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!