Vision Underway...

            For my final vision project, I will be creating a blog focusing on iPads with a series of posts similar to what we have been doing in class.  This is something that will be ongoing that I can share with my colleagues.  I will begin by talking about why we should be using iPads in the classroom and how we can successfully implement them.  I will be focusing the majority of my blog posts on looking at apps that are versatile and can be used across a wide range of curricular areas.

          

Image taken from h3dwallpapers.com

   I am using Blogger to create this project and I’m finding that since I am familiar with it now because of this course, the program itself is easy to use.  Though I wanted to play around more with formatting and styles this time around, so I have been finding myself spending a lot of time making sure that it is visually appealing.  I also want it to be rich with content without it being overwhelming.  I am finding that there are so many apps out there that narrowing it down to specific ones I want to share is definitely a struggle.  I am 

hoping to group them together under specific purposes so that readers can decide which app is most useful for them in a specific topics area such as story telling apps. 

           

    I find with this project, I am looking to fellow colleagues to find out what apps they use and love in the classroom.  I am also considering professional development that I have attended as well as am searching online.  I want to showcase apps that I would actually use in the classroom or library that are simple enough and can be used in a variety of creative ways.  When searching, I found so many apps that were very specific to certain topics or subject areas and maybe in the future, I will focus more on specifics, but for the launch, I want readers to at least be able to find one app they may be able to implement in the classroom. 

            I am well on my way with my blog and it is coming along nicely.  Exploring these different apps is motivating me and getting me excited to share them with my staff so that when we do launch our iPads in September, we will have lots of choose from.  A big part of me is glad that we are not launching until September so that I can consider the research that I have done in terms of why we should iPads and how we can successfully implement them.  I would love to lead this launch in the fall!

Image taken from vivid apps.com

       

      I can share one app with you that I have come across that you will see in my blog.  It is called Strip Designer. Strip Designer is an app where you can create your own comic strip by either drawing your own images or using the pictures from your photo album.  You can then change up the filters for effect and add speech bubbles to really give it that comic book feel.  Strip designer provides you with over 100 templates and once you have chosen a layout that you are happy with, you can just pop your pictures in.  There are 12 different styles of speech bubbles you can choose from and once you decide you just click on it to drag it where you want and then double click to add text.  You can also add stickers which are like large sound effects for additional impact. Once you are finished, your comic story will be automatically saved once you leave the app (vividapps.com).

Here is a video tutorial showing how the app works:

Strip Designer Introduction

References: 

YouTube. "Strip Designer-- 1 Introduction". Online Video Clip. YouTube, 7

     July 2013.

The Domino Effect...

     I am hoping that by creating a resource (blog) centered around the concept of working with iPads, I will be benefitting the staff within my school.  I think that this will in turn benefit the students as well as the parents within the community.  The students will take what they learn from their teachers about the iPads and pass that knowledge and those skills on to their parents: thus creating a domino effect!

     

     I really want to create something that will motivate teachers to use the new iPads in our school and try innovative ideas using technology in their classrooms.  This will be exciting for our 21st century learners.  There are so many apps out there now that even when you do a search for an app for a specific purpose, you get so many results and end up feeling overwhelmed and not sure of which one to get.  You don’t want to waste your time or money on something that may be of no use to you.  By sharing apps with teachers and using images, videos and other sources of information to show them the best ways that they can be used, I can help guide those who are not as familiar with what could be available to them. 

         

     I think that it is really important for my blog to be presented in a way that is simple and straightforward and provides apps that would be most effective in the classroom.  It needs to be constantly up to date and offer new and innovative ideas so that teachers are encouraged to try them and share them with their students.  I want this resource to be something that is considered valuable will be used often and shared amongst each other.  It would be something that could easily be shared in our school’s website so that any parents or community members who are interested, can easily access it for their own personal use.

Photo taken from xtinedanielle.com

 Here is a link to Pinterest with a number of ideas for how iPads can be used in the classroom.  There are just a few general ideas.  I will go into more depth as I work through my blog.  

The following video is showing teachers learning how to use iPads and I feel that it really captures my vision perfectly.  I can't seem to get it to upload so here is a link to it: 

Teachers Train on iPads at McLoughlin Middle School

References:

Pinterest.com. https://www.pinterest.com/search/boards/?q=ipads+in+the+classroom, 

     retrieved 18 March 2015.

YouTube. "Teachers Train on iPads at Mac". Online Video Clip. YouTube, 30 August 2013.

Scoping New iPads...

     For my final vision project, I would really like to explore the idea of iPads in the library/classroom.  My school is currently in the process of purchasing 15 iPads which will be launched in September of this year.  I feel that because this is a brand new teaching tool in our schools and not all staff members are familiar with the variety of things that we can do with iPads, I would like to become a resource person who the staff and students can come to for support.  I think that this fits in perfectly with 21^st century learning and is very relevant for me at this point.  By taking on the role of this “specialist” in the school, I can share with my staff fresh new ideas and apps that would be relevant to their teaching.  I recently had the opportunity to attend a professional development day on iPads in primary classrooms and I walked away with a handful of apps that can be used in so many different ways either on their own or with conjunction with each other.  It was a great workshop and it is something that I would love to share with my staff and students. 

iPad Air 2 - Photo taken from apple.com

     I would like to share this project in the form of a blog.  This way I can share my ideas by introducing new apps and offering technical support for those who need it.  I can share relevant articles and maintain this blog as technology in this area continues to grow.   Since I am only part time in each of my schools, staff and students can refer to the blog if they have any questions rather than having to seek me out directly.  It will also provide an excellent visual with links and videos making it a simple and easily accessible tool for everyone to use.  I’m looking forward to my final vision project as the ideas are slowly coming forward and I’m beginning to picture how it will all come together. 

Photo taken from sheknows.com

A quick little intro video on making movies with iPads

Here is a link to some of the videos created by students using iPads that are in the clip above:

iPad Videos

References:

https://www.apple.com

Keep Calm and Collaborate...

            If I had to choose one topic that really resonated with me, I would have to say that it is collaboration.  As I stated earlier, when I decided to specialize in this role, one area of it that I was really excited about was collaborating with staff.  I feel that it is an excellent opportunity to share new ideas and resources, work with someone who may have a completely different set of expertise than yourself and have an extra educator in the room to assist students or split them to work with smaller groups.   

            

Photo taken from imgbuddy.com

          With the idea of collaboration in mind, my key takeaways are based around ways that I have either been able to or am hoping to collaborate with my staff.  I have appreciated being a part of keeping The Daily 5 program consistent within our school.  I do the umbrella lessons and use the same common language as teachers so that students are sure to find "good fit" books when they are in the library.  I feel it is really important for them to feel successful at reading while also choosing books that are of interest to them.  This will in turn foster a reading culture within our school.  Another key take away is our ability to collaborate through inquiry projects.  I am looking forward to officially begin this on Monday morning and see how it unfolds.  I think the students will be really excited about kicking off a "passion project" on a topic that interests them most and using the library for their research.

     Moving forward, I can see that I have started the ball rolling with collaborating with staff, however, there are so many more opportunities out there that I can be a part of.  Our school is purchasing fifteen iPads this year and I really would like to take advantage of these in the library.  I would almost like to become an iPad specialist in the school where staff can come to me to discuss all of the different ways in which we can use them in the classroom.    I think that this would be a great opportunity for me to stay current with technology and help those staff members who are not as familiar with iPads.  I recently attended a pro d focused on iPads in primary classrooms and there were some great ideas.  I am looking forward to sharing them with staff once ours arrive.  I think that it is really important for someone to take on a leadership role when it comes to this new technology.  I want to make sure that they get used to their fullest potential and that all grades have a chance to experience working with them.  

Photo taken from http://trendyteacher.info/tag/ipad/

     Here is a great video of a grade one teacher who talks about using iPads to differentiate instruction.  She starts out by emphasizing the importance of still using traditional teaching methods but then shows us the impact that iPads have in her classroom in terms of building confidence in students and using them for differentiated teaching and creating extensions.

Transforming the Classroom with iPads 

References:

YouTube. "Transforming the Classroom with iPads". Online video clip. YouTube, 

         13 Dec 2012.