And now for the other side...

While I found the exploration of the ipads and tablets to be really interesting, I felt like I needed to look into the negative side, too.  I was a bit overwhelmed by the number of educators who are opposed to using this technology in the classroom!  Below are a few key articles (with links) that will go into detail a bit more.

Disadvantages of Using the Ipad for School by Erica Loop
Ipads in the Classroom: the Promise and the Problems by Christina Tynan-Wood
The Top 3 Problems with Tablets in the Classroom by Beth Bacon

Overall, I think that the leap to using ipads and tablets in the classroom is a good one to make, provided that I know, as the teacher, my purpose for using the technology and that I know that it will enhance learning and not merely replace a book or pencil.

Thanks for reading!!

Innovative Educators...Using Tablets in Creative Ways

This article is from 2014, but it profiles 5 really innovative and creative teachers who are using tablets in their classrooms.  These are the people to watch and emmulate!

How 5 Inspiring Tablet Classrooms Are Changing Education

There’s no one way to use tablets in the classroom. We look at some of the most creative uses from today’s top tablet educators.

• By Stephen Noonoo
• 08/25/14

High school World History teacher--1:1 iPads

Secondary education Speech Pathologist--SmartEdPads

2nd/3rd Grade teacher--3 ipads per classroom

High School Math & 8th grade Science-- 1:1 Fujitsu Q702 Windows 8.1 tablet PCs**

11th Grade Physics/Astronomy--1:1 Ipad Cart

Most impressive is the work done at Cincinnati Country Day, the first completely 1:1 school in the country.  I really think there is a lot of wisdom to be gleaned from these educators who are clearly thinking outside the box and doing some forward thinking about how to integrate technology, specifically tablets, into learning in an authentic and feasible manner.

Tablets in the Classroom...an interesting article

iPads in the classroom: the promise and the problems

A close look at tablets in schools – what works and what doesn’t. 

by: Christina Tynan-Wood

This was a really interesting article, giving a fairly good overview of the growth of tablets--iPads, specifically--in the classroom.  What I liked most about the article was that the author gave examples of classrooms that used the technology to merely replace the existing tools teachers had been using, but also of classrooms that took the technology and elevated the learning experiences for the students.

One of the key points that I took away from this article, and others like it, is that the most critical piece of "equipment" in a technology savvy classroom is an educated, trained teacher.  Without a teacher who is comfortable and knowledgeable, the technology will be underutilized and will overwhelm any potential for learning.  Given the current state of politics surrounding education, it is really important that teachers (and parents) continue to fight for tools and training, so that the technology is utilized and students continue to grow inside and outside of traditional classrooms.

Subtext...an app for Ipad!

So this is a tool that claims to promote and facilitate an "elevated reading experience" on tablets.  Apparently, Subtext is a tool that facilitates close reading by breaking up texts as readers read.  Readers not only are able to make notes in the margins, but the technology is shared so that teachers and other readers can reply and comment in real time. It sounds pretty amazing! I have added it to my "must explore" list for when I finally get my hands on the iPad cart at my school...which is proving to be difficult, as it is in great demand by the other 85 teachers.
I found this video that does a great job explaining this app.

Research begins...

I came across this great post, from 2013, which seems to be a good place for me to begin my exploration of iPads in the classroom.

Unique and Creative Ways to Use iPads in the Classroom 

Among the many really great ideas, I am (as an English teacher) especially interested in the Book Creator app.  I am currently trying to figure out with my co-teacher how we can use this in our classroom and try it out on the students.  Essentially, users pick images, place text, and choose background colors for assembling their book. The length is unlimited and there is a sample included with the free app that also serves as a tutorial.   It seems really user friendly!
EdShelf is a great source for reviewing educational materials, and their review is overwhelmingly positive.

I suppose that I will try to get this into my students' hands soon, so I'll keep you posted about our results!

So....Tablets.

Okay, so I know nothing about tablets. I've never used one. Ever. But my school has a cart of 25 iPads for us to use and I feel ridiculous not using the technology that I have available to me!


So I did a little research and found out that while the iPad was the first tablet, as of this year the market is split between iPads and Android Tablets, 50-50 (although a recent article in the NY Times said that North America still prefers the iPad, 70-30). I also started to look into the difference between them, and it seems as though the Apple still has the upper hand in this department. Apple technology just feels almost too good to be true (she says as she types on her MacBook Pro). However, I am happy using my Android phone, so I may lean toward Android Tablets, ultimately.


According to "tech-addict: technology blog for tech lovers", here are the major differences between iPads and Android Tablets:

• Tablet is a common name for a wide variety of devices that usually function using a touch screen with different specs from different manufacturers while iPad is Apple’s version of a tablet; 
• The iPad runs on Apple’s iOS operating system while most popular operating system of other tablets is Google’s Android; 
• Flash or shock-wave videos cannot be run on iPad and, therefore, you cannot see online video clips from YouTube and many other sites while other tablets can use these popular software for showing online videos; 
• Multitasking is absent in iPad i.e. it can’t interact with multiple apps at the same time while other tablets running on Android OS have true multitasking i.e. when you are using one application the other applications can run in the background; 
• The iPad has more number of available apps while number of compatible apps is relatively low in other tablets

The blog goes on to compare the two systems (as advice for potential buyers, not educators...this may be a key point, perhaps?), the conclusion is:

• The iPad gives you an operating system (iOS) with intuitive interface and an awesome display; 
• In terms of ease of use and performance the iPad tends to be more stable and easier to use than other tablets; 
• The iPad is still in the lead when it comes to the number of available useful apps. Android currently has fewer apps that are optimized for tablet. However, this is increasing all the time; 
• In terms of hardware, an Android tablet is a good choice if you want faster processor, powerful cameras and easily expandable memory; 
• If you like to have a lot of options to choose from, you should be checking up an Android tablet. With Android tablets, you get more choices in terms of size, features, and price; 
• Android tablets can be of great value and a good choice if you want to customize your tablet to make it look the way you want it to; 
• A big plus point for Android tablets is that they are cheaper than Apple iPads

I will have to get my hands on the iPads here at school, but I am going to start searching out folks who may have an Android Tablet as well.

How about you folks? Anyone have a preference??


Ganguly, R. (2015, September 20). What Is The Difference Between An iPad and A Tablet? www.the-tech-addict.com Retrieved October 28, 2015.

SurveyMonkey is Dying A Noble Death...at least here

So I have gone as far as I can go with Survey Monkey.  Most of you have watched me explore the educational potential as I tried to use this with my own students.  I finally decided to go with "poll daddy" since it was the one that attached nicely to Weebly, where I maintain my classroom blog!

Speaking of my classroom blog...head on over to it and tell me what you think!

http://livingworkshop.weebly.com/

For the second half of the semester, I have requested to explore tablets, although I'm still waiting on final approval.  I have access to a cart of 25 iPads that I could use in my class, so I thought this would be a great place to fully explore the potential of this technology. The student who explored tablets for the first half of the semester did it with an eye on training, so I'm excited to pick up from where he left off.