Another Week in the Life of the iPad Pilot

So,  I’ve finished my second full week of integration and it’s going…well, it’s going. There are definitely unexpected challenges that have crept up.  Although I am doing more with my students, I am beginning to feel that that the iPad is better as a learning tool rather than as a teaching tool.  Sites I am attempting to use aren’t fully integrated or compatible with the iOS or with the iPad platform.  The kids have been great, but I am finding that they are not really that tech savvy.  It truly been been a learning process for me.

Like the students, I love having the iPad.  It has helped me to be more organized, it’s helped me to be more mobile and it’s helped me to be a lot more efficient in terms of finding resources for the students and me to use. MentorMob, a collaboration website was my first true foray into collaboration and while it was useful as an exercise, it also showed the difficulty with collaboration, open source and relying too heavily on the technology.  Although I instinctively knew this going in, use of technology has to be a blend of the old and the new.  I am finding that while I can really teach students a lot about smart use of the web, it’s not a great tool for actually DOING chemistry. Chemistry is best done in the lab with the iPad supporting the learning through on-line support activities like tutorial websites, or playlists such as those created by students on the MentorMob website. Computational programs are good and helpful, but for first-year chemistry students nothing can replace the hands-on labs that we do during each week.

Other ‘findings’ suggest that the students can and will check email, blogs or web pages IF and only IF they know that failure to do so will result in a lower grade.  Calendar Alerts have helped dramatically since the alerts are sent directly to the iPad.  The chimes and physical alerts work.  But, the real truth is that students are still enamored with and excited about having an iPad and are thus “showing” off their new toys.  I’m okay with that, but also wondering what will happen over the long haul when the ‘newness’ wears off and they don’t feel special any longer?

Another positive seems to be that the students like to take notes on the iPad both during class and while doing homework.  They are also requesting to load apps that they believe will assist them with their productivity and/or organization.  In most cases, I have allowed them to do this after checking the app myself. It seems that they are being thoughtful and discreet as they seek ways to help themselves as learners.

My final observation is that the students enjoy the social part of using the iPad.  This is good in as much as it taps a strength that we all know that they have.  In some cases, the socializing has been through FaceTime or chatting.  But they are also chatting about assignments and class-related stuff.  This is good.  FB, along with other social media and social tools can be helpful and at least in early phases of this pilot, are proving to be helpful as students contact me and each other about class-related stuff.

Last words…in the early discussions, Jesse, our Tech Guru shared his insights comparing iPads and Google Chrombooks.  He suggested that the iPads were better for learning input while the Chromeboks were seemingly better for learning output.  After two weeks and a few days I am beginning to see the wisdom of his insights.  We’ve got a ways to go and I look forward to the continued challenges as well as to the new things that we will learn.

Until next week…

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And we’re off…

Although I am posting this after the fact, I want  to share a few words about that first day…

Wow!

Christmas!

Hectic!

Finally, thank God for Jesse and IT.

IPad pilot – A new way of thinking and a new way of teaching

Unlike my colleagues, I had only three days to trial the iPad with my students before they left for break. Having rolled out the pilot with my chemistry students I left on a four day senior retreat. Although I left an iPad-based assignment in my absence, the project was not totally successful. There were too many tech issues that needed to be addressed before downloading could begin. Issues such as apple ids and variations in tech ability, newness and excitement were all obstacles in my absence.

That said, when I returned, the students gave me honest assessment and together and with Jesse, we overcame the login issue and on the second day we were able to load iTunes U and get started.

On day three I worked with my students to load all of the necessary apps that would allow them to work, experiment and play during our Easter break. I jumped the gun a bit and I allowed them to take the devices home one day earlier to do an assignment and to make sure that they could affectively use them at home.

When they returned on Thursday, several came to ‘check in’ and to ask if they “needed to turn them in or keep them for the day?”

With only a few days under my belt, I have to agree with Michael that it has changed my way of thinking about and doing my planning. I find it difficult to let go of my old ways, but I keep searching for new things that will help me reach the students. Some of the videos I asked them to watch seem to have helped in their understanding. While other activities have flopped. I guess that one of the cool things is that students are actually coming to me to let me know what is good and not so good, helpful and not so helpful. They are offering suggestions for activities and apps and communicating…messaging….with each other.

I like that they are engaged, but like Michael I wonder if the distraction will be too much.

Mostly, I am excited because it has given me a new tool in my arsenal of teaching tools. Will it be a Panacea? I doubt it, but if it reengages at least one underachieving student in this class, then it will have been worth it.

One last thought about the pilot…it is a lot of work to form new plans that integrate the technology into the one class while having to prep others. Like any new method or practice it takes time and effort. While I am glad I was given the opportunity, it has been a lot of work and it has taken a lot of personal time. My sincere hope is that the time we spent organizing and testing will pay off for our colleagues in terms of shorter learning curves and easier implementation when and if we go full school implementation.

Peace.

Americans: a steep,learning curve when dealing with the rest of the world

Americans: a steep,learning curve when dealing with the rest of the world.

Americans: a steep,learning curve when dealing with the rest of the world

We Americans need a cause.  We don’t ask to be this way, but we really can’t help ourselves.  As a people with so little history and in our own opinions so few real problems, we tend to focus outside the US to address this need.  We know that we are a self-absorbed people, but we don’t know how to cure ourselves of this affliction.  So, when the opportunity arises we jump at the opportunity to ‘help’. We need to do something. It’s honorable, it’s well-meaning but it is certainly not meant to be the great white saviors coming to the rescue. Americans need to be educated to how the world works.  We are so used to saving the world that when we find a cause we jump at it.  So, please don’t judge us too harshly. As a culture who has always believed ourselves to be the center of the world, it’s a bit overwhelming to learn that there are others out there trying to make sense of there own politics and plight. We are good people trying to make sense of the new world that we can now see 24/7/365. Help us to learn that there are other ways to do things.

Week 2.5

So a couple weeks ago I jumped into the blog thing thinking that I might get some followers that would help me in my 25 year quest to be the best damned teacher I could be.  To that end, I have no followers and I can’t even find the time to blog!  I suppose that I can take this insight (read reality) one of two ways.  The the first is that I am a terrible blogger…uninteresting, unknown and well, just not very experienced or good.  The other is that I’m a good enough teacher that I don’t really have time to blog with my time spent grading papers, searching for new and useful websites, planning classes and doing other teacher-related stuff.  I think that I am going with the latter. It makes me seem so much better.  Hell, after a full day of teaching stoichiomarty and doing labs I really need a pick-me-up.  Hope tomorrow is as successful.  Until Blog 5.0…

Getting started in a vast new world

I am getting started in what I view as a new, exciting and somewhat scary new world.  I believe that all the things I will be doing in the next 6-12 months will completely change the way I have been teaching for the past 25 years.  Starting new is always tough, but when it affects the 125 students with whom I have been entrusted…wow!  So, today is the first of many posts that I hope to log. 

 

Till next time: Be well, live well, learn to live and live to learn.

Hello world!

Okay new world…here I come. 

Almighty God, we pray for a day when we can see the people around us as your creation, infinitely loved by you. Mend our eyes to see our neighbors in this way, so that we may more fully live out your commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. Amen. (Sojourner’s Daily Prayer)