Saturday, October 8, 2011

Teaching and learning with technology....Livescribe


The Livescribe Pen
I became an Ambassador this year for Livescribe.  They sent me a pen to use and to assess how it can impact learning.

I am fascinated by this pen.  You write in special notebooks, and then can upload the files to your computer, or to applications like Evernote (a favorite of mine).  Additionally they have software that can covert your handwriting to text.  This of course is dependent on the neatness of your handwriting.

Storage and organization
My first usage is for my current grad school course.  I began the course typing my notes, but saw this as a great opportunity to put the pen to the test.  I do love traditional note taking in a notebook, but love to have access to my notes on my computer.  The Livescribe is a serious solution for this.  I love that I can store and organize my notes, with papers I have typed for the class, and any other digital resources.

The distractability of technology
Additionally, taking notes with the pen is less distracting than using my computer.  While typing on my computer, I can get distracted with my email, Twitter, Facebook, or any of several other applications.  With the pen, I have it and my notebook, but still will eventually get digital notes.  This could be very key for students.  How easily they can be off task in the middle of class, especially those prone to distractability. There is little on the pen to play with.

Audio
I have yet to try the audio component of it.  You can record what is being said while you write it.  They when reviewing your notes, you can touch on the spot you were writing, and play back was was being said as you wrote it.  I think of this as a great tool to address executive functioning and memory difficulties.  I have two students I tutor who could benefit greatly from this.  They are in public schools, and often miss things said in class because they are busy trying to write things down.  This would enable them to record things, and then we could review them later to ensure they received and noted all the information needed. 

I look forward to exploring more opportunities with the pen at work as a teacher, and as a student myself. 


Teaching and learning with technology....the iPad


iPad 
It is no surprise to anyone in the building how much I love my iPad.  So many more people who are not geeky like me, are discovering the wonders of this device.  I used it mainly for my personal use; however, I have spent the summer exploring educational uses.

I was frustrated at first in searching the app store, as most educational apps seemed geared toward preschool skills, or for those with more severe disabilities, such as autism, for communication.  But what about students with learning disabilities, or those who could just use some extra practice to keep up with today's fast paced learning?

There seems to be more apps arriving geared toward such learning.  I was excited to find a series of apps related to various math skills that I know would be ideal for my students.  I shared this with the parents of my students at Open House.  They always want to know how they can help, although we ask them to have a hands-off approach while they are at our school.  The parents were excited to hear that they could encourage practice, as the students love to touch the iPad just as much as the Smartboard!

I found some story telling apps that while a bit low level for my students, can encourage them to practice oral story telling, which in turn may aid them in their written stories.   They seem to guide them through the organization and sequencing process at a very basic level.   Additionally they are recorded orally, so the student can hear themselves when they are done to self-assess.  I love that it allows them to be creative without the handwriting component that can hold up my students with dysgraphia or difficulty with spelling due to their learning disabilities. 

My favorite usage is the iBooks app.  I have a trio that need a lot of direct instruction in reading, but that we want to give exposure to age appropriate books to.  Usually this would involve me reading aloud, which I do at times.  However, I found that there are several books in iBooks that will read the book to the students, highlighting each word as it is read.  This is great feedback for my students.  No other app does that, they simply read aloud.  I do wish the students could touch a word and have it read, but maybe that will come down the road.  For the parents of these students, whom I know had iPads or iTouches at home, I shared that this would be a wonderful way to encourage independent reading.  The students love when I hook my iPad up to the interactive whiteboard and we can "read" the book on the board.  I know they would be just as happy at home to read if it meant that it was on an iDevice. 

There are many tweets I have saved that talk about iPads in school.  I hope to scour them for more great ways that an iPad can impact learning.  It is a wonderful device not just as an assistive tool, but for direct learning as well. 








Teaching and learning with technology....the interactive whiteboard

The beginning of the school year has been a whirlwind as usual, so here it is October and I am finally getting a chance to reflect on my new technology for this year.

Smartboard 
My classroom in the first in our building to have an interactive whiteboard installed.  We have held off on this piece of technology, not sure if it would directly impact student learning given our unique learning environment. 

I have to say it is an amazing piece of technology.  I have the latest model and its like a giant iPad!  I love that I can set up a page for each class first thing in the morning with the agenda for that class and what homework will be.  I used to have do to this in between each class.   It is nice to not have to erase the board immediately in the middle of the lesson to keep writing, I simply get to go to a new page.   Additionally, if it is a writing brainstorm, word list for Tutorial, or a word problem we are working on in math, I can save it right where we left off for the next day. 

The interactive lessons are wonderful for my students.  It gets them out of their seats and they want to interact with the board. 

But is it really a cost effective teaching tool?  I am not sure on that yet.  Yes my students are very engaged, but I also found ways to engage them and get them moving without such a high cost.  Manipulatives and file folder games can cover kinesthetic learning in most of my classes.  A ball, a dart gun or a basketball hoop in just as interactive as moving items on an interactive board.  There are the gigantic post-it note paper that can hold brainstorms and math problems until the next day.  

The board is also a distraction in its novelty.  The students want to touch it, they want to draw on it, they want to see what it can do, when they are supposed to be focusing on the words I'm saying, what work is in front of them, or even what I am writing on the board.  I will be curious when this wears off.

I do look forward to spending the year working with the board and seeing what I can create.  Also I will be working with staff to utilize the board, in their hopes to also have an interactive board installed in their rooms.