Who are you planning to connect with through your project? What are the qualities and characteristics of the learners who will participate in this project? What might their history or experience with ICT be?
- Junior grade teachers (4 – 7), teacher librarians and possibly technology faculty and/or decision makers. Eventually I would like to specifically target the website to girls schools, using the research into the difference’s between the ways girls learn and their brains, and targeting the iPad related activities to that information.
- Generally, our audience would be comfortable with technology overall and are open-minded to trying new technologies,
- Many are like Julie & I who have had iPads ‘dumped’ on them with little PD, or thinking behind why buy them, yet want to use effectively and authentically in literacy related activities.
- Our audience is B U S Y, they don’t have time to read through “75 Ways to Use iPads” or “50 Great iPad Apps for Teachers” which seems to be the pervasive type of iPad information out there.
- They need quick-to-read and easy-to-process, useful information that is not overwhelming and easily implementable in classrooms and libraries.
- We are assuming a wide range of experience, but will target our site to a general to intermediate level of comfort with opening websites, using iPads and ability to try new thing.
How can you design your project to maximize the possibility to foster connectivity?
Originally we wanted to set up an RSS feed so that users who are interested can receive an email when we update the site, however, we have since discovered that Weebly does not offer RSS feeds on their free websites. Now we are thinking we will have a Twitter feed linked to the sight, @iPads4Literacy, along with a hashtag, so that we can create a PLN specifically related to this use of iPads.
Why is this project important at this time in education?
When I found out I had access to a class set of iPads coming this fall, I was thrilled… and then overwhelmed when I began to research ways to use them. As I said before, there is a plethora of ‘lists’: 150 Great iPad Apps for Education! 49 Ways to Use iPads in Your Classroom! and more. Agh! I needed a site that was direct, simple, concise and targeted to my grade level(s) and to skill areas (e.g. literacy). If I’m feeling that way, I am positive others are too.
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Hi Christine,
Love your website and will definitely be looking at if we get Ipads at our school. Our school was going to get them, but decided to wait. Some wanted older models because they were cheaper and some said that future applications need the HD capable Ipads. Anyway, our school is like yours. We really haven’t addressed the why. If it is just to do research we have a lab with 30 new computers, so that kind of reasoning is not a sound response. Using Ipads with a specific goal that you have outline, makes the purchase and focus for getting them clearer. You have developed a pedagogical reasoning for using them and promoting them to include technology with a learning outcome. Bravo.
I like how you have included tips and some websites for possible uses. You are right there are so many applications, so as a potential user who is BUSY, you have done a service to your school Thanks for your insight!
There is a long history of lists of lists of links for educators: you can try this! This! This! but they don’t have any meaning or any relationship to the teachers’ needs, so they go unused. Much more important is setting up networks of relationships: educators who have iPads in their schools and are wondering what they might do with them. If they don’t figure out a meaningful use, we know what is going to happen. Hopefully your site will contribute to growing a network of iPad teachers who are creating, collaborating, implementing and debriefing about how to enable, enhance and enrich learning supported by iPads.