by Wendy McElhinny, Third Grade Literacy Teacher at Mountain Island Elementary
Using technology in the classroom has been an educational best practice for years. Technology in the classroom has evolved from scissors to calculators to computers to interactive whiteboards to tablets. I enjoy learning about new technology and always try to be at the front of the pack when using technology in the classroom.
The purpose of this blog post is to show how I manage the use of iPads in the classroom. I prefer iPads to other tablets when using them in the classroom for students to learn, create, and design, but some of the activities that I will refer to in this post can also be found in Google Play or on the internet. I have an iPad from CMS, my personal iPad, an iPad donated by a community member, and two iPad minis I received from Donors Choose. My school has a cart of 30 iPads that teachers can schedule for classroom use. We also encourage students to bring their own technology, but only about 30% of my students have their own devices.
The purpose of this blog post is to show how I manage the use of iPads in the classroom. I prefer iPads to other tablets when using them in the classroom for students to learn, create, and design, but some of the activities that I will refer to in this post can also be found in Google Play or on the internet. I have an iPad from CMS, my personal iPad, an iPad donated by a community member, and two iPad minis I received from Donors Choose. My school has a cart of 30 iPads that teachers can schedule for classroom use. We also encourage students to bring their own technology, but only about 30% of my students have their own devices.
The management of iPads in the classroom is important in order for activities to run successfully. I have the iPad Learning Station where I post expectations, passcodes, student schedules, tips for connecting to the internet, and a list of apps explaining when they can be used during the day. Students have become independent when using the iPads because they do not have to ask for help--everything they need is on the display.
When I have specific projects or activities that I want students to work on, I set the iPads up in stations. The organizer in the picture above is what I used the last time I had the iPad cart for the day. Students worked throughout the day with their table groups to complete five activities. I set the timer and at the end of time I rotated the color groups so students knew which activity they were responsible for completing at that moment.
THE STATIONS:
- Raz Kids- Students can listen to books, read books, take quizzes, and record themselves reading. Raz Kids allows students to read books at their reading level. They can improve comprehension and fluency. This online program can be accessed through the internet, but if you are using iPads you must have the app downloaded because it will not run through Safari.
- Word Wizard-Students can practice spelling words that are grade-level appropriate or related to specific topics. Students have their choices written inside their Words Their Way folders so that when they use the app they know which words lists they can choose based on their spelling proficiency. Students are currently doing research on animals, so the students below are practicing words from the animals list.
- Coding-This basic introduction to computer programming helps develop critical thinking skills. Students can use the apps Kodable, Cargobot, or Hopscotch. They can also use the website www.tynker.com and click on Hour of Code. In addition to a learning station, I also use the coding activities with one of my students on a behavior contract. If he earns his points for the day, then he can spend 15 minutes coding.
- Book Creator-Students have used this app to design, write, and illustrate their own books. Some students who have become more proficient have started using iMovie. Two of my students who have recently become good friends created what they called a Friendship Scrapbook.
· Kid Rex-This is the search engine (www.kidrex.org) I prefer my students use when they are doing research. Right now they are researching an animal of their choice to use for an informational writing assignment with their partners. Students can watch videos of the animals in natural habitats and listen to interviews with zoologists.
My students enjoy catching up on the daily world news through the app News-o-matic. They read National Geographic for Kids in the iPad Newstand. They play a game called Baloney which allows them to answer true and false questions from across third grade curricular areas. I have found it helpful to connect my CMS iPad to the Smart Board and students will come up and participate in an activity that way. I know that it can be difficult to utilize technology in a classroom when you do not have devices, but I encourage you to expose your students to as much technology as you can.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Wendy McElhinny is a third grade Balanced Literacy Teacher at Mountain Island Elementary School. She has been a teacher in CMS for 17 years. She holds her Masters Degree in Elementary Education and is twice National Board Certified. She is the author of the educational blog, McElhinny’s Center Stage. You can follow her on Twitter @McElhinnyMIE.
Wendy McElhinny is a third grade Balanced Literacy Teacher at Mountain Island Elementary School. She has been a teacher in CMS for 17 years. She holds her Masters Degree in Elementary Education and is twice National Board Certified. She is the author of the educational blog, McElhinny’s Center Stage. You can follow her on Twitter @McElhinnyMIE.