Professional Learning via the iProject

I recently spent some time with the other two teachers participating in the project to talk about our thoughts/feelings about the use of the iPad with our students. The discussion was a valuable one as it provided us with an opportunity to talk about our experiences thus far and learn from one another.

All of us see the technology leading our students to success. The device is playing a key role in keeping the students in line with what the class is working on with the added bonus of making things more 'social' for them. From our perspective, the use of the device seems to lead to instant differentiation that is meeting the needs of our students. The iPad is aligned with the IEP and it is as dynamic as the IEP - apps are often added and deleted based on the needs of the student.

There is a greater sense of team work with the Educational Assistants due to the constant communication around student learning. There is also a heightened awareness around technological literacy due to the manipulation of apps in order to meet the needs of the students. Each of us noted that the EA's that work with us are effective and efficient in directing their student to apps based on what the teacher is doing. It is as though we are all speaking the same language because the curriculum (IEP) is connected to the apps that the students are using to learn and demonstrate their learning.

Everyone involved (Students, EA's, Teachers) seem to have a heightened sense of responsibility and are taking great pride in the work that is happening with this project. The teachers spoke about the concept of equity and that the technology is providing a great example that fairness is not the same as providing students with what they truly need to learn and be successful. For the most part, the other students in the classroom understand what it means to be equitable and the novelty of the device in the room is no longer an issue - it is recognized as an essential learning tool for the student that uses it.

The student's participating in the iProject are not the only ones that are benefiting from this unique experience. The staff that are working directly with the students are growing professionally and the hope is that there will be ripple effects with our colleagues who are peripheral to this project. As the iProject approaches the end of its formal timeline we plan to meet again in order to fully consolidate our learning and celebrate our successes.

Digital Resources are Improving Teaching and Learning

My students and I are currently working through a Teaching-Learning Cycle (T-L Cycle) with a "Reconciliation" theme. Its creation and evolution has come from the necessity to prepare them for their first Reconciliation (Religion), and it includes integration of other curriculum content like writing, reading, and dramatic arts.

With the addition of interactive Brightlink projectors in the classroom and software like RM Easiteach, I created an interactive framework to guide my students down a pathway that would benefit their learning and achievement. It was originally created in isolation but it has now been combined with high yield strategies to really give it a 'boost' in the right direction.

Interactive framework/pathway for preparing students for Reconciliation

The framework allows my class to venture through each of our topics interactively and it connects them to online texts (appropriate Bible stories) and You Tube videos. Prior to having the projector and software, I fondly recall gathering my students in front of the classroom computer monitor, all huddled together, to watch the digital media I wanted them to see. It was only 'interactive' if I let them use the mouse!

Example of a link to an online interactive story and a You Tube video

With the use of digital resources via our interactive white board, I am much more energized and passionate about my work and the students appear more involved and engaged. I love the number of video clips available to me via You Tube. From a short clip portraying Peter denying Jesus to a 15 minute video about Jesus visiting Zacchaeus, I am no longer held hostage by a 60 minute DVD that I need to cue up to capture the 5-10 minutes that will allow me to make my point and cause my students to reflect. Also, the online texts I use throughout this T-L Cycle allow the students to turn the pages sequentially and/or flip through the text as they make references and/or explain their thinking.

Another benefit of using online resources is that they are free and tend to be great 'visuals' for the students. One of the You Tube videos I show my students comes near the end of our preparation for first Reconciliation. It is a video of a mock Reconciliation! This might not be exciting to you but it is to me and my students! They get to SEE what they will be experiencing - what it looks like and sounds like. To quote one of my students, "Reconciliation won't be so scary now that we have seen what it looks like".

The access to digital resources and the ability to project them and interact with them is really adding a richness to my practice and my students learning. In combination with good pedagogy it is becoming a force to be reckoned with. I take the most joy in leveraging digital resources to teach my students how to be good people rooted in our Gospel values as I assist them in their Faith development. 

Term 1 iProject Summary - TLLP

It was only a few months ago when our TLLP team put, what I affectionately refer to as the 'iProject', in motion. Since that time, there has been a lot of learning going on - for all involved! With Term 1 officially ending this week, I invited our EA's to summarize their experience so we could share our learning with the greater community. Each of them took the time to reflect on their lived experience and provided me with their thoughts. 

The following reflection "highlights" have been adapted/adjusted slightly for style purposes and to protect the identity of our students.

Grade 2 Student

- In the beginning it wasn't possible to release the student with the iPad independently - I was afraid that she would drop it or delete apps. Now that she is more confident I am more comfortable letting her carry it and take the lead with it. She understands how careful she needs to be with it. She is great with it.

- The student can now open up and set up the iPad stand. She makes sure the iPad is face up while she prepares the stand, and uses both hands to prop the iPad into place. She still has a difficult time finding the buttons on the side (on/off and volume).

- It is amazing how she knows to look for her file folder (created for her so we can keep most of her apps in a central space) and scroll through the apps. I now tell her which app she will be working with and she recognizes the app by its icon.

- With some of the apps, we need full upgrade/version to get more benefits for her learning style. Some apps have too many tasks that overwhelm her from choosing.

- Her favourite Math app is 'Learning Money with Leo' -- it helps her with fine motor skills. The student cannot read but makes connections, this app helps her succeed.

- Another favourite app for her is 'Letter School' - it is helping her learn how to trace letter and numbers. The goal is to have her learn to trace the letters and numbers on the iPad so that she will be able transfer what she learns on the iPad onto pencil and paper.

- The best apps for her learning style are simple and have no time limit.

- With some apps I have to modify/differentiate within the app - she really enjoys this and she feels good.

- The apps we have worked with are helpful. She is engaged and has become more independent in using them. She gets so excited when she gets the correct answer that she doesn't want to stop using the iPad.

- The iPad is an excellent tool for this student. She is not able to write her thoughts down but this device is a great learning tool and offers her a great way to express herself. She feels successful and proud, and enjoys when it is easy for her to understand.

- The student also learns through songs. If we can find some apps that teach through songs while she can touch/tap while singing and learning.

- Is it possible to download appropriate music for the student? She misses music class and sing-a-longs would be good to keep her motivated.

Grade 4 Student

Some staffing changes were made and the EA that was working with our grade 4 student was re-assigned. The new EA placed with this student was open to participating and jumped right in!

- Initially I allowed the student to choose what he wanted to spend his time on when using the iPad. The use of the iPad usually occurred near the end of the day and it was his reward time for work completion throughout the day.

- I soon realized that this was definitely a tool that I needed to embrace and could use for teaching.

- He is tech savvy and I am not, so the use of it leads to good teaching moments for him. His language skills, patience, and self-esteem have improved due to the fact that he was teaching me. 

- He would chose to spend a lot of time on the cursive writing app and we would make a game out of it to encourage him to follow the lines perfectly.

- He enjoys typing out a class schedule, I have him work on his typing by using both hands. The writing and typing are both exercises he needs to do with his hands in order to enhance what his OT recommended he work on.

- We have had random success with Math apps.  Some were above his level and some games (e.g. Mathopolis) didn't give enough time for him to process the question and work it out before moving on to the next question.

- In Math he is resistant to working on, for example, obtuse and acute angles. While working on another app, not related to Math, I asked if he could draw an obtuse and acute angle. No problem. He also independently chose to play with Shape Board. He enjoyed drawing all kinds of geometric shapes. It was great math review for him.

- Reading is much more enjoyable for him on the iPad. He has the choice of reading or having it read to him. I use the stories to have him do predictions, recounts, talk about the emotions of the characters, and have him draw pictures of his favourite part when he is finished.

- He enjoys being able to go back and have stories read to him as many times as he likes. He enjoys the interactive features of the stories and I think this really helps him grasp the stories.

- The apps are not always aligned with the curriculum

- Being able to access Google in the classroom would be an asset for him. Not having wireless Internet in the class means we can't spontaneously research something. With this student it is a "in the moment" teaching style. He will suddenly take interest in something that he has absolutely refused to take interest in previously.

- The math and story apps are the most useful for curriculum at this time.

- The student needs to be supervised if he is using the academic apps in order to remains focused.

- During free time on the iPad he will use his favourite apps. This serves a great purpose for him as it allows him to calm himself and settle down if he is having a stressful day.

- For my student the iPad is definitely an asset and fortunately he is comfortable with it.  When we spend time on the iPad the learning and teaching is a two way street.

Grade 5 Student

- The student and I have enjoyed the learning, exploring, and fun that has resulted from this project.

- The use of the iPad has allowed for more individualized learning. Sometimes the class learning can be challenging and beyond the student's level. With the iPad we can find an app that is in line with the class learning and better for the student.

- Often with Autistic students they can be left out of group activities but with the iPad the student can partner up with his classmates and offer a different tool for learning that is appealing and aligned with the topic that the class is working on.

- The negatives I have experienced with the iPad has been around lack of wireless Internet and apps that offer a taste of nothing at all.

- Overall I love this project!!! The learning and future apps that will be available for special student will make a big difference academically.

Moving Forward

Based on the information provided by our EA's, it appears that our participating students have benefited from the use of the iPad. The "right" apps have benefited our students academically, specifically in Literacy and Numeracy. The use of the device seems to excite the students about their learning, engages them, and leaves them with good feelings. The students seem to be more confident, independent, and responsible. Aside from a positive learning experience, it appears as though the device allows for inclusion, co-operative learning, differentiation, and collaboration. 

Finding the "right" app is like finding the gold at the end of the rainbow. When we find one that works well we feel exhilaration and the students are advantaged. When we experience one that does nothing for our students we are left feeling frustrated. Finding good apps is no small task (as I have blogged about). It continues to be a major 'next step' as the project moves forward into the second term of this school year. Another obstacle seems to be the lack of wireless Internet where the students are primarily situated on school property. The EA's and I have talked about this issue several times. Our school has wireless 'hot spots' but our EA's struggle with the use of a specific app versus the concept of inclusion. They are aware of the need to have their students with their peer group and wish that our entire school site was a 'hot spot'.

I can't say enough about the EA's that work with our three students. They directly impact their student academically and emotionally each day on top of the back and forth communication with their classroom teacher and myself. They are fantastic and necessary to this project. Their hard work and engagement is necessary for this project to benefit the students and I thank them for that and will continue to support them as best as I can as we move forward.

iProject Reflections

The EA's that work with our Autistic students have been doing a fantastic job on all fronts of this project. As they work with their student each day, they manage the use of the iPad, learn the apps that their student uses, interact with me, and document their thoughts/ideas/concerns in a journal. They are juggling many balls in the air and I am very appreciative of their time, effort, and enthusiasm.

To support them in their documentation of their experience, I provided the EA's with questions that act as prompts for reflection. Here are some of our grade 5 student's EA reflections.

Q: How are you doing with the implementation of apps?
A: I struggle with technology but I believe strongly that all our students need to be on top of technology to fit in the world. I wish I could spend more time learning to better teach my student.

Q: Can you gradually release the student with the iPad or with the apps?
A: The student is independent most of the time when using the iPad. He has one at home.

Q: What are some of the obstacles that your/your student face on a daily basis?
A: The apps cut out every now and again. Some apps don't work without an Internet connection. (NOTE: our school has wifi hot spots but that would mean that the student and EA would need to leave their portable to go to a hot spot. I have been informed that the student does not like to be away from his class/friends. He very much likes to be included.)

Further comments by the EA:

"When the student is on the right app he is engaged with the iPad, but if he doesn't like the app he will refuse to use it. The classroom teacher is awesome at allowing dedicated iPad time. The iPad is an awesome tool that will benefit the student in improving his basic math and reading skills."

Next step: I have invited the EA's to reflect on and summarize their experience over the last few months. I look forward to sharing their experience with you. More importantly, I look forward to working with them and the classroom teachers to set plans/goals for term 2.

If you have any questions or comments about this or other blog posts regarding our iProject, please feel free to comment here or email me at rtwcdsb@gmail.com.

Leveraging Technology for Diagnostic Assessment in Math

In Math my students are learning about Time. When it's all said and done, they are expected to be able to tell and write time to the quarter-hour, using demonstration digital and analogue clocks. Time is one of the concepts that my students have always had difficulty with. I used to think it was them - now I think it is me. Having spent some time reflecting on how I would teach them, I thought it would be beneficial to leverage iPads and iPod Touches to kick start their learning journey around the concept of Time.

My students have demonstrated great engagement and responsibility when using the above mentioned technology. Aside from some minor issues (ones that arise in any classroom) they show a focus and an eagerness to use the devices to their full potential. They make the most out of the time given to them with the idevices and they know how serious I am about using the "tools" to further their learning. For these reasons, I thought it would be appropriate to let them explore the concept of Time using some apps that I am familiar with to explore the concept. This would serve as a diagnostic assessment, providing me with valuable information about what the students know (prior knowledge), what they think they know (accurate and inaccurate), what they don't know, and what they seem to be interested in learning.

I put the students into groups of two and three (depending on the device they were using) and encouraged them to use "Wake the Rooster by Telling Time" and "Interactive Telling Time Lite".

Here are some of my notes about what I saw and heard as the students worked on the two apps.

• I heard students counting by 5's as they worked to figure out what minute the hand was pointing at
• I heard the students talking about the minute hand and the hour hand (few were able to explain any more than that)
• Many students were able to tell the time when it was on the hour (e.g. 6 o'clock)
• Many knew what a digital clock was but did not know what to call the "analog" clock 
• Some students mixed up the hour hand for the minute hand and vice versa
• Most students can read a digital clock without difficulty
• A few of them can tell the time to the quarter hour and have an understanding of the terms "quarter after" and "quarter to"

All the students seemed to have fun - they started off on the right foot. They seemed interested and engaged, they worked together, and they took risks that they might not have taken without the use of the idevices. The apps are like games and they all like to play games. The best part about them playing games is that they know that they won't always win - which allows them to be a little looser and easy going about the entire experience. They also know that using the devices in combination with specific apps is purposeful and that we wouldn't be doing it if I didn't believe that it would benefit their learning.

The plan now is to provide the students with what they need to get them to our learning goal: tell and write time to the quarter-hour using demonstration digital and analogue clocks. The next step is to create an anchor chart that explicitly guides them in telling time. The students that 'get it' will assist in the creation of the chart and it is my hope that they will lead their classmates as we work together to move everyone forward.

All it Takes is a Willingness to Engage and Learn

Anyone who works in an elementary school will tell you that their days are "full" and that there is always more that can be done. I have to admit that from time to time I get caught in the 'work' wave and go an entire day without having a decent conversation with any of my colleagues. Sad, but true.

As I was getting my students ready for afternoon recess, an occasional Educational Assistant came up to me and had some technology questions. She was told that I was the school's iPad "expert"! This was a nice way for us to break the ice and led to a moment of laughter. She told me that she would be in for a few days working with a student who is part of our project. She had already spent some time observing and supporting the student with the use of his iPad.

As an occasional EA, she is in different schools quite often and because of this fact she carries her RIM Playbook tablet with her to use with students. She wanted to know how she could download some of the iPad apps she saw our student using in order to support other students in numeracy and literacy. After a brief conversation about the iTunes store and the differences between the Playbook and iPad she realized why she couldn't load the apps that she had seen on the iPad. At that point I informed her of some of the benefits of using a Playbook rather than an iPad with students. I asked her if she was aware of the Ontario Educational Resource Bank (OERB)  - an online repository that offers a growing number of free digital learning resources to teachers and students, from K-12. She was vaguely familiar with the OERB, that is to say that she had heard of it.

Recess was underway so I asked if she was free to chat and perhaps we could sit down at a computer with her tablet and explore the OERB together. She had the time, so we proceeded to navigate the Ministry based site and brainstormed/discussed how she could use her mobile device in combination with the learning objects to benefit the students she works with - no matter what school she finds herself in!

Our short collaboration was well spent. She left with enough knowledge to 1) access the OERB,
2) search for learning objects based on the needs of the student(s) she is working with, and 3) ideas to engage her student(s) and have them demonstrate their learning using her tablet.

If it weren't for her willingness to engage me in a discussion around how she could use touch technology with students, the great dialogue we had would not have been. I was more than happy to pass on what I have learned about using the Ministry's digital resource site to support our students and she was 'all ears' during our conversation.

I'm glad that the 'business' of my day didn't interfere with the opportunity to support one of my colleagues, especially one with such passion to assist her students using an interactive and blended approach.

I need to make the effort and time to engage my colleagues in meaningful conversation at least once a day. There is so much that can be gained outside the four walls of my classroom that can benefit myself and my students.

I welcome your feedback! Please feel free to comment here or email me at rtwcdsb@gmail.com if you want to engage me in converstion about what I have written.

Needle in a Hay Stack: Finding Great Apps for our Learners - TLLP

As I wrap up another 'formal' session of searching for appropriate apps to be used with our TLLP students, I can't help but reflect on a task that sounds so easy, yet can be so frustrating. I am constantly learning about apps that may be of benefit to our students. Google searches, the App Store (iTunes), and my Twitter feed keep me busy. There are lots of good apps out there, but for our purposes many of them get filtered out because they don't appear to be directly aligned with the needs of our students.

The lens with which I look through as I search for, and read about apps, is that of an IEP. When I see/read something that resonates with one of our TLLP student profiles/learning goals I will take a closer look at the app. I want to see screen shots of the app, how it might work, and how closely it fits with student program goals and learning expectations. From that point forward I will examine other factors like complexity, price, and how well it might integrate across curriculum, etc. For some apps, this process ends up being lightning fast and for some other apps the process is as quite slow. I will even seek the opinions of members of my Twitter PLN who seem to have extensive knowledge around educational apps.

Most of what I have described above occurs in isolation, within my mind. The true test occurs when the students interact with the apps. I am informed quite often whether an app is a good fit or not - this makes for some great learning. With our grade 4 student we recently discovered that the Mathopolis math operations app engages him, but for all the wrong reasons. In his case, this app renders itself useless. With our grade 5 student we have an app that allows him to record his thinking visually and orally. He loves the way it works and it is invaluable to him. The app can be used with almost any learning expectation in his IEP. It is proving to be a powerful app that integrates nicely across his IEP.

Finding the right apps involve time on my part and experience on the student's part. Just when I begin to think that there is a science to this, I realize that it is also an art. It usually feels like I am looking for a needle in a haystack! Nevertheless, I journey forward on this learning & leadership experience knowing that everyone involved benefits - especially our students.

Your comments are welcome! Please feel free to respond to this post or email me at rtwcdsb@gmail.ca