Using iPads with Students: What I've learned so far

I have a iPad to use with students, and I'm still not convinced of it's usefulness, mainly because on it's own the iPad is not a great tool. Instead, it is the apps that will make the tool valuable, and I just don't have a good sense on a lot of good tools right now.

What my students currently use it for:

We primarily use the iPad for three main uses: Qwiki for research, kidblog for student publication, and IXL, a website for math practice. The students will also use a dictionary app and safari for research. I haven't found many apps yet that seem to be that useful for 4th grade, particularly when I only have one.

What I'd like to get more of:

I'd like to get an app for grammar practice, concept mapping and reading support. I'm sure they are out there, I just haven't found anything yet.

Issues so far:

I have had issues with students playing around with the settings of the iPad, which is unfortunate. I should have spent a little time discussing what they could and couldn't edit. I'd love a way to lock certain apps, like photobooth, as when students should be practicing math, they are playing around with photobooth. Next year, I plan on being much more careful with how I present the iPad to my students.

Great Article about Racism in Sports

Just read a great article about racism in sports, specifically related to the commentary around Jeremy Lin. What was interesting is, without knowing the language used in academia, the author found the difference between institutionalized racism and the insidious form of racism known as societal racism. It is refreshing to see some one outside the field of academia and education have a reasoned, intelligent conversation about race.

 

 

Detroit Public Schools Improving Parent Involvement

A great news report from NPR reporting on the parent programs Detroit Public Schools has created to engage parents.  Some of these ideas sounded great, like a dedicated homework corner in a home.

IEP App

An interesting, and free iOS app to help parents keep all the information from an IEP meeting straight.  Rather interesting.  I'm going to recommend it to parents in my class with students with IEPs.

My IEP Meeting

from Free Technology for Teachers.

-Bill Stenross

Study Aids

As a teacher in 4th grade in a high stakes testing school, I've had to learn new ways to help prepare families and students for test taking.  This is a good website with resources that I'll be sharing with parents and students to help them help prepare for tests if they have an iPad.

Study Aids

Alberta looks at the united states, does the opposite

Dangerously Irrelevant has an interesting article about the Alberta School System.  We know our school systems need improvement, but I think sometimes we forget to look at what is being successful in education before looking outside education for ideas to improve.

 A recent article inAlberta Views highlighted the differences between its system and America's, noting that the United States is an 'anti-model' for how to do school reform:

By contrast we can also learn what not to do from reform in the US, whose education system is in decline. Its elements, implemented over the past two decades, are largely ideological: "market-based" reforms (the application of "business insights" to the running of schools); an emphasis on standardization and narrowing of curriculum; extensive use of external standardized assessment; fostering choice and competition among schools, often with school vouchers; making judgements based on test data and closing "failing schools"; encouraging the growth of charter schools (which don't have teacher unions); "merit pay" and other incentives; faith that "technologically mediated instruction" will reduce costs; an overwhelming "top-down" approach which tells everyone what to do and holds them accountable for doing it.

Is The Achievement Gap a Middle Class Issue

An interesting article about the fact that the achievement gap is becoming a middle class issue.

A recent study (PDF) by Sean Reardon of Stanford University finds that the achievement gap between the upper and middle classes is bigger than the gap between the middle class and the working poor. This should give pause to those who dismiss education reform as something that affects other people. If you're middle class, you're on the losing side of the achievement gap.