So, I finally did it. I joined Twitter. Why? I have an
assignment that forced the issue of me activating a Twitter account. Using
Twitter, I followed a few people who are educators. As I followed, most the
sites they tweeted about were based on technology in the classroom. Perfect!
This is an aspect of my teaching that I want to build on.
The tweet subject was an article about iPads on a website,
Edudemic. The site focuses on connecting education and technology. The Ultimate Guide to Using iPads in the
Classroom was the article
that the group was tweeting about. The author stated that learning increased by
large percentages! Read the article to find out more. http://www.edudemic.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-using-ipads-in-the-classroom/.
The technology has
had a lot to do with student engagement thus driving student learning. The key
is what the students put in the iPads. The research found that when
students used the iPad as a video camera or
audio recorder housing the students’ work, deep
learning was achieved. Now that I am
aware of this research, I am driven to pursue more applications for student
use. Right now, we use Educreation to
create student created diagrams and recordings for assessment. The students
think it is fun and I have the opportunity to spend one to one time with them
interviewing them after a unit is completed. It’s a great app for students who are
better abled to articulate their knowledge of the material vs. putting to
paper.
But now that I have seen the light in
the form of the Pedagogy Wheel, http://www.unity.net.au/padwheel/padwheelposterV3.pdf I see the fortune in learning
integrating technology further into my classroom. The Pedagogy Wheel incorporates
Bloom’s taxonomy and practical educational iPad apps. Using the Pedagogy Wheel,
one can create and iPad that has apps to support the project based learning of
a lesson plan. I look for all the free apps. I can request the purchase of apps
through my district. The grant I am involved in allows some purchasing. So, I
now have some homework to do to seek out apps that will enhance the learning in
my classroom to drive growth with consistency.
Congrats on the Twitter plunge! Sometimes being forced into something like this can have a great impact on your classroom. What is your Twitter username? I have a 2nd grade teacher who was an anti-social media guy when I started at the school and now he is crazy for Twitter! (he's my shining success story!). He not only launched his own Twitter account but one for his students to tweet from the classroom. Think about following him: @CarpenterCougars. Another suggestion is to go to the search box in Twitter and put in "#2ndchat" minus the quotations. This will take you to a stream of tweets in which 2nd grade teachers have started talking. Click on each person and read their profiles. If they are 2nd grade teachers or look interesting to you consider following them!
ReplyDeleteThe iPad pedagogy wheel is great, but use caution. Use it for suggestions for one or two apps to try out and go from there. Don't overwhelm yourself looking for the latest and greatest, find one or two that meet your needs and perfect them. Good luck!
Hi Nicole. Thanks for the warning. Yes, I did think about tip toeing ginger through the apps.
ReplyDeleteMy user name in Twitter is @joanomara1. I will take a look at 2ndchat. Thank you!