It astounds me how far technology has come along and how much it influences our lives. If we were still in grade school, we would probably never predict that in 20 years, there would be a way for us to read books on an electronic device. But here we are; Apple, Microsoft and other technology industries have produced a product that can read for us, highlight text, play songs, let's us draw pictures, take notes and find the definition of any word we want to know. It is amazing how much has developed and after reading, "Exploring the Use of the iPad for Litearcy Learning", I am still kind of in the middle where I see that there are advantages for using iPads, but also I am a little hesitant that it might completely steer youth away from printed texts.
Personally, I think iPads are great. I own a iPhone and a Macbook so I have a spot in my heart that admires Apple products. However, is it necessary for children in grade school to be taught how to use these products, such as the iPad? The answer for me is, I am not quite sure. I think the article does a great job pointing out that before we can begin thinking about using the iPad for curriculum, we need to determine what the learning goals are and the possible outcomes of the learning activity. We can't just give students an iPad without any real learning objectives, or else they will see it as a thing that they can play games on and get away from doing any real work. The article mentioned how the iPad shouldn't be a technology integration but rather a curriculum integration. If I were to use iPads in my classroom, I definitely think that the iPad needs to serve a purpose to what I want my students to learn, rather than just a technology tool that they just learn how to use but doesn't apply to any curricular goals.
One of my favorite apps that the article discussed about was Doodle Buddy. I think it is such a great support for literacy, especially for students who have a hard time mentally visualizing stories in their head. This program can help students see what the story is about before they even read it, so it builds up their prior knowledge and prepares them for what is going to happen in the story. I also liked how the teacher did the activity in a group setting and then put all the groups' pictures into a slide show so students can see the whole story.
Overall, I think iPads can be a great assistive technology device that can be integrated into the curriculum, however I don't think it should take over every part of literacy. I wouldn't want my students to forget what print looks like on bounded books! As long as we have clear learning goals for the activities, I think the iPad can definitely be a useful tool.
Great job this week Courtnee on your post! I like that you believe that even though the technology is out there for us to use that we should still think about finding a balance between it and tradition text. I love the idea of exposing children to technology and all of it's benefits, especially children that may not have the chance to work with it at home. But I also see your point of view about not just giving the student IPad time and letting them do whatever they want with it. Even though it can be a great motivate it is so important to teach children the value that the educational apps have. Even though we have access to what seems like unlimited resources through technology it is important to not lose focus of methods that have worked great in the past involving just regular printed books. It is the balance and variety that can make our classrooms efficient, effective, and fun!
ReplyDeleteCourtnee,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your response to the article and to the use of ipads in the classroom. I see them as amazing assistive technology devices for students, but I also think we need to educate our students in literacy independent of technology. The ipads are great because they allow students to express themselves in numerous ways. However, it makes me think about how demanding our culture is already, and how everyone wants what they want immediately. I can see extensive ipad use in the classroom contributing to this problem. Students need to learn how to do research and actually put effort into getting what they need, instead of just downloading an app. I love that you talked about connecting the use of ipads with learning goals. This way, we will know that we are using them for a purpose, rather then using them just for the sake of technology.
I really agree with your point about not letting iPads and tablets take over every part of literacy. It would be such a shame if students no longer held real books in their hands and read from them. I've been so reluctant to buy any kind of Kindle or electronic book because I feel like I'd miss holding a real book! I think you're right that as long as they are integrated appropriately into classrooms, iPads and other similar technologies are great tools!
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