Oh No the aliens are coming. Quick! Hide!
Wednesday 14 October 2015
Friday 19 June 2015
Saturday 30 May 2015
10 BEST THINGS about having an iPad for learning : STUDENT VOICES from the iLearn Anywhere Program
10 best things about having pads for learning from nsprainger
Over the past year we have been following the progress 500 (now Year 5) students from the Parramatta Diocese, in Western Sydney who have been participating in the iLearn Anywhere project, a 1-1 iPad program for Years 4-6 Research surveys and interviews have revealed what the students believe are the “best things” about having iPads to support their learning at home and at school. Essentially the students have identified the following factors:
1.MOTIVATION and ENGAGEMENT. Not surprisingly the students (and their teachers) report that they find having their own ipads to use for learning in the classroom as engaging and motivating. This is evident in their increased focus and obvious enthusiasm for learning while using their iPads.
2. ACCESS and EQUITY Students really love having their own iPad to use as and when they need them. Previously most students had limited access to ICT resources in the classroom– often only using shared devices once a week. They claim that they like not having to wait for their turns enabling them to get started immediately on classroom tasks. Students also report improved access to ICT at home as beneficial. They no longer have to compete with older siblings for access to the computer/iPad at home.
3. EASY ACCESS to INFORMATION. The availability of the iPad means that students have a tool for accessing information as and when they need it. As well as searching on the World Wide Web they have easy access to essential tools such as online dictionaries, thesauruses, calculators and their Bible when required. This in turn has a positive impact on school resourcing of these tools for classrooms – as many of these tools are free online.
4. LEARNING is DIFFERENT. Students identified that the iPad makes learning accessible in many ways – using different modalities. This is particularly valuable for students who have different learning styles or particular learning needs. Further to this, the iPad has a range of accessibility features which allow students to access the curriculum and also demonstrate their learning in a range of different ways.
5. CREATIVITY; Students love using a diverse range of tools for creating products of their learning (rather than “writing in their books all day”). Tools include ‘on board’ still and video cameras, apps for digital artmaking and music making tools such as Garage Band, Comic Strip apps and iMovie to name just a few. Creativity really clicks in when students work collaboratively and have choice in the apps they can use and as they gain mastery of a range of workflows.
6. AUDIENCE: Students are motivated to compose texts when they are aware that they have an authentic purpose and audience for their compositions. The iPad makes it possible to publish to diverse audiences within the school and beyond. They confidently use tools such as Apple TV and online networking tools such as Blogger and Storybird for publishing their writing.
7. COLLABORATION. Most students identify that they enjoy opportunities to work in pairs and small teams in the classroom. Students are becoming fluent in sharing digital assets when collaborating with others on a task. Tools such as Google Drive also enable easy submission of student work and getting helpful feedback from teacher and peers.
8. HOMEWORK IS DIFFERENT. Students display regular willingness to continue to work on things they have started at school; to experiment and learn the features of new apps ; also collaborate with peers or the teachers( eg Flipped Learning). He result is a “blurring of the boundaries” between home and school.
9. SHARING THEIR LEARNING with their PARENTS. Students indicate their parents are keenly interested in seeing what they have been learning at school. Students like it too. They say it’s better than waiting until the end of the year to take their books home. They love regularly “sitting on the lounge” showing their parents their learning. They also report that they love teaching their parents how to do new things on their iPads.
10. OWNERSHIP Finally students demonstrate a strong sense of ownership of their iPads. They are generally responsible for caring for their iPads. There have been very few breakages and no intentional damage. Students see learning as exciting and different to previous experiences with learning at school before having their iPads. They are unanimous in saying that they would not like to return to classrooms where students do not have an iPad to support their learning.
Monday 18 May 2015
BookTrailers
Have you been to the Movies lately? Along with the choc-tops and the popcorn one of the most anticipated parts of the experience is the Movie Trailers which promote upcoming movies. They are always fast paced, engaging and designed to get you to decide what you’ll come back to see next.
Book Trailers are similar to Movie Trailers. They combine text and images with a music soundtrack and visual effects such as zooming and fading to create a dynamic presentation suitable for the internet.They are being embraced by authors and the publishing industry as a way of promoting the latest books for adults as well as kids.Here are a few examples.
STUDENT CREATED TRAILERS
So why not engage your students in promoting their own favorite books via their own trailers? Making Book Trailers is a great way for students to really engage deeply with a text and use their creativity with technology as well. Not only that it provides a unique opportunity for other kids to learn about new titles by watching them. Here are some samples made by students which you may also like to share with your class.
iMOVIE TRAILERS
Tuesday 5 May 2015
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