presenters promoted use of the following website, which provides a resource list of apps for most any mobile platform (blackberry, iOS, android) and any age level (pre-k to PhD).
http://www.tbrmobile.org
Many apps were presented, but discussion shifted very early on to the fact that we as teachers need to speak up and tell the publishers what content, interactive, video, etc, we would like to see in the educational apps we use. Results will happen if you ask.
A few of the super cool apps presented:
Frog Dissection by Emantras
Al Gore: Our Choice
Splashtop Presenter
Verbally - provides words and phrases and speaks them aloud for special needs kids.
News in Slow Spanish -actually a podcast - provides news commentary in Spanish -can be played at slower rate for Spanish learners. Available on iTunes.
Art Rage - painting tool for the iPad. Use a stylus!
Dropbox - cant stress enough how great this file storage app is! I use it myself. Access files anywhere.
Kobo - free books
Wattpad - free original stories
Skitch - Annotate over anything.
Puppet Pals - make your own Puppet play using characters and backdrops provided. Play back on iPad. Great for building creativity.
Check them out. The level of interactive content and productivity is wonderful.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:ISTE 2012 San Diego, CA

Apps with Aptitude

Cathie Loesing, Program Coordinator with the eMints National Center, presented a session this morning on the use of iPads in the K-2 classroom. She stresses that when using iPads and selecting apps for lessons that teachers should focus on the following:
Apps should promote higher level thinking
Lessons should prompt community based learning
Stress inquiry based learning
She discussed many of her favorite apps, but rather than have me pick and choose, I though I would post a link to her site so you could see the apps for yourself. She lists many paid and free apps. Enjoy!
http://appswithaptitude.weebly.com/
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:ISTE 2012

iOS 6 for iPhone and iPad

Recently Apple released information at the Worldwide Developers Conference 2012, that it would be updating its iOS to version 6 in the Fall.  A few of the updates include tweaks to Siri, Maps, Facebook Integration, Safari, Phone, Email and FaceTime.  But the greatest update in terms of the field of education is Guided Access.


Guided Access will focus on schools who use iPads in the classroom and for high stakes testing.  This feature will allow teachers and administrators to limit use on the iPad to one app.  This setting ensures that students will remain on the task at hand, rather than venture into other territories when they should be focused on one app.  This works by disabling the Home button during app use. 

In addition to this, VoiceOver will be fully integrated into other areas such as Maps, Assistive Touch, and Zoom, which will allow visually impaired students greater access to content. 

This change in the iOS is huge in terms of helping teachers utilize iPads as an instrument of testing and review, as students are wholly focused on the content, rather than having the ability to wander off in other areas that would tempt them to use other resources to answer questions at a time when their knowledge of content is being tested.  As well, the other accessibility tools make this update more useful to special education students who require additional assistance when using computing devices. 

How does this change in the iOS affect you?  What are your thoughts on this change?  What other changes would you like to see Apple make in the iOS to benefit educators?  Add your thoughts in a reply to this post!