Although in previous posts I have presented a few cases that suggest further research is needed to determine some of the effects of iPad use on students, I will say that I did enjoy reading the article Touching the virtual, touching the real: iPads and enabling literacy for students experiencing disability. The part I enjoyed most was the emphasis on the importance of touch and gestures in our society. The articles comments on touch and gestures really had me thinking about their importance in our everyday lives. We communicate, learn, and express ourselves on many levels through both touch and gestures that it only makes sense that they are incorporated into the learning of reading and writing. We use 'haptics', the exploration of an environment typically through touch, to learn in math, science, art, and social studies so why not incorporate the same type of exploration into learning literacy. As described in the article, the iPad is proving to be an exceptional way to do just that.
I would like to take this opportunity to reflect a little on my experience with an iPad in the classroom. This past year I taught grade 1 French immersion and did not have any technology in the classroom what so ever. However, the Early Literacy Teacher did have an iPad for the students she would work with. Her iPad was used as more of a reward for students however their screen time was always spent playing French literacy apps that helped with decoding, fluidity, and phonetics. The students loved it. In fact, even my students that didn't work with her would somehow sneak their way over to her table just to get a glance of the iPad. There was a clear attraction here. The students loved it and the teacher enjoyed using it with them. The beauty of the iPad and it's apps was that students were learning and improving their skills while they were playing. In addition, the virtual touch on the iPad had students using multiple senses and brain function. From my perspective, it was a wonderful tool that I only wish I had to use with my entire class.
Next year, I will be teaching grade 6 French immersion at a new school. Upon moving in my belongings I was briefed on the technology available to me. I have a class iPad, class netbooks, a point to view camera, and an LCD project. I look forward to using these technologies with my students in all subject area. I have big hopes for the iPad and only wish I could have one for every student to use on a daily basis. I suppose in a few years that might very well be the case:)
You will love the point of view camera! I think I used it everyday last year. It is such a great tool to have students come up and show how they found their answer and show the rest of the class their process.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree, I use to have one at a school I taught at a couple of years ago and it was wonderful. I loved using it to show students models, and they loved using it for sharing. It became especially useful in math class. It think they are a must have for every class and they aren't too expensive!
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