iPads – yes I said it…iPads

Okay before I really get into this post, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have been bitten by the magic.  Steve Jobs you may quite possibly be my hero and to think I have fought you for so long.  Shame on me.   I am so caught in your tangled web of wonder that I will be the first to admit – my 2 and 5 year old have iPads.  Yes I said it, my children, 2 and 5 carry with them (wherever they go) $500 dollar “toys” and quite frankly, while some of you make think I am crazy,  and I encourage you to tell me as such, I also ask that you be prepared to have a conversation with me again in 5 years – we will see who is crazy then.  As for the rest of you that I have not lost – the greatest educational tool right now is very much so the iPad in my opinion.

So why iPads versus computers or other means of technology like Smartboards, etc.  Well quite frankly the versitality of an iPad intergrates computers, and smartboards in such a way that it almost makes them unecessary.  This is not to say that I beleive at this point students do not benefit from using a computer but lets face it what does the ipad do that a computer can not.  I will admit that word processing on the iPad is still in early stages, but the technology is rapidly advancing with the wireless keyboards and the ability to print to wireless printers.

In terms of what I have watched my own children do in the short time they have them is almost incomprehensible.  My 2 year old is almost to the point of being able to trace every letter of the alphabet much like children do when they begin a program like Writing without Tears and she has the ability to do it in such a way that it is fun and exciting.  She collects stickers, it sings her songs, and corrects her immediately if she traces the letter incorrectly.

With my five year old she is reading off the ipad.  She is completing basic math problems, and she has the ability to click through apps created by such places like the Museum of Natural History which provide her with an endless stream of dinosaur pictures, all accessible at her fingertips without having to type into the internet and click through unscreened pictures.

For the older students like the ones in my school, the iPads have so quickly become intergrated into their leanring that the students are creating presentations, doing research, and working through math programs that target their current learning concepts.

In one such class the students were able to work in groups in stations to listen to music of the Harlem Renassiance, check out pictures, watch powerpoint presentations, and use the internet to research assigned topics.  The speed in which they were able to do this far out performed any computer and provided them with the extreme flexibility to be able to differentiate for their different needs.

This will not be the first and last post I have on the topic as I do believe this is the wave of the future in education.  But I will say this.  As a fourth grader, I remember the librarian telling my mother that she was killing me and my sister through radiation because we had a computer in her house.  My mother was quite clear with the woman that she was wrong and that her children would be far more prepared for the real world because of the computer – she was so right.  I do believe, that we are not far off from all students have access to iPads in the classroom because they are not that expensive and they are just that versatile.  Why buy textbooks when you can buy it on the iPad where the multimedia aspect is integrated as they read?

Want your students engaged, I mean truly engaged in the learning process?  iPads is the answer.  I am not saying replace the paper and pencil and marker, I am saying incorporate it into the learning with the iPad – trust me – I have seen it done and haven’t seen anything but unbelievable results.  Its magical!!!!

Bulletin Boards :/

Bulleting boards – if you scour the web for bulletin board images you will be surprised to find that there are more descriptions of bulletin boards or cries for help for a great idea for a bulletin board that needs to get put up as quickly as possible.  Of course, pictures abound, but the reality is that more teachers are looking for the next great idea for a process that few teachers I have encountered seem to enjoy.

I am one of those rare few teachers that really does enjoy bulletin boards.  I love creating them, and showcasing the hard work of my students because in reality, when a student sees their work on the bulletin board, they get a special kind of smile on their face that is often indescribable.  it is truly a look of accomplishment and one that is not seen enough in schools these days, especially in the Bronx.

My most recent was inspired by a general bulletin board search.  I liked the concept and figured I could recreate it fairly easily.  Some of the few students I work with were transitioning into a test prep unit anyway so this concept seemed to work beautifully.

Who's side are you on - for test prep?

I must admit that my passion for bulletin boards has sparked quite a competitive competition with several of the other teachers in my school in a good way.  Instead of just slapping some work up on the bulletin board it has become more of a way to showcase student work with themes, teachers trying to think outside the box and the bulletin boards expanding beyond the confines of the cork.

The promise of what the future holds in terms of teachers being proud of their creations and students excited about seeing their work displayed has created a culture where work is more then just the mundane routine of school, it has become a way to instill the ever illusive intrinsic value of learning and while many will argue that it should be a given or that you don’t need a bulletin board to do that, why not use the often hated task as an opportunity that often gets lost in the filing, grading, and other endless amounts of paperwork.

Have an awesome bulletin board – share it…showcase your work for the world to see and spark the creativity that lies within all of us teachers.

Wordle!!!!!!

Wordle – if you have never seen one, then I recommend you spend a little more time on the web.  Before I get to deep into why Wordle is one of my best/worst friends, let me show you want it looks like.

A Wordle!!!!

So what makes them so unique?  Well for starters, the program is easy to use.  You put in the words you want and the program automatically randomizes the words and removes common words like, thee, of, in as, etc.  In addition it automatically makes the most frequently used words the biggest easily showing the students which words were the most common.

Once the wordle is created, then the true creativity of the students can come out as they can change the the color of the words, direction, font,  and the background.  The wordle below was created by an 8th grade student who was expressing her anxiety about the New York State Assessment exam

Test anxiety

The students easily get lost in their creations and they are proud of their work when they are done because it is quite easy to use the program.  Often times their personality comes out in the wordles and it great to see something that started as difficult become easy and fun.

For as great as the program is – wordle does have its disadvantages.  It is not easy to save the creations.  I have found the best way to do it is to take a screen shot and then transfer it to a program where you can crop it and then adjust the size to your preference.  There is no real easy way to save from the site though you can print your wordles from the site without saving them.

Overall, wordles are a great way to get your kids engaged with words – especially if you are moving into a poetry unit.  It is a quick and cool way to mix word and art and I have yet to meet a student who hasn’t found themselves lost in their wordle.