Ah ha moments, glowing eyes of aw and pride, oooo's and ahhs, and glissening wide smiles...with teeth and everything and oh my goodness look at me filled each period!
My students continued to just rock technology and totally and completely rock being an iPad 1:1 classroom last week. They continue to become more and more proficient at using their technology. Lessons continue to flow and the pace of each lesson increases each day. Their knowledge of the basics is well ingrained... actually fluid! At only four weeks into being a 1:1 iPad classroom my student and the possible ways we will use technology have already exceeded my expectations.
You might want to put some sun glasses on. The glow of all the awesomeness could be blinding...
I find myself able to introduce them to new tools and new components of their technology. Baiboard has become not just a look what your iPad can do tool but a consistent tool...from sharing word lists during group Reading instruction to facilitating peers working together to sharing math notes and completing them as a class.
I find myself looking for ways to tweek and perfect our usage...looking for ways to be increasingly more efficient at changing paper to text form. The Jetscanner app has been an absolute god sent. Anything paper need to be turned into a PDF for sharing or use on the iPad. Take a photo, it changes it to a PDF and done!
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I find myself looking for that very last way to remove almost all paper from our daily use. We have switched my students from typing their daily events / daily narrative on a PDF type enables document to putting these events on their Google Calendar. Why not? I use my Google Calendar everyday to keep my day organized!
I find myself looking for ways to connect us more.... to show my students the power of technology and communication. Last week two of my students went on Edmodo (unprompted by staff or parents) at home seeking help on a problem they were having on their homework. That night after several replies from me and my student teacher they had the answers to their questions. In that instant they learned the power technology has to connect. It actually made me teary. As a direct result of this (it is actually something that has been on my mind for a while) I am exploring apps that would allow me and my students to chat when they need help on homework. This very moment was my most proudest yet! Technology does powerful good and connects them to resources. They learned that that night!
I find myself becoming a paper snot! I even lost the capacity to breath for a half second when I actually had to print something last week. You mean I actually need to have a paper copy...I need to print?! ...Cue Back to the Future 2... What like you thought my geekiness really started and stopped here...
All of this awesomeness is just overwhelming wonderful!!! I just can't say enough about what has happened to my classroom, to me, to my teaching and to my students!
