Research Cutting-Edge Inventions Using a Cutting-Edge Invention
What cutting-edge technolo- gies are being invented? How will they influence
society? What problem or need
does the technology address? What
other related technologies or inventions might be needed? These
were the overarching questions that
framed a project-based learning unit
on cutting-edge inventions. Using
iPads—a cutting-edge technology in
itself—to investigate cutting-edge inventions proved to be a perfect fit for
motivating and engaging students in a
project-based learning experience.
Project-based learning is a model
of instruction that is based, in part, on
the inquiry learning strategies of questioning, research, and discovery. It is
an engaging, nontraditional method
that asks students to explore real-world issues and complete authentic
tasks. Research shows that project-based learning is an effective way to
teach students skills such as planning,
communicating, problem solving, and
decision making.
Grant Proposal
In December 2010, Flagstaff Unified
School District in Flagstaff, Arizona,
USA, awarded one set of 30 iPads to
a team of fifth grade teachers. At the
time, the iPad had been on the market for only about six months, and
very few teachers in the district had
access to one or any idea how to use
it, let alone how to integrate a class set
into the curricula. The key requirement of the grant was to develop a
unit of instruction that incorporated
project-based learning, Arizona core
content and technology standards,
digital age skills, and students’ use of
iPads and other technology devices
and software.
The teachers who received the iPads
worked at Thomas Elementary, a Title
I school with 68% of the students
qualifying for free or reduced-price
lunches. The 2010–11 fifth grade
students ranged from a small group
identified as talented-and-gifted
learners to about a quarter of the students with moderate to severe learning disabilities. The students were in
full-inclusion classrooms. Involving
students in project-based learning
experiences was key to meeting their
diverse learning needs.
The team of teachers decided to im-
plement the project first with one class
and then train those students to serve
as peer mentors for the other fifth
grade classes. Students in the first class
had been involved in project-based
learning since the beginning of the
school year, so they were already able
to communicate appropriately, col-
laborate equally, research effectively,
and take ownership of their learning.
And they were now ready for a new
tool and challenge!
The Project-Based Learning Unit
The next step was to develop an innovative project-based learning experience that required students to use
iPads to conduct research, reflect on
their learning process, and develop
a final product. Training students as
peer mentors both in working with
