IPADS+-+Special+Education+-+St.+Teresa+-+October+2011


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

1. Students are reporting on their experience - (2 - 3 students sharing - recorded on video) attach videos

2. Students have acquired new technology skills that they had not had previously - please see the 21st century list below
 * //__ Digital-Age Literacy __//**
 * Visual and information literacies: Students in my class are between the ages of 4 and 5. The Ipad was used in small groups (2 students each with an iPad), individually and during speech pull (1:1) with a teacher and with a partner. Students “played” various literacy games that worked on letter identification, letter sounds, matching letters, tracing letters, building words, etc. These apps encouraged the students to practice their literacy knowledge in a fun and engaging way.
 * //__ Inventive Thinking __//**
 * Adaptability/managing complexity, Curiosity, creativity, and risk-taking: In some situations, students were given little instruction on how to use the app and were asked to discover on their own what they could do, for example in an art drawing app, students explored with different colours, textures, writing tools, etc.
 * Self-direction: After some time with using the IPad during centers, students were able to decided what apps they wanted to explore, they were in charge of choosing what app they wanted to “play”. The apps on the Ipad all encouraged different learning outcomes, so it was up to the student what they wanted to work on, if it was colours, shapes, numeracy, reading, letters, etc it was up to them.
 * Higher-order thinking and sound reasoning: Students would use the cognitive processes of analysis, comparison, inference/interpretation, evaluation, and synthesis when trying to figure out what they needed to do to be successful in completing the objective the app was asking them to do, for example in the app Letter School, students had to figure out that they needed to keep their finger on the line of the letter and trace it in a continuous fashion in-order to complete the letter and then move on to the next, they were using problem-solving skills to figure this out.
 * //__ Effective Communication __//**
 * Teaming, collaboration, and interpersonal skills: Students would work in pairs and help each other with any problem solving that was presented when playing a game, they would work together to accomplish the task. I also found that when paring students of different abilities also work well, students who were able to read the instructions helped the other student try more challenging tasks, that they would not normally be able to do.
 * Personal, social, and civic responsibility: Students learning about responsibility when using the IPad, they new they had to be careful with the IPads and that they needed to follow the rules when using them. The students also learned about digital citizenship and how to use the technology appropriately.
 * Interactive communication: students would talk when using the IPad, they would ask each other questions, they would share what they were doing and explain the directions.
 * //__ High Productivity & Quality, State-of-the-Art Results __//**
 * Ability to prioritize, plan, and manage for results: I also used the IPad for a project with one of my students, a report on Pediatricians, we used a Corkulous an app that helped organize ideas, we also used pictures form the internet to be included into her presentation.
 * Effective use of real-world tools: Students know how to turn on the IPad, the app they are looking for, go back to the home screen and how to navigate with the touch of their finger.

3. Students have learned about digital citizenship - please see the digital citizenship list of skills below All the students in both classes, learned about digital citizenship through the Smartboard presentation. All student also received a certificate of completion on Digital Citizenship.

4. How has our teaching changed? What practices will you continue? The IPads are a great tool with our speech students, it provides quick information and tools to use when working with students, for example if a student was working on /s/ blends, the teacher can easily look up pictures that have /s/ blends, as well our SLP uses the IPad when she is working with the students 1:1, this allows us to see how she uses specific apps to work on speech goals with our students. It also has become a part of our literacy centers, and center time. I will continue to use the educational apps to support an active and engaging learning environment.

5. What are some best practices? Using the IPad as a center for literacy, fine motor, numeracy (math), art, speech skills. Using the IPad with all students at various levels (ESL, gifted, special programming). As a talking/communication tool with one of our students who is non-verbal. Teaching sharing, working together. As a motivator or incentive for students. Can record on vide or with pictures students learning, for example recording a students walking in their walker for the first time. Using it with parents during family sessions to talk about IPP’S and make changes /build it together. 6 . Listing what I have learned and what were some of the challenges I learned that there are so many great educational apps out their and that students of any age can easily use this technology and that they are a great tool for supporting a diverse students community. Some of the challenges are with my age group of students feeling concerned that they might have too much screen/ technology exposure already and finding that balance.

7. Personal growth as a learner on an online collaborative environment. Using the WIKI space, I continue to learn more and more about how to use the WIKI and find it a great tool for communicating.

8. What are some tips for next time users? Use the list of apps that support your types of learners/ grade level. Look through the apps to make sure they are good, sometime the free apps can be full of advertising that is not appropriate.

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) Flip video (3d project) Sharing with Pre-K teachers

10. Sample lessons - share 2 lessons that you taught using the equipment Using Corkulous a student created a presentation board on peditricians that she presented to the class. With teacher help, we uploaded pictures off the internet and information and included it into the presentation board ,We focused on answering the 5 W’s something we work on in our class everyday during carpet time. After all the pictures and information was collected onto the board, she presented it to the class. Language Arts: Comprehension Maria Counts Pumpkins
 * Language Arts: Lesson Activities **
 * Lesson Activities: **
 * Read and reread the book Maria counts Pumpkins (paper version or ipad version) **
 * You can do this 1:1 or in a small group **
 * Have the students using the Quick voice recorder, students record them reading the book out loud **
 * When the recording is done, students then listen back to the recording to see how they sound when they are reading, you can make a chart where the students reflect on their tone of voice, expression and phrasing. These recordings can be kept on the Ipad for other students to listen and follow along with the book, and also can be used for family sessions to share with parents. **

11. Websites, tools, or apps that you used with your students nouns artikpix Brain Pop Counting 123 Picture Dictionary Letter School Maria Counts Achieve Puzzle Farm Zoo Train Articulation Stories Count Little Reader Sight PK Peekaboo Lite Best Books Peekaboo Four Seasons Feelings Learn 123 Kids Reader Learn Shapes PreK SAFARI Cupcakes Sock Puppets Zoo Sounds Kool Book PreK Doodle Buddies Quick Voice Corkulous

12. Other unexpected findings from your project How expensive some of the apps can be for speech and language. Making sure that you download a app for the IPad not IPod or Iphone

13. Final thoughts about your project. Great opportunity for my students and myself to have this type of technology in our classroom.

14. Would you recommend to use this equipment? Absolutely