iPadagogy

iPads are the latest technology to have captured the technology realm and also that of educators. As it is new and a lot is unknown about the fast paced growing world of applications, there has been some apprehension around how we can implement this in an effective teaching and learning tool within the classroom context while shrugging off the fears that it is only a new ‘toy’. While only being introduced since April 2010, there is already a lot of research and trials being conducted on iPads as a learning tool. Initially the technology project sought to use netbooks within classrooms to integrate web 2.0 tools. iPads had however captured the interest of our executive staff and having attended PSP meetings the buzz was all about iPads and the endless possibilities that it holds in education. It was this interest and intrigue that had our school purchase 15 iPads instead to begin trialling this as a tool. After discussion with my principal Glenn Walker, it was decided that the iPad project would have a two folded approach. The first would be to integrate it as a learning tool for students within class and the second would be as a teaching tool and how this would impact on teachers. A lesson plan was designed with that would encompass the learning, link our Quality Teaching elements while collecting how this had impacted on teaching pedagogy. The first of these was easy as the students were already keen and excited to use it. The program would include the four Gifted and Talented classes giving a range of stages. 1A (Year 1), 2V (Year 2), 3/4N (Year 3 and 4), 5/6M (Year 5 and 6) as well as a one Support unit class of mixed year 3 – 6 students. Engagement was obvious from start to end of the lesson. The difficulty was setting firm boundaries of instructional time means hands off the ipad! The second, teachers using it for Professional Development has been an eye opener. Teachers have been asked to blog thoughts and ideas on our iPad wiki. They will also be asked at the end of the term to write an evaluation which will ask how this has impacted, affected and or enhanced their teaching. Teachers have had the initial lessons modelled with clear learning intentions and explicit criteria stated at the start of the lesson. Apps have been carefully selected to work with not what the app can be used for, but rather, this is the learning and the objectives; what app can help us best deliver the learning? As part of the implementation stage of iPads, planning meetings were set up with the selected teachers to discuss what learning area they would like to focus on for the project. Two of the Gifted and Talented classes chose Numeracy while the other two chose Literacy; Writing and Reading. The Support unit class are using a variety of tools with the main focus being engagement. Gathering data in the form of scores also gave the students an objective. Scores would be posted and we would be looking at proof of improvement. This counteracted the student who rather than working on learning strategies in whole number in the app ‘Rocket Math’ to effectively improve, instead would randomly select as many answers as possible without regard to the outcome. Giving the outcome accountability, avoided this type of behaviour. John J Doherty and Kevin Ketchner in [|‘Pedagogy and the iPad’], discuss how the iPad is useful in teaching in two ways. Consumption; for consuming information and media. As well as Production; that is a tool for generating rather than just consuming content. While only in our infancy stage of trialling, I have noted that the classes using it for Numeracy have mainly used it as a consumption tool while the Literacy classes most definitely are using it in a production capacity. These classes are creating Digital stories via Storykit to write, give audio and create images. Younger classes are working with ebooks and adding their own voices to give expressive storytelling audio. Where as the Numeracy classes are using it to more to analyse their own understanding of mathematical concepts. There are many tools to test and practice recall.
 * //__ Ipadagogy – Pedagogy of iPads within the Primary Classrooms __//**
 * //__Why iPads?__//**
 * //__What are the iPad project aims?__//**
 * Integrate iPads into classroom learning as an engaging tool
 * Use iPads as a way to give Teachers Professional Development in technology
 * //__How is the iPad learning relevant, contextual and meaningful?__//**
 * //The Quality Teaching Elements//** and **//Blooms Digital Taxonomy//** will be referred to when building authentic learning experiences. It is envisaged by embedding the technology into the learning that this will ensure that the learning is foremost. Setting the learning intentions prior to teaching gives the students direction and the realisation that this is not ‘playing’ time only, but also learning.
 * //__What are the ipads in pedagogical context?__//**

A paper written by Punya Mishra and Matthew J Koehler called [|‘Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher Knowledge’] raises a number of ideas.

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