Research says that kids are digital natives too (Prensky, 2006)
Just like we made mistakes with assuming that millennial teachers would automatically know how to use technology we also made the mistake of assuming the kids would immediately know how to use the technology in an appropriate way. It became clear early on that the teachers weren’t the only ones who needed training. Our elementary students needed to learn how to care for and respect the iPads and the apps but they also needed to learn how to navigate Google, Safari, and Chrome. These search engines and web browsers may be well within our adult comfort zone but children need to understand the mechanics of how and when to use them.
Research says that iPads can improve classroom learning (Maich & Hall, 2016)
We found that iPads did improve classroom learning but not because they are iPads, if that makes sense. Success was more attributable to the fact that teachers who integrated iPads into their lessons tended to do more Project Based Learning (PBL), which has been found to improve student learning across grade levels (Cheu-Jay, 2015). Our teachers used iPads as a tool to become more innovative educators and this in turn led to improved classroom learning. We should note that as this finding became more obvious we gave our interns further training in PBL.
Research says iPads improve student engagement
When teachers and university faculty asked Jeanne why she wrote that first grant for the iPads she immediately said, “I was looking for a way to improve student engagement, but really when I’m saying that I think of one student: Edward.
Edward came to my class mid-year from another poor school across the state. He had many home and learning challenges that were well documented in his academic file. My problems with him started immediately: reluctant reader, disruptive behavior, a general refusal to work. I’ve been a teacher for a long time and I’ve had other students like this. My approach is to find their talent or interests. Fortunately for me, Edward was a fabulous artist—he loved to draw, and I saw his whole body relaxing as he doodled while waiting for the bus. I couldn’t get Edward to do much, but when I gave him the task of figuring out an app that would allow our students to draw using the iPads he became a different student. I told him that this was his responsibility and that he could also serve as a trainer for the other students. It was also his reward and in a way his therapy—when he was particularly upset or disruptive, focusing him on the iPad calmed him and allowed me to work with him in a much more productive way.”
We heard variations on this story throughout our research; the hard-to-reach, reluctant, oppositional Edwards all became engaged when introduced to opportunities that the iPad gave them. Many of them read more easily on the iPads; they willingly did research for projects, and as we moved forward they could write and edit on the iPads using keyboards.
Research says that iPads have the potential to level the playing field for all students
We would most certainly agree! Our findings as researchers and teachers made it clear that all of our students could access iPads easily and eagerly. All classes in our research site were inclusive with a diverse community of learners at every grade level including students with IEPs, 504 plans, autism spectrum disorders, and English language learners. Beyond that there are children who fall under the category of reluctant learners and at the same time (since the school did not have a gifted and talented program) many students who consistently perform above grade level.
The explicit intention of using iPads in the school was to reach this rainbow of learners. How does one teacher differentiate for so many different children? Using a PBL framework we found that iPads could be used to support children in long term projects and in daily core subjects reviews. More specifically, we used iPads as a research tool, for reading books, practicing facts, writing books, sight word review, for creating videos, podcasts and slide shows, and the list goes on.
In the end, the research and our data merged. The greatest truth was that the less a teacher uses technology, the less comfortable they will be with technology in their classroom—this is neither age dependent nor years of teaching dependent. We know many “old” teachers (present company included) who love the latest technologies and embrace them joyfully in our classrooms. What has been the most interesting outcome for us in our research is the number of classroom teachers who, with a little hands-on support, created technology-rich lessons with a minimum of training or professional development. The bottom line was that when we mixed training with support we created a successful and innovative learning experience for teachers and their students.
References
Cheu-Jey, L. (2015) Project-based learning and invitations: a comparison. Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, 1(3), 63-73.
Clark, W. & Luckin, R. (2012). The problem of context: The circumstances in which ICT can support learning. The University of the Fraser Valley Review, 4 (2), 1-13.
Maich, K. & Hall, C. (2016) Implementing iPads in the inclusive classroom setting. Intervention in School and Clinic, 51(3), 145-150.
Mango, O. (2015) iPad use and student engagement in the classroom. The Turkish Online Journal of Education Technology. 14(1), 53-57.
Prensky, M, (2006) Listen to the natives. Educational Leadership. December. 8-13.
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