ipads in the classroom

Being an Agent of Change

/ Kristi Meeuwse / 7 Comments

Any growth requires a temporary loss of security.-Madeline Hunter

IMG_1578I’m on spring break and the most productive thing I plan to do today, besides write this post, is to drink my coffee.  Don’t judge…this coffee isn’t going to drink itself.

I’ve been crazy busy the last few weeks and this week off will provide some much needed rest.  I spoke at an education conference in NC, had an Apple site visit and am preparing to speak to some future educators later this week. Oh, and I was teaching too.  Busy, but a good kind of busy.

As I prepare to speak to these future teachers later in the week, I realize they are preparing to enter into student teaching soon.  They will be going into schools with an excitement about teaching and learning.  In many cases, they will have an arsenal of technological tools, including iPads, at the ready.  What a dynamic time to be entering the education field.

I started thinking about what happens when these young people enter a classroom with a supervising teacher who is less than enthusiastic about the use of iPads…or any technology for that matter.  This can be a tenuous situation. How do you tackle a situation where you are expected to be the “teacher” in the classroom but you aren’t really in charge? How does the veteran teacher step into a role as mentor to this young educator when the younger person has far more technological background?

I was approached by a veteran educator after my presentation last week in NC.  She was excited by the possibilities of iPads from my presentation, but was very anxious about the actual implementation. The big picture looks heavenly, but the devil is in the details.IMG_1537

Whether you are a student intern treading softly in a classroom that isn’t your own, or a veteran teacher feeling like an alien in a world that has previously always felt comfortable, change and growth always require some discomfort.  Baby steps and true reflective practice will ease the transition.  For veteran teachers, you are still necessary and relevant…more so now than ever.  You have invaluable experience and wisdom.  By implementing iPads along with your wisdom and experience, your teaching will be transformed.  For the upcoming educators and new teachers, you are still necessary and relevant…more so now than ever.  Your cutting edge technology skills will serve as role models for your students and fellow colleagues.  You will be leading a technological revolution in your schools.

So, with all of our collective bravery, let’s go forth and be the change we seek.  Y’all go on ahead…I will catch up after I finish my coffee.

Today, we will do exciting new things.  Let’s get to it!

Come See Us!

/ Kristi Meeuwse / Leave a comment

Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death-Albert Einstein

group pic collageIn a recent post, I talked about raising the bar with iPads.  One of the best ways to raise the bar in education is having teachers learn from each other.  By seeing what is possible…truly possible, one can return to the classroom with a renewed sense of energy and purpose.  It is one thing to hear about something, but it is another thing entirely to see it in action.

My school, Drayton Hall Elementary, is an Apple Distinguished School.  We host visitors from all over.  These site visits have been very beneficial to those who have come.  Apple is hosting 2 such tours at Drayton Hall in the coming weeks.  The first one is March 28th and there is still space available on that tour.  The second tour is April 16th from 8:30-11:30. Click here to see the invitation. Drayton Hall April 16th

I’ve talked about the importance of kids learning from each other and it’s no less important for adults to continue to learn as well.  We have had teachers, administrators, board members and technology folks visit.  They have seen 1:1 iPads across all grade levels and across the curriculum working to personalize learning for our students.  When you can come away from a learning experience as a teacher and take it back to your classroom, the ripple effect has begun…not just with your students, but with your colleagues and their students.team work

Have you ever been to a workshop or professional development and walked away with a new idea?  It is an exciting feeling to try something new and fresh.  As an Apple Distinguished Educator, I am connected to some of the best educators in the world.  As they share what they do, I find myself raising my own expectations and in turn, raising the bar in my classroom.

Many of my readers live in other countries and I realize a site visit isn’t very realistic.  However, make a point to find a way to connect with other educators.  Twitter is a great place to build a professional learning network.  Teaching is hard enough…connecting and learning from others makes it worthwhile.

As we say in the South….y’all come!

Today, we will do exciting new things.  Let’s get to it!

Reaching Each One with iPads

/ Kristi Meeuwse / 4 Comments

boys workingBelief in oneself is one of the most important bricks in building any successful venture.-Lydia Child

I was observing my students working independently the other day and was feeling pretty good about how far they have come this year.  During this observation, I noticed one of my students sitting quietly.  His facial expressions indicated there were problems.  I walked over to see if I could help and noticed he had done nothing.  He hadn’t even started.  As I talked quietly with him, I discovered he had no idea how to get started.

Have you ever been that one?  The one who “didn’t get it”?  I vividly remember being the one in 3rd grade who didn’t get 2 digit multiplication.  Everyone else around me got it and I felt stupid.  My teacher at the time, bless her heart, did what she thought was the right thing to do and that was call me up to the board to stand there, in front of everyone, until I understood.  I am 47 years old and have never forgotten that moment of shame and embarrassment.  Remembering that feeling, meant that how I handled the next few moments with the young man who hadn’t started his work, was critical.

One of the reasons I love having iPads in the classroom is the ability to give my kids what they need.  That means that “the one” who needs extra support can get it without the embarrassment of everyone knowing.  It also means that those who are ready to move on are able to do so without having to wait on others to catch up.  When we personalize learning for students, we are giving them what they need, when they need it, for as long as they need it.  Engagement comes when we give students voice and choice. It is hard to hear the student’s voice when we are the ones doing all of the talking.

I think it’s important for us all to remember those times when we were “the one”.  How we handle situations when students struggle can make the difference in how that student sees himself/herself as a learner for many years to come.  Utilizing technology with personalized learning helps engage learners on their own terms.  No longer do our students have to feel like they are standing alone while everyone else moves on.

Today, we will do exciting new things.  Let’s get to it!

Some Days are Like That

/ Kristi Meeuwse / 2 Comments

The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, “The children are now working as if I did not exist.” -Maria Montessori

For the record:  Heloise does not have a helpful hint for the best way to remove vomit from an iPad.  Being faced with this very dilemma recently, I realized I had no lifestyle guru to turn to for help.  I just had to push up my sleeves and get to cleaning it.  Into every kindergarten teacher’s life, a little vomit (or other body fluid) must fall.

Some days are like that…a lesson bombs on the same day your principal comes to observe, whining and tattling rules the day, no one seems to be listening, and someone vomits on an iPad.  The best part of those days is when they are over.  A recent visitor to my classroom marveled at how well behaved my students were and how they were so independent.  She noticed they do not interrupt me when I am teaching small groups.  She asked if they were like this all the time or just because there are visitors in the room.  I replied that most days they are independent and well behaved.  I work diligently in the beginning to make them as independent as possible.  Personalizing their learning and giving them the voice and choice to make their own decisions about their learning is a big part of creating that independence.  However, we all have days that are not stellar.

IMG_0366Recently, we were having so many problems with kids not getting along we re-visited our Code of Cooperation.  We discussed where we were falling short and what we could do to correct the situation.  We talked about what each of our agreements would look like.  What does it look like when we listen to others?  What does it look like to be nice?  After our discussion, the children made a Pic Collage to demonstrate their understanding of what our Code of Cooperation should look like.  Here is an example:

HREF

While this won’t solve all of the world’s problems, it helps from time to time, to re-visit expectations and reconnect with what we are about.  It helps us as teachers to return to our fabulous selves and remember that, while “vomit” happens, tomorrow can be a better day.

Here is a great video for when you have one of those days:

Today, we will do exciting new things.  Let’s get to it!

Technology Infused Classrooms

/ Kristi Meeuwse / 3 Comments

The love of learning, the sequestered nooks,
And all the sweet serenity of books.- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Luc landformsWhat does a technology-infused classroom look like?  If it’s done correctly, the technology becomes invisible.  It is seamless.  The teacher scaffolds and creates a curriculum-based lesson, then steps back and allows the students to make the magic.

In my classroom, I’ve  intentionally modeled procedures and through the gradual release of responsibility, my students are independent during their work time.  I’m not interrupted while teaching guided reading groups as students incorporate peer collaboration into their skill sets.  Once my students have learned how to use their apps, they are able to then demonstrate their learning in a creative way they choose.

It is not uncommon to see students in the reading center reading eBooks on their iPads asElla making a book well as regular paper books.  At the writing center, there will be children making books in Book Creator as well as writing out long hand on paper.  Ella, pictured at right, chose to skip her free choice centers today to go write a book on her iPad.  On Monday, she chose to write about her weekend news during Writer’s Workshop.  She wrote 6 pages on lined paper.  Her method of delivery differs but she is demonstrating the skills

With a technology infused classroom, students can make their own decisions.  They are engaged and motivated.  In kindergarten, the infusion is slow and deliberate.  It becomes a natural part of our every day routine so that we don’t have to work at it.  We don’t have “iPad time”.  It an extension of our learning. We don’t just add technology and stir.  We use the technology for information, research, collaboration and creation of products.

By being deliberate, having a plan, and empowering your students, creating a technology infused classroom is easy.

Today, we will do exciting new things.  Let’s get to it!

Technology for Today and Tomorrow

/ Kristi Meeuwse / 7 Comments

If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow. -John Dewey

My husband decided he needed an iPad for work.  This decision seems fairly innocuous considering the prevalence of this tool in the modern workplace.  What makes this decision remarkable to me, is that he is a reluctant technology adopter.  He doesn’t have an ATM card, he only recently got a smart phone and he isn’t overly interested in trying new technological things.  He has never used an Apple product nor has he used any touch screen device.  And he is just fine with that.  He leaves those things to me.  I was thrilled with his decision and we immediately went to the Apple store and bought him an iPad.

After it was all set up, I was ready to spend the afternoon with him showing him all of the amazing things the iPad can do.  He puttered with it for about 15 minutes and said he was done for the day.  WHAT?  We barely go past turning it on and off, navigating a few apps and he was done.  Baby steps.

Unlike our students, many adults tread cautiously into the world of technology.  My 5 year old kindergarten students watch me demonstrate (just once) a complex set of instructions requiring multiple apps to complete an assignment and they are on it.  Solo.  To my tiny digital natives, I am speaking their language.  To many digital immigrants, I may as well be orbiting Jupiter and speaking Juptonion.

Could this be part of the reluctance of many adults who are in charge of making technology decisions for schools?  A friend of mine posits that perhaps the simplicity is confusing.  Unless we see the value of technology in our own daily lives, it is difficult to find value in it for our students.  “Why do we need to spend all of that money on iPads?”  We have to move beyond being just fine with the way things were.   We speak about 21st century skills and 21st century classrooms as if they are something out of the Jetsons.  We are 13 years into the 21st century people.  If not now, when will be the right time?

By establishing our classrooms as a global learning communities, students and teachers learn together from each other and from a world of other learners.  Teachers no longer need to have all of the answers.  This revelation frees us up and takes the pressure off…we can explore and learn from our students.  I learn from my kindergarten students almost daily. We don’t need to employ the “no pain, no gain” axiom in teaching and learning.

Here is a video compiled by a colleague showcasing some great things at my school…no adults were harmed in the creation of this video…. 🙂

Today, we will do exciting new things.  Let’s get to it!

It’s a New Day…I’m Still Me

/ Kristi Meeuwse / 10 Comments

Every new day is a once in a lifetime event. How much more exciting would our lives be if we embraced this truth and lived accordingly?-Steve Maraboli

Tuesday, February 19th was an ordinary day.  School, cook dinner, answer emails and play my new game obsession Candy Crush.  (I can NOT get beyond level 30!) I had checked my email obsessively the last 3 weeks waiting to hear some news, and another day looked as if it would pass without hearing anything.

The email notification on my phone reluctantly pulled me away from attempting to crush those candies.  The subject line was: ADE Class of 2013-United States.  Holy cow…here it was.  The long awaited email.  I was home alone when I opened it and saw the first line: Congratulations and welcome to the Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) Program.  I stopped reading and started yelling.  My poor dog was certain I had lost my mind.  This application had been turned in since November and the waiting was excruciating.

So what does all this mean? ” Apple Distinguished Educators (ADEs) are part of a global community of education leaders recognized for doing amazing things with Apple technology in and out of the classroom. They explore new ideas, seek new paths, and embrace new opportunities. That includes working with each other — and with Apple — to bring the freshest, most innovative ideas to students everywhere.”-Apple

I’m thrilled beyond words to be a part of this community and can’t wait to learn from the best of the best.  The honor is incredible, but more importantly, the ability to work with some of the most amazing educators in the world is priceless. ADE

Wednesday, February 20 was back to reality.  Still wearing my huge smile and excitement from the night before, it was apparent my children didn’t know the awesomeness of this distinction. They had no idea anything was different from the day before.  Because it wasn’t.  I’m still me.  I’m excited at the new role I will be wearing as an ADE and the possibilities of what new things I can bring into my classroom, but we are back to business.

My kids ask me each day “What will we learn today?”  My answer is always “Today, we will do exciting new things.  Let’s get to it!”

Thanks to all of you for all of the blog and Twitter love!  We have exciting new things to do…let’s get to it!

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Hope Explains More

/ Kristi Meeuwse / 2 Comments

hom·o·phone : a word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not, as heir  and air.

If you want a sure-fire way to make a class of kindergarten students laugh you need only say “underwear”, “poop” or “naked”.  This will result in uncontrolled, hysterical whooping and laughing.  We recently added the sight word “but” to our list and that immediately created some wide eyes and giggling.  I had added a “bad word” to our list.  What was I thinking?

We immediately launched into a lesson on homophones. This is a complicated concept for my students because they don’t realize words can sound the same but be spelled differently and mean different things.  We came up with a few together on an anchor chart to help them visualize this.  We will add to this as we come across other words, hopefully not as scandalous as “but” and “butt”.

These class conversations combined with the anchor charts help them make concrete connections to otherwise nebulous concepts.  My students are not experts on homophones now, but they have been exposed to the concept and hopefully, with the creation of the anchor chart, it will cause them to stop and think when confronted with another word that is confusing.

In a recent post, I extolled the virtues of our Explain Everything app. One of my students, Hope, was very articulate in her explanation of her annotated illustration.  Hope was vexed by the whole “but” “butt” issue and wanted to Explain Everything about these words that was creating such consternation in our classroom.  Please allow Hope to explain more:

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Increasing Math Literacy with iPads

/ Kristi Meeuwse / 1 Comment

Mathematics expresses values that reflect the cosmos, including orderliness, balance, harmony, logic, and abstract beauty.-Deepak Chopra

Math and I don’t get along.  While we are civil out of necessity, I make it a practice not to do math in public.  It just never turns out well. I think our disharmony can be traced back to the early beginnings of our relationship when my second grade teacher would smack our knuckles with a ruler if we used our fingers when adding.  I was terrified of her and I soon became terrified of math.  It’s been a rocky road ever since.

So how ironic that my 100th blog post (insert big fanfare here!) is about math.  I don’t want my students to be afraid of math, nor do I want them to share the same ambivalent feelings I have.

ella tens and onesOur common core math standard this week is “I can break numbers in to tens and ones.”  We’ve unpacked that standard all week.  We’ve practiced and practiced and today was the day they demonstrated their proficiency.  First, we chose four teen numbers.  They drew their tens frame in Doodle Buddy and showed the ones outside the frame.  After the drawing was saved, they imported it into Pic Collage and typed out their breakdown of the number into tens and ones.  This one to the left is Ella’s.  She has extended our valentines theme in her tens frame.

I’ve mentioned before how we are focusing on workflow fluency. As my students save their Pic Collage to their camera roll, I can transfer it to my laptop with Simple Transfer.  This allows me to keep electronic work portfolios.  You could also add this Pic Collage to Explain Everything and the children could tell all about their thinking.  Wells Tens and OnesIn Wells’ example to the right, he chose to draw some of his and use the stickers in Pic Collage for others.

Mathematical thinking supports science, technology and mathematical literacy.  Having students demonstrate and be able to explain how they came to their conclusions is not only important in math, but any problem solving activity.

As we have recently celebrated and counted up to the 100th day of school, we are exposing our students to greater numbers.  Having spent the week on tens and ones, they are already asking me about what the “1” in 100 means if their are zero tens and zero ones.  Time to move the bar up a notch and explore hundreds.

My students loved this activity and it is definitely one you can “count” on me using again!

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For the Love of Words…

/ Kristi Meeuwse / 4 Comments

The limits of my language are the limits of my universe-Goethe

Kaylee vocabWe are at the point in the school year where my students are able to read most of their sight words and are able to decode many others.  As we flex our thinking muscles, we are working on increasing vocabulary words.

Students learn vocabulary words informally when they are immersed in a word rich environment. Anchor charts with rich words and lists of synonyms can be used to create a word rich environment. Students learn new words through rich conversations, personal reading and daily experiences with read aloud texts.

We are working to increase our Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary during literacy centers.  Students are given 4 vocabulary words that go along with our thematic unit.  In the example above, the words were love, heart, friend and valentine.  The children had to write a sentence in Pic Collage to show they understood the word and then they illustrated their sentence in Doodle Buddy and imported it into the Pic Collage.  They will also be allowed to look for pictures on Safari to demonstrate words soon.  (I was a little hesitant to have them look up images for valentines words…) After they created their Pic Collage, they shared it with their team and read the sentences of the other children.  A colleague of mine uses Strip Designer with her first graders to demonstrate their vocabulary words.  Either of these apps work great.  You can save the work to the photo library or upload to PaperPort to demonstrate workflow.

To teach vocabulary, we must use rich and robust instruction through multiple exposures. Children who acquire a substantial vocabulary are often able to think more deeply, express themselves better, and learn new things more quickly. They are also very likely to be successful not only learning to read, but also in reading at or above grade level throughout their school years.

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