Ipods+-+Jessica,+Steve,+Micaela

=Ipods= = 3-D Project Legacy =

** How do we know we have been successful? **

1. Students are reporting on their experience - (2 - 3 students sharing - recorded on video) attach videos 14 videos of Grade 9 students reporting on their experience are attached to this page. 2. Students have acquired new technology skills that they had not had previously - please see the 21st century list below Some students in our classes had never used an iPod touch before, although many had. Introducing them to this technology, and allowing them to experience and explore this technology in the classroom has set them up to be confident when needing to work with new technology in the future. Having positive experiences with the iPod touch, and being able to discuss and work through their difficulties with the technology should foster the attitudes needed as they venture through school in the 21st century.

Basic, scientific and technological literacies- All students, whether they were in Grade 1 or Grade 9, "gifted" or "special needs", were easily able to familiarize themselves with the simple format of the iPod touches. Although some needed help to get started, it generally only took a couple of minutes before they were off and running with this technology.

The students were also eager to help eachother become familiar with the technology. Tips on how to use apps, search for apps, how to type quickly, and use other functions spread around the classroom quickly!

Visual and information literacies- Grade 9 Science Space Exploration. Many of the apps used in this unit were visual in nature to allow students to experience space in a variety of ways. Apps used: **Space Pic Free** which had a variety of amazing images from space, **Sky View free** which shows images of the constellations and where they would be found in the sky from the position that you are in right now, **SkyOrb3D** which had images and corresponding information about our moon, the planets that we can see from Earth, various stars in our night sky, and constellations, **NASA Lunar Electric Rover** which was a simulator/game activity where students could control the lunar rover across the surface of the moon to designated points, the **NASA** app outlines the launch schedule, previous missions, and has many images and videos of these missions, **Hubblesite** goes through a slideshow of breathtaking images from the Hubble space telescope, **Hubble** has both images and videos from the Hubble space telescope, **Discovery News** provided students with daily top stories that displayed a photo and writen information (ex. June 10th, 2011 Voyager: Solar System Edge is Bubbly and 'Frothy'), **Brainpop** is a favourite of students of all ages. It provides a daily feature movie, with quiz questions and other activities. The daily movies and choice movies from different subject areas are free, but the entire selection is not available using the iPod touch app. The movie and quiz on Mars was used in my classroom this term. **AstroApp** displays a video of the space shuttle crew, a photo of all of the astronauts currently working for NASA, the past missions, and a blank space suit where students can upload a photo of themselves, **APODviewlite** has daily stories from space with images to go along with the information presented, **APOD** provide the app for the Astronomy Picture of the Day, with a new image everyday (a good way to start or end a class on Space Exploration), **Planets** app was used to find the current visibility of other planets from Earth at the current time, and to see a 3-D view of the constellations from our position using a variety of images (x-ray, visible light, infrared). My students also used this app as a research tool to find information on the planets. **Distant suns** is a great app that provides the altitude and azimuth coordinates of stars and planets from our position on Earth, along with an image of what ever cellestial body one could possibly be searching for.

From an elementary perspective, a teacher is consistently looking for tools that meet different learning styles. With the iPod apps, the majority is visual and students can vary their choices to what they prefer. For example, when my students were learning about fractions, they could choose to watch a short video using the iPods that explain fractions, or they could experiment with another app to discover how fractions worked. Both had a similar outcome and the students were left with a choice. The apps that my students enjoyed were **Rocket Math, Brain Pop, Online books, Shadow Play, Word Warp, and Sparklefish.** We also explored measurement using the iPods. The students enjoyed measuring using the ruler apps and also took pictures of approximate lengths using the camera.

Multicultural literacy and global awareness- I feel that by using the iPod touches to experience their learning about Space Technology, students were able to make stronger connections to the global importance of space exploration. By using the Astroapp students could see that astronauts come from all cultural backgrounds, and from all over the world. Space exploration is a common goal on our entire planet, and it unifies human beings as all being from the same "small rock", circulating the sun, moving in the middle of the Milky Way galaxy, somewhere in the vast universe. This view of our planet helps students to see our similarities rather than our cultural differences.

Using the iPods in my Social class enabled my students to complete research on Albertan explorers. The students had a change to discover how our towns, landmarks, and cultures were influenced by these great individuals. The iPods, as a tool, gave my students the freedom to look deeper into our history and see connections to our life now. They also had the ability to make voice memos on what they were learning for future reference.

Inventive thinking- Students were able to use the iPod touch apps of their choice to take notes and answer review questions in my Science 9 class. They found some of the suggested apps to be difficult to use (Dragon Dictation), but were able to adapt and use those they felt more comfortable with (iTalk, Notes, etc.). As a Math 8 incentive, I would allow students to play a game on the iPods at the end of a lesson if they could make a Math connection and explain it to me. Students were very skilled at finding a Math connection to almost any game (angles for Angry Birds, ratios for recipes in cooking, strategies for mousetrap. etc.). This allowed them to be engaged in their Math lesson and to use their knowlegde in new and fun ways.

Effective Communication- Although the iPod touches were not generally used as a communication tool in my class this year, I can see them being used this way in the future. Students should be able to bring up their Edmodo accounts in class and complete much of their work online using the iPod touches. I did get students to record answers to questions using iTalk, and was able to bring up their recorded answers at a later time to assess their understanding of the topic being studied. This was especially beneficial in assessing my Grade 9 student with special needs. He sometimes has trouble expressing himself in writing, but was able to record his voice instead, which saved a great amount of his class time. This time saver benefitted many other students as well, especially those who are reluctant writers.

The iPods were incredibly helpful to my students who were reluctant to read with expression. They used the voice memo or iTalk app to record their written stories with proper expression. The best part about this was their freedom to delete and start over again if they didn't like their final product.

High Productivity and Quality, State-of-the-Art results- Using certain app functions on the iPod touches has allowed students to complete work more quickly and efficiently in the classroom (iTalk, iProRecorder). Students have been quite engaged due to the novelty of the technology, and have therefore been more focused on their learning and the production of good quality work. We used the video tool to record a simulation activity of the small space on the International Space station that astronauts and scientist experience if they are working in space. Students showed a more focused approach to the production of this simulation, as they were made aware that they would be recorded.

When students were using the iPods, they took assignments seriously and I saw students become meticulous in their work. The focus improved and there was a "big business" vibe in the classroom. This is could be the novelty of new technology - but I'll take it!

3. Students have learned about digital citzenship - please see the digital citizenship list of skills below Digital citizenship was presented before the iPods were to be used by the students in my classes. Mainly the issue of photo taking and video taking was discussed. We talked about how one would feel if photos or videos of them were posted on the internet without their permission. We came up with the rule that you needed to ask before taking a photo or video of anyone at any time. The middle school students had heard of digital citizenship before (likely due to Health class presentations), but the elementary classes were not as familiar.

My students were aware of digital citizenship before we started using the iPods because of health class. For the most part, my students needed a review of taking pictures and videos. We discussed privacy, manners, and ethics.

4. How has our teaching changed? What practices will you continue? My teaching was made easier by having the iPod touches available to me in that I did not have to book the laptops in order for my students to have the internet available to them as a classroom resource. This was a great tool to have at our fingertips on a regular basis. My planning and preparation for classes was changed, as I spent more time looking for ways that students could use the technology to improve upon their learning in my class (searching for apps, figuring out how the apps work, etc.) I will continue to seek out new and exciting ways to integrate O technology into my lesson plans.

I agree! This type of teaching is right up my ally! For myself, I crave the need to learn as my year progresses and having the iPods available increased my creativity in planning, and my lessons were much more active. The students became seekers and I was no longer the giver.

5. What are some best practices? Make sure to assign a numbered iPod touch to each student so that they become responsible for that iPod. This gives them a sense of ownership, and allowed us to track a missing iPod to a certain student fairly easily. Have the students put the iPods down and flip them over when they need to be listening and focused on instruction. If this is not clearly stated when students start using the iPods, they can become a distraction in the classroom. If possible, have plenty of time for students to explore the iPod and apps before implementing them into a specific lesson. This allows the students to become familiar with the technology before needing to use it for a specific task or classroom activity.

6. Listing what I have learned and what were some of the challenges I have learned that iPods are a great tool to have in the classroom. The challenge lies in the fact that there are so many possibilities with the apps, that it sometimes can become overwhelming. I have learned that students with learning disabilities can greatly benefit by using the iPods, as they can provide some educational tools that make work easier and less time consuming for these students. iPods have proven to be a great classroom incentive, helping students to remain focused in class in order to earn time to use this technology. Other challenges: The Wi-fi at our school was not always working well for all iPods, Free apps would need to be re-uploaded after a certain amount of time if they were trials.

The size and weight of the case was a challenge. Jessica and I had to haul the case and it was sometimes very difficult. Possibly a lighter/smaller case could be used in the future? 7. Personal growth as a learner on an online collaborative environment. I was quite diligent in my posting of the iPod use for the first few weeks of this project. Later on in the project, I haven't been so great at getting posts up in a timely manner. I like being able to read Micaela's posts, to see how she is using the iPods with the students in our school; but I have to admit that I haven't had much time to go through the posts of the others' who have participated in this project, other than on the first PD day where we had time to explore the wiki. I like having a place to post my use of the iPods and to look back at what I have done these last couple months. Being able to collaborate with colleagues has been so helpful within our school, and I'm sure that I will learn a lot by reading the posts of others.

I would love to have more time to check other posts. I found that life was busy and with teaching, you can never stop! I did take a look at some of the Notre Dame projects to get more ideas. I also read Jessica's posts to see what was happening in the middle school. I enjoy having an online collaborative environment as ideas grow rapidly when people add their own creative touch.

8. What are some tips for next time users? As with any new technology, give yourself plenty of time to explore and search for apps to use in your class. Student feedback is generally that they would like to be able to use the iPods in all of their classes, rather than just one; so perhaps working with other teachers in your school to ensure that the students will have as much time with the technology as possible.

9. What is your legacy piece? How have you left a digital footprint to let other know about your important work with kids? (Video, digital storytelling, celebrations with parents, inviting senior administration, manual, collaborative place for yourself and your students) At this point, we have photos and videos of students either using the iPods or talking about how the iPods have affected their learning over the 2 months that we have had them in our classrooms. Our principal has also put forth a proposal for a class set of iPods for our school to keep for next year; as she has observed the use of this technology in our classrooms, and has noticed the positive impact these devices have had on our student engagement and focus on learning.

10. Sample lessons - share 2 lessons that you taught using the equipment 11. Websites, tools, or apps that you used with your students Most of the apps I used in class are outlined in question 2 above. Websites I have used with the iPods are: [|www.brainpop.com], alberta.exambank.com, [|www.rdrwa.ca], [|www.albertawater.com], [|www.geology.com], atlas.nrcan.gc.ca. These last 4 sites were mainly used by my Grade 8 Science class while doing research.

Tools that were used in my classroom; camera, notes, calculator, videos I mentioned most of the apps used above. I used the same tools as Jessica. 12. Other unexpected findings from your project Even though most students preferred the opportunity to take notes and record information using the iPods, there were still a few students who felt more comfortable to use pen and paper. I encouraged them to try using different tools on the iPods, but them allowed them to chose what they liked best in the end.

13. Final thoughts about your project. I have really appreciated the opportunity to use iPods in my classroom this term. The Grade 9 class that I used the iPods with is generally a tough group to motivate. It was great to see them find some excitement in the classroom, and to really get on board with using this technology. The students showed appreciation for my attempt at engaging them in their learning, which in turn motivated me to find new ways to use the technology in my lessons. All in all, it was a good experience for myself as the teacher, the students, and also for the Educational Assistants who work in my classroom. They were able to use this technology to find better ways to help the students that they work with on a daily basis, which is so important.

I have thoroughly enjoyed using the iPods in my classroom. I know that the grade four class felt special by having such a new tool at their fingertips. It caused a stir each time case was brought into the room. It was a great experience for my teaching career. I no longer was doing my regular lessons and it inspired me to become more creative. I was just as excited as the students and that's what learning is all about! 14. Would you recommend to use this equipment? I would absolutely recommend this equipment to be used in a variety of educational settings. There are so many ways to use this technology. Many students already have their own personal iPod touches, so teachers should definitely become familiar with this technology in order to be able to lead students to use the tools that they already have in a way that may enhance their learning. The possibilities and learning opportunities based on the technology that the iPod touch makes available to teachers does seem to be endless. I'm excited at the possibility of having these or similar devices in my classroom in the future.

I would recommend this equipment to anyone! This equipment is what makes sense to our students. There's the old saying, "If students don't learn the way we teach them, then we'd better teach them the way they learn!" IPod's make sense to them. Let's use it to make a difference in their learning!
 * __ Digital Citizenship – ISTE Standard #5 __**

Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behaviour. Students: a. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology b. exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity c. demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning d. exhibit leadership for digital citizenship Ø Basic, scientific, economic, and technological literacies Ø Visual and information literacies Ø Multicultural literacy and global awareness
 * // Demonstrate what you did to accomplish the digital citizenship portion of the project. Were you able to integrate any of the above into your lesson? //**
 * __ 21st Century Skills __**
 * This is a list of 21st Century Skills. Did you witness any of these skills in your students and in the learning activities you provided in the project? Give some examples. **
 * //__ Digital-Age Literacy __//**

Ø Adaptability/managing complexity Ø Self-direction Ø Curiosity, creativity, and risk-taking Ø Higher-order thinking and sound reasoning
 * //__ Inventive Thinking __//**

Ø Teaming, collaboration, and interpersonal skills Ø Personal, social, and civic responsibility Ø Interactive communication
 * //__ Effective Communication __//**

Ø Ability to prioritize, plan, and manage for results Ø Effective use of real-world tools Ø The ability to create relevant, high-quality products
 * //__ High Productivity & Quality, State-of-the-Art Results __//**

== == == == =Videos!=
 * Photos!**

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