Student Feedback via Livescribe Pencast

I wanted to capture some of the student feedback I have been getting about the work we are doing with the touch technology. Here is a pencast of one of my student's thoughts regarding our work with the iPads/iPod Touch apps:

05.25.2012 1020a

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I am happy that this student is enjoying her time with the touch technology devices. I am really happy that she sees the Toontastic app being used during our 'writing' time and that she thinks it can be used to assist students who experience difficulty with writing. This interview was unprompted and there were a few students who wanted to offer feedback but were not able to get away from their work at the time.

Next Steps for me as I move forward:

- become better at interviewing my students/ ask better/more effective questions

- try and use the smartpen more often to collect information about our TLLP project

- continue to connect with students like the one I interviewed as possible peer mentors/teachers to introduce the technology to our Autistic learners in the next phase of our project

I am open to your suggestions about 1) how I could better utilize the smartpen technology (written and audio) capture my students thoughts/ideas, my thoughts and ideas, and anything else that you believe would be relevant.

iPads in Action: Acquiring Knowledge

A short while ago my students learned about two spelling/word study apps and how to use them on the iPad and iPod Touch. As I was circulating the room observing and speaking with my students, one pair got my attention.

It wasn't their use of the technology that I gravitated towards - it was the support that one student was offering the other. As I was listening to them interact I managed to get the digital camera with the hope that I would catch some of what was happening on video. This is what I captured:

The one student reads the directions to the other, she tells him it's "ok", she reads him the options, she supports him, she also lets him use the iPad without simply doing it for him. The supportive and accommodating student bridges a gap for the other. If he were on his own he would have given up quite quickly and would have most likely challenged/disrupted this experience for the others in the room. What's worse is that he would have possibly connected the technology to his bad experience - leaving a bad taste in his mouth making him less likely to be excited to use the devices again. Obviously, that is not what I want - I want the touch technology integration to be a positive experience for all my students, particularly my students who often struggle. It was good for me to see a supportive student and a struggling student in order to acquire knowledge to inform my practice and our TLLP project.

My students and I are learning about the touch devices in action. They are learning how to use them to improve their achievement and I am learning how to integrate them into our school. We want to become "experts" in using these 'tools' so that we can improve our achievement and prepare to model the use of the devices with our autistic students who will start their journey using these devices in my classroom environment, with my awesome students.

Feel free to jump in and assist me in this process by providing me with your questions/comments!