Students brainstormed appropriate behaviors related to
the care and use of the iPads, prioritized the list, and
then discussed various ways to categorize the items.
significant wear and tear on the plug,
and it allowed teachers to check the
condition of the iPads after each use.
One advantage of the iPad is that
it has fewer components that can be
broken compared to a laptop or desk-top. This is an important consideration when you have multiple classes
or entire school populations sharing
the devices.
instructional and technical support
is necessary to ensure the devices are
fully integrated with the curricula.
Timely Tech Support
The devices rotated through three
classrooms. Although the three teachers did not have prior experience
with iPads, two of the teachers were
trained as technology coaches. These
two teachers were able to troubleshoot technical issues more easily.
The district’s technology department
provided weekly tech support and
suggested iPad apps appropriate for
elementary students that aligned to
state standards. They also trained the
first students to use the iPads as peer
mentors who could answer routine
questions or help with minor troubleshooting when the devices rotated to
the next two classes.
The iPads have only a few commands for accessing the device: slide,
tap, and double-tap. The iPad interface
was designed so well that even young
children can use and master it with
very little instruction. However, it’s
important that teachers ask for help
rather than become frustrated when
attempting to troubleshoot. In-class
Rave Reviews
We conducted a number of interviews
with students, and most were excited
to use the iPads for schoolwork. One
student said he didn’t want to be absent
from school for fear he’d miss out on using the iPad. (Watch a video of these interviews at http://tinyurl.com/cxdpj23.)
Teachers noticed that when using
the iPads, students were on task—even
those who had been difficult to engage
or those with learning disabilities. In
fact, many teachers and administrators
from within and outside the district
who came to observe the classes commented that it was difficult to identify
students with special needs or English
language learners because they all
were engaged in the learning activity
and assisting each other.
The teachers also noticed that their
role had changed to that of active facilitator. For example, students using math
apps received immediate feedback from
the device, which allowed the teacher
to know whether a math concept needed further study. Some teachers said the
visual aspect of one app, Lobster Diver,
helped students understand and apply
measurement concepts. Additionally,
because most apps provide multiple
levels with increasing difficulty, students enjoyed challenging themselves
and working ahead.
Next Steps
Based on the initial observations of
this pilot project, the district chose to
expand the program by awarding two
class sets of iPad 2s, one set of the iPad
1s, and three class sets of iPod touches
to teachers within the district. Thomas
Elementary School was awarded the
set of iPad 1s and purchased a class
set of iPad 2s. The teachers are exploring ways to integrate these devices at
other grade levels. Through a research
study being conducted during the
2011–12 year, the school and district
are looking closely at the effects on
student learning, benefits related to
differentiating instruction, and motivation and engagement of students in
relation to the integration of the iPad
with core curricula.
Acknowledgments
Thomas Elementary School teachers Kamalene
Nelson, Laurie Jeffers, and Annie Crego served
as the lead teachers on this project. Heather
Zeigler, Brad Kamradt, and Mary Knight, from
the district’s technology department, provided
ongoing technical and instructional support.
—Cynthia Conn, PhD, is a Title I technology
teacher at Thomas Elementary School in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA. She is also a senior lecturer
at Northern Arizona University, also in Flagstaff.
