I teach a technology class to future teachers (5 sections of about 30 students each + 1 small honors class) at Kansas State University in the College of Education. In fact, every education major has me for this class, I am the only one that teaches it. Good or bad, it does make for consistency.
Anyway, in the fall, I will now teach an Honors section and I just learned (yesterday) that my request to have an iPad for each of the students in my Honors class has likely been granted. Yippy Skippy! I am so excited. These students will have the iPad checked out to them for the entire semester. How cool is that!
Of course, there is a catch, first, I have to include information about how they will be utilized in my syllabus (by tomorrow) as well as, the fact that my students and I will be doing lots & lots of digging, playing and experimenting on how they can be used productively in the classroom by teachers, students, and administrators as well as personally. Ultimately I hope my students can write an publish an article about he experiment and even present at a conference.
So far, this is what I am thinking for my syllabus, I have begged and borrowed from many sources. It is too long, so looking for help in condensing it into something very concise. If you have suggestions, ideas, thought, please comment below.
Very, Very–ROUGH DRAFT
As we move education toward the future, there needs to be a balance between past, present and future, it is essential. Each student in the honors section of DED 318, fall 2010 will receive an iPad to use during the fall semester. Clearly, the iPad is poised to revolutionize the classroom in an abundance of ways. The iPad is likely change textbooks, note taking, turn classrooms paperless classroom, studying and reviewing, student interest level, and may help to individualized curriculum. The iPad will provide the chance to move into becoming 21st century as learners and teachers. The iPad will be in your (my students) hands 24/7 and you will experience “living” with the tech.
There’s an app for every student, every learner, any minute of the day. Ken Robinson and his book “The Element” comes to mind when I think of having students discover their gifts and specialties…..finding…”their element.” And, the iPad is a tool that can do just that…help students/teachers find their element.
The iPad is so new that we have more questions than answers at this point. Our research during the fall semester will try to answer the many, many questions about iPads in the Classroom.
- Where does the iPad fit in education? i.e. K12 and higher education
- Where does the iPad fit in each grade level and content are of K-12 classrooms?
- What is the iPads potential to change education?
- What are the stumbling blocks for school, students and teachers?
- What can the iPad be used for in the classroom? Is it a better method or not?
- What apps are available for use in the classroom?
- How will iPads have an impact on reading or the way we teach reading? Or any content area?
- Can the iPad move us forward to a paperless environment?
- Can the ipad move us forward in meeting 21st century skills?
- How about Project Based Learning, Differentiated Instruction?
- Is it cost effective and could it help save money in a school?
- Is the iPad constructed to hold up to the rigors of use by elementary students?
Resources for additional information
apptivities: Its applications of apps for learning: This website is the response to our challenge at the ADE Summer Institute 2010 at Full Sail University, Orlando, Florida. Our Challenge: Support teachers in using mobile applications effectively to improve student learning. Our Solution: The apptivities website at http://www.apptivities.org/ We ask our ADE (Apple Distinguished Educators) colleagues to contribute your apptivities, a specific learning activity using apps on mobile devices. A key part of our vision for apptivities is to provide media resources that give a “view” into best practices in the classroom. apptivities: Models for successful instructional practices with mobile devices
It’s the application of apps for learning.
This blog is from a teacher who began using ipad in their classroom last April when they first shipped. There are links to the previous post about the experience. 7 Reasons Why the iPad is Going to Change Education
iPads in Education 1:1 with first through 5th graders
Measuring the Potential for iPads in Education
Where does the iPad fit in education? from Ed Galaxy Blog
iPad in the Classroom, a running discussion on Classroom 2.0 site
The Potential of the iPad to Change Education
Wired Educator: An iPad in Every Classroom: First Impressions of Apple’s Tablet in Education
iPad in the Classroom All things related to the iPad™ in schools
This picture was made using green screen and PhotoBooth. Kevin Honeycutt, Mike Cook and others from ESSDACK built this VW Bus out of plywood. It was also used and the check-in desk and Podcasting studio during the conference!! In fact, this is what Kevin was working on when I interrupted and had him SKYPE into my class and talk to my summer tech class of pre-sercvice teachers.
Link to Photos from Kevin from the conference
I just returned from the Podstock 2010 conference in Old Town Wichita. It was AMAZING. I mean amazing. I presented two sessions, Celebrate Kansas Voices and the first session I did, Changing the Face of Teaching one Teacher at a Time was packed out the door. That is a bit unnerving for sure. But what a great group of teachers, it truly was the audience that made my session interesting, they had questions, and shared resources and had opinions. It was a rich discussion. Such fun!!
Actually, as I was walking from my hotel room in the very cool Hotel at Old Town that morning to the conference facility across the street, I was thinking to myself, “I sure hope nobody shows at my session, so I can to one of theother sessions. Man, there were so many good sessions. I am feeling very honored needless to say.
I do think it speaks more to the conference organizers Kevin Honeycutt and ESSDACK, for having the right variety and number of sessions for the number of folks in attendance. Podstock is just a different kind of tech conference. There is tons & tons to learn from the sessions, but more from the people. The conversations are so very rich. It is not overwhelming or high pressure. I don’t know about you, and I do love to attend ISTE, but ISTE is somewhat overwhelming, just because of the size. Podstock is small by comparison. I think the intimacy is what makes it so darn powerful. There really is the opportunity to get to know and talk to everyone at the conference. I met so many teachers that I now feel connect to. My PLN just grew, which means I grew and have more people to call on for help when I need to.
Everyone was sharing resources and things from sessions via Plurk. So even if you weren’t in the session, you could get the resources. My Plurk handle is (cyndidannerkuhn). I have been a Plurk user for some time, but, I always considered myself more into Twitter (cyndidannerkuhn). BUT, this experience really showed me the power of the conversations that can take place in Plurk. I think tomorrow in my summer class of Pre-service teachers, I will show Plurk in-depth, usually I do Twitter in-depth and just mention Plurk.
So, please be watching for the shout-out on both about 2:00 Monday and help my very apprehensive pre-service teachers learn about Plurk and Twitter and the power of a PLN.
I brought a friend with me to Podstock, Cathie Klein, teacher, Seaman High School, 9th grade center. Cathines teachs a career life skills type class. She had never been to a tech conference before and during our 2+ hour drive home we talked about the conference non-stop and how she could convince her administration that more teachers from her school needed to attend Podstock next summer. She told me about all the ideas she learned to integrate into her classroom this fall. We were going a hundred miles a minute (talking, not driving). Anyway, it is so exciting the impact this had on us both.
I wish more tech coordinators and administrators would attend Podstock next July 15-16. It would be an eye-opener for them for sure. I am sure it would hlep them move forward with technology in their schools. At the very least, it might give them a new perspective and get the conversation started.
My wheels are turning! I am trying to think of a way I could make PODSTOCK2011 a required part of my summer technology class. It would be such a rich experience for my pre-service teachers to come learn and become a part of the conversations with these amazing teachers. Not sure how to make it happen, but clearly, I am going to be doing some serious researching, thinking and likely arm twisting. If you have ideas or suggestions, please post them in comments.
So, I guess, what I am really trying to say is, mark your calendars for July 15 & 16 next year and plan to attend Podstock 2011. Join the Ning at http://podstock.ning.com/ so you can keep up on developments. You will be glad you did!! I PROMISE.
Links and Resources for Podstock2010 (I will keep adding more as I find them)
Podstock, or What’s a New Yorker doing at a Kansas regional ed tech conference?
Wallwisher site with tons of resource
Voicethread, the Power of Plurk
Digital Revolution on Wallwisher
Plurker with Podstock resources
Kimberly Wrights Website (Mayor of Podstock or was it Podsock?)
Diigo Bookmarks from Karin Bell
