So ... ?!

The phone call with my own mom on Monday night started with her question, "So ... ?!" She had heard from her two favorite fourth graders all about the iPads over the weekend, and she wanted to know what I thought. How did it go?!

It went amazing!! First of all, time. We can look up words and information about words using the Meriam-Webster app in half the time it takes to use a dictionary. Often, when we use a bound dictionary, we need to use a thesaurus to look up the synonyms. Often, our children's dictionaries and thesauruses do not have many words listed, so we have to wait to share Ms. Leom's iPad with the entire class. The individual iPads makes our learning more efficient, so we have time to learn more words or work on something else.

iPads are engaging. The students enter the room and they are twitching with anticipation to use them. They are focused. They WANT to use the iPads, so when something doesn't work, they are motivated to problem solve and jump over the hurdle to keep working. This means, if you can't log in, you ask a friend. You double-check, you try again. You ask for help. In the past, students might "need a drink of water" or think it is a good idea to "see what a friend is doing". With the iPads, the students are focused on the process embedded in the tools we are using, and they show self-initiative.

Students are motivated to use the iPad. When worded in a thoughtful way, students focus on the learning at hand, knowing an iPad activity is next. Students complete their learning quickly. It is even at a new level of effort and neatness, because they know they will need to erase and rework - taking away from their iPad learning - if they don't do their best. It is amazing how many more papers include names, capital letters, punctuation marks, correct spelling, and neat work, just to move to the next skill. Our school day starts with the iPads. Students will use the Odyssey program each morning when they arrive. It is fascinating to see how quickly students get organized in the morning and start their day, quietly engaged in learning! This week is reading. Next week, will be math. We will alternate each week between the Language Arts and Math learning, based on student individual MAP scores.

Tools. The students are so interested in the iPads, there is so much excitement, we are working on the distraction detail. Our iPads are a tool, like a pencil, eraser, or a resource book. We are using the iPads as a tool. Our entire learning day is still centered on our learning goals, based on the standards. When the iPads can facilitate and aid in our learning, they will be used. They are not THE learning and the focus. There will be many opportunities in the near future to enhance our learning with technology. At this time, the iPads are used as a tool to meet our learning goals.

So ... that is what I think. The possibilities ... too exciting to consider and write about ... need time to organize my many thoughts! Already, on day three, I can't imagine teaching without individual iPads.