We are halfway through our year with iPads for 10th Grade English at Calvary Christian Academy. In no particular order, here are my observations:
More students are buying or requesting their own iPads. They bring these in and purchase/download the same apps that we use in class. Students have learned that iPads are oh-so-much-more than consumption devices. Because we use iPads for everything from writing to research to filming to editing, students observe the possibilities.
Settings need to be password protected. This seems like such a no-brainer. My students are generally quite good with the iPads, but sometimes they get themselves into trouble.
Canvas Instructure is hands-down THE BEST learning management system for those using iPads in the classroom. Students can submit any work from almost any app to an assignment in Canvas. I can then use the SpeedGrader app to grade and make comments (including video/audio comments).
Yes, I want the camera. No, I don't want Photo Booth. It's an all or nothing situation now with the Restriction settings.
IPads give students choices. Some assignments I want handwritten (GoodNotes). Others I want typed (Pages). I have options with the iPads and everything stays nicely organized.
Presentations are so much easier now. No lost thumb drives or confusion uploading a file to Dropbox. Students create their presentations using Keynote and then connect their individual iPad to the projector to present. Next on my wishlist: an Apple TV so we can remotely project.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. My classroom next to the 7th grade lockers. What do I frequently overhear? "That's the iPad classroom. SO COOL! I can't wait until we get to use iPads for English." Students are eagerly looking forward to their future English studies.
I am a better teacher. There. I said it. The iPads have allow me to be better organized, and I desperately need that. I have seen far less grade inflation this year in my classes.When I look at the 10th grade as a whole, I believe the assessments given on the iPads truly mirror their knowledge. The iPads allow for creative expression alongside academic rigor.
I'm looking forward to sharing more about my experiences this year during my session at PETE&C in February. I hope to see you there!
Literature is so many things, but one very important thing I want my students to capture from their reading is the joy of discovery and inspiration. Literature allows us to explore new worlds, and prepares us to tackle our own world.
In this vein, I designed the 2013 Lit Maker Project for my tenth grade honors students. Perhaps you've heard of Make Magazine or the Maker Faires - these people are passionate about trying new things and pushing the boundaries of their creativity. While preparing the literature selection for this quarter, I saw many correlations between the author (Thor Heyerdahl) and Makers.
Kon-Tiki is the story of a man with an idea. Is it possible that ancient people traversed the Pacific Ocean on rafts? Thor Heyerdahl's research was not taken seriously, so he set out to prove that it could in fact be done with five other men. Had they ever built rafts before? No. Survived at sea for months? Nope. Did that stop them? Definitely not!
Today's gifted students can easily forget the joy of literature. So often they are bogged down with unlocking the "true purpose" of the text. I designed my project to allow my students to take inspiration from literature, paralleling Thor's own intrepid spirit.
To assess student reading, I allowed students to complete the book at their own pace, completing online quizzes at their leisure.
To help my students understand what I am looking for in this project, we watched Dale Dougherty's TED Talk on the importance of being a Maker.
Afterwards, my students played with my son's Makey Makey (video below of my son controlling the computer with oranges using the Makey Makey).
Then, I brought out Legos and invited my students to play. When I ask
my students to be creative, particularly honors students, there is
sometimes fear in their eyes. How will I be graded? What exactly do you
want? I prefer open-ended types of projects because I believe it pushes
students to reach new heights, but I know how scary that can be for
someone who just wants to know what check boxes they need to check to
get their A. Enter the Legos. I don't know what it is about Legos, but
once the box is open, they must be played with. I've yet to meet a
student who doesn't enjoy the tactile building process. I use Legos to
help students get over their fear of creativity - thirty minutes with
Legos, and project ideas start flowing.
The assignment:
You are a Maker. Design your own project where you create some thing... something unusual, something crafty... something different. Use this opportunity to explore your interests. This is your project, and your opportunity to create something special. You will have two months to complete this project, including all Mondays and Wednesdays in-class. You are responsible for creating a proposal and a timeline for completion.
Project Examples:
Sew a dress out of unusual materials
Create a robot that turns the pages of a book
I am using the Make the Future scholarship criteria to assess these projects. This will be a test run for many of you - if you find that you enjoyed this project, you can create a new project in a few years and submit it for the scholarship.
You will each create a 2-3 minute video including the following
- Title or Name of Project
- Inspiration for project
- Description or summary
- Purpose
- Procedures or process in creation
- Skills needed to make project
- Design challenges
- Demonstration or visualization of project
You will be assessed on:
- Project creativity
- Project innovation
- Mastery of skills
- Use of materials/applications
- Project design
- Project presentation
In addition, we will be using some of our writing Thursdays to write blog posts reflecting on the project, research related articles and information applicable to your project, and collaborate and comment on your fellow classmates' projects.
Common Core Literacy Standards: 10.RL.6 Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature. 10.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. 10.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. 10.SL.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, text, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. 10.SL.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task. 10.SL.5 Make strategic use of digital media in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
