iPads in the Classroom

“Alright class, get your iPads out. You have 7 minutes to play word ball or…that other vocabulary game,” said Mrs. Carter.

The classroom went into an uproar and quickly fell silent. The iPads had taken over the students.

Are iPads really helping students… or are they babysitting them? The majority would say they are a huge benefit to all students and a valuable asset in the classroom.

It is not all negative. It is hard to find reasons why iPads are unnecessary in a classroom, there just are not many cons related to the new technology, at all. It is not about problematic technology and students getting distracted. It is all about how teachers can make sure that students are gaining lifelong skills and knowledge through technology.

Pause. Before everyone jumps on the iPad bandwagon, there are some things that need some serious consideration. With every action there is a reaction. The teacher’s job is to predict and control the said reaction. In order for a teacher to have successful assumptions about what will take place in the classroom when said technology is used, the teacher must have a detailed understanding of the iPad itself. Otherwise, it is like a double blind experiment. A third grade teacher from Clear Creek Elementary school agrees that it is necessary for teachers to have support when incorporating new technology. Carol Carter, third grade teacher, says, “Of course, I need more time to spend with what I learned so I can teach the students,” in response to having attended a workshop for the specific purpose of incorporating iPads in the classroom.

Okay, so your class has iPads… now what? First, make some boundaries and make sure that you stick to them. Pictures and the camera roll tend to be an issue across the board, so check it before they wreck it. If you do not want to take the time to disable the camera and camera roll on each individual iPad, make a rule and enforce it. Matthew Gillispie, author of From Notepad to iPad, said that he had a couple of students who broke his rule on “no inappropriate photos” the first day that they had the iPads. His students had been made well-aware of the consequences beforehand, and they got the first experience of his disciple actions. The students were not only sent to the principal’s office and sentenced to detention, but they were also not allowed to touch the iPads for two weeks. Yikes!

Once students are getting the feel of what they should and should not be doing, the learning should start taking place. Indeed, the students will need to be monitored daily to ensure that they are staying on task, but hopefully that it an understood precaution.

Unfortunately, the students do not just sit down with an iPad and magically start learning. They will need very specific instruction and guidance. PLAN PLAN PLAN! Before you put this technology in the anxious student’s hands, have something prepared with a backup plan… or two.

Knowing what you, as a teacher, want the students to accomplish will guide them in the right direction whether it is intentional or not.

The students will need a specific task and more importantly an end goal. Make them work for something that will include Gillispie’s 4 C’s: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. If any of these C’s are met, then they student is likely progressing.

A good way to gauge whether or not the students are on the right track is to have the four C’s posted in the room. Give them a verbal reminder to check in with themselves to see if they are using the skills. Either every day or randomly have the students do a quick write or share with a partner which of the C’s they covered and how. Over the course of an assignment, they should have covered each C multiple times.

So…what are the students gaining from this you ask? Well, considering we want all of our students to continue on through high school and college, we might as well start preparing them for all of the tasks they will be required to complete. (Many being through technology.) Using an iPad according to Wilma Clark and Rosemary Luckin, will give students a wider range of activities and a wider range of assessments.

Moving into new classrooms and new settings, the students should be able to go back and apply knowledge from their past, to what they are currently working towards. The tools that come from the iPad should build upon one another. For example, if a student can learn how to be selective when visiting new websites, then the information they gather will be more reliable. In the early learning stages of technology use, students should practice and learn how to be choosy when it comes to finding reliable sources. In the future, this will prove to be helpful and useful when they are writing all of their hundreds of research papers.

Students need to be aware of what is out there and what is coming their way. If an iPad’s apps can get them ahead in their educational careers, then what is the problem? Too many students go to college and only have a basic knowledge of Word and PowerPoint. Well surprise! College professors are going to be expecting a lot more from their students than a few pictures and words pasted on a slide.

Technology is the future, whether we like it or not. Take Clark and Luckin’s word for it when they say, “Successful implementation of tablet technologies in schools requires careful, long-term planning before, during and after the event.” So, be prepared and know what is coming, or at least guess. Be on your toes and ready to take care of whatever issue may or may not arise.

Finding what works may take time. It is trial and error, so make mistakes and more importantly learn from them. Documenting what works, where it works, and how it works for the students and yourself will turn out to be a good reference when the next year rolls around and it feels as if everything is brand new again. Do not forget to also have documentation of what does NOT work. This will help you as the teacher and the students from wasting crucial time in the classroom.

If technology is not something that jumps out as being super important in your class, then do not invest too much time in it. It is better to go at it at a pace that is comfortable for the particular teacher, because students can read teachers through their actions and language. They will be able to spot if a teacher is unfamiliar with the technology and then use that to their advantage (Not in all cases).

Just remember that if you want iPads to be apart your classroom then you must dig deep enough, your students can be starting their educational career off on the right foot with your assistance. However, you have to hold their hand the first few steps of the way and then check back on them frequently to know that they are not straying from the path or task at hand that you have laid out for them.

Breathe. Make a plan. Set some ground rules. Now, go explore.
If all else fails, try again tomorrow.

References
Kroll, S. (2013, October 3). MCCSC director discusses ipad hacking, security. Indiana Daily Student. Retrieved from http://www.idsnews.com/article/2013/10/mccsc-director-discusses-ipad-hacking- security?id=94458

Reid, D., & Ostashewski, N. (2011, June 27). Ipads in the classroom-new technologies, old issues: Are they worth the effort? Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2011. http://www.editlib.org/noaccesspresent/38089/

Clark, W., & Luckin, R. (2013, January 1). What the research says ipads in the classroom. London Knowledge Lab. Retrieved September 30, 2014. https://www.lkldev.ioe.ac.uk/lklinnovation/wp
-content/uploads/2013/01/2013-iPads-in-the-Classroom-v2.pdf

Gillispie, M. (2014). From notepad to iPad: Using aps and Web tools to engage a new generation of students. New York, New York. Routledge.

Carter, Carol. Personal Interview. 2014 October 9.

November 5, 2014
Monroe County Community Schools
315 East North Drive
Bloomington, IN 47401

To the MCCSC School Board:

As you know, our schools are giving children one on one access to iPads in every classroom. As appreciative as I am, I also want to express my concerns with the new technology that is being brought into our classrooms. I am of the older generation and unfortunately I am not as skilled with picking up new forms of technology, since my experience has been limited to a desktop computer for the majority of my career. I ask that you consider the following:

About fifty percent of our teachers at Clear Creek are above the age of 40 years old and have not had advanced experience with new technologies. This is of no fault of anyone. However, I do believe that in order to make productive use of the new products in our classrooms, teachers should be offered workshops and/or seminars to attend in order to further our own personal understanding.

The support that we need cannot be easily found online. We need time to learn what programs are available and how to use these programs in order to benefit our students the best we can. Unfortunately, our busy schedules and deadlines do not leave us an ample amount of time to learn on our own.

I am asking that as a school corporation, you will consider looking into opportunities that could help us grow as instructors. We need your support in order for our students to succeed at their potential levels. The iPads that are available can provide so much more student growth and information than what we are currently seeing. My dream is to be able to assist my students in their growth as knowledgeable technology users, so they are ready for what high school and college has to offer them.

I hope this letter is taken into serious consideration for the benefit of our community’s youth. I would be pleased to reference any of the current workshops that I am aware of if you would like a detailed description of what is taught at these gatherings.

Let me know if I can be of any further assistance. I hope to hear from you in the near future.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Gant
1600 East 19th Street
Bloomington, IN 47408
edgant@indiana.edu
(765)-242–7853