The first topic is "Who Owns The Learning?" This is a topic that is associated with Alan November, being that he wrote the book. Several important ideas and aspects can be taken from seeing him speak or reading his book. Blogger The Incidental Techie does a really nice job portraying the importance of this topic and the highlights. Here are a few highlights she took from the book:
- Essential questions for educators: Who owns the learning? How much autonomy can educators successfully give the students? How can we design an environment for our students that can lead to ultimate achievement?
- Teachers are overall the ones who make sure to implement the curriculum and what knowledge is required, but it is the students and their experiences that "deepen their understanding of curriculum content"
- What benefits are included in keeping the students from experiencing and learning different social media tools during the learning process?
Again, these are only a few of what can be taken from Alan November. Below is also a very brief video of a basic overview of what Alan November gets into when he discusses "Who Owns The Learning?"
Another point that falls under this topic is information that came from the article, "In Maine, a lap top for every middle-schooler." Taken from this article is the fact that Maine has worked to become a state that provides a laptop to 7th and 8th graders, and is doing so to approximately 1/3 of these students in the state. So far, since 2002, it has shown to increase the students' enthusiasm in the classroom, but not necessarily their test scores. Needless to say, teachers have pointed out that it has been beneficial in a sense of making students better at collaborating information from multiple sources as well as expressing their thoughts. Since the time, it appears as if attendance has risen, while detentions have dropped.
Some of the several Android apps I found to be of use were TED, StudyBlue, and Class Behavior Charts. TED is very useful for displaying some great talks and speeches given around the world. StudyBlue is just one source that could be used to make flashcards and to help an individual study. Lastly, Class Behavior Charts help to organize and manage behavior in the classroom. It also is good for tracking and communication with other teachers as well as the parents of the children in the classroom.
On the other hand, there is Apple and all that it has to offer. These include PCS (Picture Communication Symbols) Bingo, ArtikPix (flashcards, matching), and Symbol Support Viewer. PCS Bingo is a great app that could be used for development of vocabulary and articulation. ArtikPix is ideal for children who have speech delays and consists of flashcards and matching activities. SymbolSupport Viewer can be used as an aid for students who have a difficulty with reading, by providing symbols above or below words contained in assignments or outlines of instructions.
I also found an interesting article that portrays how iPads can be beneficial altogether in the classroom. Teachers found improvements in things such as student motivation and quality of peer work. Not only are the already mentioned apps available on these devices, but they can be used in so many more ways that can be contributed to all subjects of learning. It is definitely an article that is worth reading to get an idea of what these resources can do for our future generations.
Aside from Apple and Android are some other interesting apps that could be used. To demonstrate some of these, I found this great chart provided on the Edudemic website.
Under the model, teachers make eight- to 10-minute videos of their lessons using laptops, often simply filming the whiteboard as the teacher makes notations and recording their voice as they explain the concept. The videos are uploaded onto a teacher or school website, or even YouTube, where they can be accessed by students on computers or smartphones as homework.
Class time is then devoted to practical applications of the lesson – often more creative exercises designed to engage students and deepen their understanding. On a recent afternoon, Kirch's students stood in pairs with one student forming a cone shape with her hands and the other angling an arm so the "cone" was cut into different sections.