Learning and Leading - August 2012

Beyond the projects produced, the first class had the devices for six to eight weeks while working on the cutting-edge invention project and prior to taking a standardized test that assessed a variety of reading-related skills. The results showed that these students did especially well on the portion on comprehending information text. Teachers also noticed that these students showed more confidence with the devices and the content. Special needs and English language learners participated equally in the collaborative projects and in assisting with questions and issues that arose. Additionally, all students from the first class of fifth graders provided peer coaching support to the two other fifth grade classes and teachers—a valuable leadership experience.

Based on the results of this project,
Thomas Elementary School received
a second cart of devices and purchased
two additional carts of individual
computing devices, including one cart
of iPad 2s and one cart of netbooks.
During the 2011–12 school year, the
carts were used for instructional pur-
poses, such as improving math skills at
all grade levels; focusing on literature
studies related to fifth grade social
studies standards; improving reading
fluency, vocabulary, and comprehen-
sion skills in a fourth/fifth grade Eng-
lish language learner class; recording
interviews and photographing historic
buildings in downtown Flagstaff for a
research project conducted by a fourth
grade class; and teaching and improv-
ing reading skills in kindergarten and
first grade classes.

experience while maximizing their use for a variety of other content areas.

Resources

Arizona academic standards: www.ade.state.
az.us/standards/technology/Articulated_
Grade_Level
“The 50 Best Inventions of 2010,” Time:
www.time.com/time/specials/pack
ages/0,28757,2029497, 00.html.

Thomas Elementary inventions researched: http://tinyurl.com/ipadresearchgoogleform.

Zombies Out Teched website: https://sites. google.com/a/fusd1.org/zombies-out-teched

Acknowledgments Special thanks to Kamalene Nelson, Laurie Jeffers, and Annie Crego, the Thomas Elementary School lead teachers on this project, and Heather Zeigler, Brad Kamradt, and Mary Knight from the Florida Unified School District Technology Department, who provided the iPads as well as 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.