The EdTech COteACHer | Teach. Coach. Learn.

So, you’re going to be using iPads in the classroom? First step… Figure out what the first step should be! The word overwhelming just doesn’t cut it here, so I’ll just say that it took me some time to wrap my brain around the implications of this little project. This was a problem, and the best way I’ve learned to solve problems is to, of course, USE THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD! So, put on your seatbelts (fair warning), because here we go… : )

1. QUESTIONS! (Seriously, so many questions.) Here are several that came up early in my process:

What will be the primary goals of the program?
What classroom management strategies and procedures are going to help encourage a smooth transition from the traditional classroom to a digital classroom?
What policies need to be in place in order to ensure a successful rollout?
Which web tools and applications are supported by my school district?
What will my classroom digital workflow look like?
How can I make sure the students are being responsible digital citizens?
How am I going to make sure I am moving through the SAMR (Substitution – Augmentation – Modification – Redefinition) model of integrating technology into my instruction? (In other words, the students should not be performing the same tasks as they were before, simply with the added use of technology. I need to work towards integrating new tasks that were not possible before the addition of technology.) Here’s a link to a cool SAMR Interactive Graphic that explains this model more expertly than I can… : )

2. RESEARCH! (And collect data!) One nice thing about being behind the eight ball is being able to learn from others. Since there are so many districts, schools, and/or teachers that have started similar initiatives, there is SO MUCH information out there. If I would list every single resource I have perused over the past few months, you would most likely roll your eyes and say “Really?!” So here are a few that I have found extremely helpful:

Edutopia – Education resources (www.edutopia.org, @Edutopia)
Edudemic – EdTech resources (www.edudemic.com, @Edudemic)
iPad 4 Schools – Educational use of iPads (http://ipad4schools.org, @iPadWells)
Common Sense Media – Resources for children’s use of technology (www.commonsensemedia.org, @CommonSense)

Twitter has become a game-changer for me. It’s unreal how much information I can access based on the people I follow. I love finding teachers that have been through the same process, or are going through it now. I find someone new to follow all the time, and I feel like it’s one of the coolest (FREE!) professional development opportunities out there. If you’re into that kind of thing, of course… : )

During this phase, I literally made list after list of ideas that I found… One of the lists that I’ve had and have been revising since the beginning is my “lesson plan” list. How was I going to work these tools into my instruction? Which ones were actually going to work in my classroom? Would the kids be able to use them effectively? (At all points in the process I would digress to questions. And of course, that would lead to more lists. And lists of questions. I’m not even kidding.) So now that you have gathered some information…

3. ANALYZE DATA! Decisions have to be made, people. Is this app “in” or “out”? Will it help me reach the goals of the program? (See? Always with the questions!) Easy part: finding apps and web tools to use in the classroom. Hard part: deciding which apps and web tools to use in the classroom. This step actually has multiple steps. (Just to make it more fun.) I needed to define my goals, determine which tools would help me reach those goals, and learn how to best implement those tools in my new instructional plan. (No big deal.) So here is what I came up with as an initial goal list, which does NOT include the implementation methods just yet:

Goal #1: Model effective daily use of digital curriculum materials.

*ThinkCentral (online) – Electronic textbooks and other curriculum resources

Goal #2: Utilize digital assessments and immediate feedback to focus and drive instruction.

*SMART VE (online) – Online assessments (curriculum-based and teacher-created)

*SMART Extreme Collaboration (SMART add-on) – Quick polls to assess understanding

*Socrative (online/app) – Online assignments, quizzes, exit-tickets, and polls

Goal #3: Increase opportunities to read and respond to complex texts not readily available in print form.

*iBooks (app) – E-reader for online books, can highlight and annotate on text (Project Gutenberg for free ebooks)

*Gaggle (online/app) – Post files and links for student access during class as well as at home, respond to text electronically with classmates as well as direct teacher communication

*Goodreads (online/app) – Rate, review, and recommend books

Goal #4: Teach research strategies to preview and explore content, and evaluate digital resources in order to select the appropriate tools to accomplish a variety of tasks.

*Safari and *Britannica – Model best practices for researching online

Goal #5: Provide opportunities to create original products which communicate a content-related concept or process.

*ShowMe (app) and *EduCreations (app) – Combines audio with text to support effective oral communication

Goal #6: Encourage peer collaboration using online forums and interactive applications.

*Gaggle (online/app) – Create small group opportunities for students to interact and collaborate

*Whiteboard (app) – Allow partners and/or small groups to create collaborative products

*Common Sense Media digital citizenship lessons

Goal #7: Promote effective keyboarding skills.

*Typingweb.com (online) – Provides progressive lessons and tracks student progress with teacher reports

We made it! There’s light at the end of the tunnel! (Just understand that this is most definitely the longest tunnel ever.) Now that there is a plan (I use that term loosely here), we can start to figure out what the setup will look like. OOOH, setup! (This will include fun things like paperwork, Apple IDs, and organization!) SO EXCITING!!! : )

Thanks for stopping by! Tune in next time for some classroom setup fun!

: ) Brandi

The first one is always the scariest, right?

I am currently a 4th and 5th grade teacher in Florida and am about to embark on a brand new adventure. This year, I will have the (awesome) opportunity to utilize iPad minis in my classroom with my ever-so-lucky 5th graders. Seeing as this is an up and coming tech trend, I felt as though I should try to document as much of my journey as possible… Not just for those who are also passionate about the future of technology in education, but for me to look back on as well (and laugh at all the mistakes I am most definitely going to make!).

I am by no means any sort of expert on anything… yet. : ) But I know that there are a gajillion people out there who are trying to accomplish the same goal as I am. (How do I know there are a gajillion, you ask? Go ahead and google EdTech or iPadEd and see where it leads…) My two cents are simply going to add to the growing collection of resources available to those of you who enjoy reading about the successes (and failures) of fellow teachers.

A few things to keep in mind about me…

1) I’m now a social media addict. Not in the “Where did the Kardashians go for dinner?” kind of way, but rather a “How am I supposed to keep up with all the articles in my twitter feed?” kind of way… My point is that I will be including information that I’ve come across either through Twitter, Facebook, or Google+ (my newest addiction) throughout my posts. So much is out there, and we teachers are quite simply the best at borrowing other’s ideas.

2. I’m planning to make mistakes. I mean, not PLANNING to, but accepting the fact that they will definitely happen. I’m pretty open to trying new things, and I’ve done a pretty good job in expecting things to go wrong (as I’m sure you will see in my upcoming posts). Coming up with Plan B and Plan C, etc. is definitely going to be a must.

3. Apparently, I think using parentheses throughout my writing is important. If this is something that annoys you immensely (or maybe only slightly), I apologize. It doesn’t seem like that’s going to change anytime soon… : )

Thanks for reading this far (or maybe just skipping down to the last para), and hopefully you’ll come back to check out what I’m up to!

And as a preview, I’ll soon be posting on the process I’ve gone through so far… Can you say RESEARCH?

: ) Brandi

Planning the Adventure – Part 1: RESEARCH!

Hello world!