Prior to returning to college for my teaching degree,  I was a teacher assistant in a High School computer lab.  Students who felt they were “outsiders” often viewed my lab as a “safe harbor.”  One day, a young Junior was expressing her desire to quit school.  She stated that she hated her BOCES program and felt she was too unhappy and “stupid” to continue attending school.  When I over-heard her grumblings and saw how unhappy she looked I asked if she would step into my office so I could visit with her privately for a moment.

Of course, her first response was, “Are you mad?  What did I do?”  I laughed and said, “You haven’t done anything wrong, I overheard you say you wanted to quit school and just wanted to visit with you.  I’m certainly not mad at you!”

We talked about her concerns and at one point I asked her to do me a favor.  “Close your eyes for a moment, take a deep breath.  Now, tell me if you could see yourself doing anything you wanted ten years down the road, what would that be?”

Her immediate response was, “I would like to be a nurse, but the guidance counselor told me I don’t have the grades or skills to go into nursing.”   I placed my hand over hers, and said, “If you see yourself as a nurse, you must pursue your dream.  Even though we are trained adults and I know the guidance counselor wants you to be practical,  you must never let anyone tell you that you are not smart enough or gifted enough to follow your dream.”

Shortly after that conversation, I took a sabbatical to return to college.  I wondered what happened to that sweet, winsome girl, but noted that she did graduate the following year.  Recently, my husband had emergency surgery and (of course you have probably guessed) that dear, sweet girl was his favorite nurse.

Look for ways you can make a difference today!  And, of course, please feel free to use the comment link below to share how your words and actions have already made a difference!

I was thrilled when Elaine contacted me to ask if she could write a guest article.  As more and more districts are working to bring one-to-one computing into classrooms this seemed like an excellent topic to feature.  Elaine and I will be interested to hear back from you regarding your district policy for…

Bringing Apps into the Classroom

With the explosion of technology in recent years, educators are struggling to keep up. The emergence of smartphones, tablet computers, and e-readers leaves much to be questioned about how these forms of technology can best be implemented in classroom settings from online PhD programs to kindergarten. With over 425,000 apps available on Apple’s online store, how can teachers navigate the expansive library of applications in order to choose ones that can most effectively enrich students’ learning experiences?

The various ways in which teachers can utilize applications in the classroom can be broken down into two main categories: teachers can use applications to improve efficiency and organization, or to stimulate student engagement and enhance student learning.

Music teacher Jeffery Bradbury names numerous apps he uses in the classroom on a daily basis. He utilizes the Attendance application to electronically keep track of which students are present and absent each day. The Dropbox application acts as a reliable file storage and file sharing medium. These and other applications allow Bradbury to to save precious classroom time, eliminate unnecessary paperwork, and stay organized.

A model example showcasing the benefits of using applications in the classroom to stimulate student engagement and improve student learning through differentiation can be seen at Drayton Hall Elementary School in South Carolina. Drayton Hall is leading the way when it comes to integrating technology at the elementary school level. Each of the schools’ 800 students were issued an iPad at the beginning of the school year. The iPads must remain at school, and teachers are responsible for downloading apps available on the devices. The iPads can be used across the curriculum. According to Principal John Cobb, one of the schools’ initiatives in distributing the tablets is to keep students involved and engaged in their own education.

Furthermore, in using the iPads student learning can be specialized and individualized much more than before. Kindergarten teacher Kristi Meeuwse states “Having the iPads allows me to individualize each child’s learning. We have several children on a lot of different reading levels, ability levels, and the iPads allow me to use the Apps to individualize each child right where they are.” Meeuwse goes on to state the iPads keep students engaged and focused during the day, and discipline is no longer an issue when the devices are in use.

The positive results of integrating the technology of mobile applications in the classroom are evident. Here are some practical tips educators at any level should consider when looking to use apps in the classroom:

1) Identify your class’s needs.
It’s easy to be sucked into the seemingly limitless library of downloadable applications. Some applications will blow you away with the graphics, fancy features, or possibilities for educational use. Before browsing for possible applications to use in the classroom, educators must first identify their class’ needs. What do you need an application to do for you? Help you stay organized? Save class time? Engage students? Differentiate student learning? Help students take notes?

2) Find an appropriate application for the identified need.
It is important to keep the structure of your class and lesson objectives in mind when selecting applications for possible use. Applications should be complimentary components in your lesson, not the lesson itself. Many apps will be powerfully attractive for the possible uses they suggest, but tools for needs your class doesn’t have won’t be any use.

3) Practice makes perfect.
Before introducing an application to your class, practice using it beforehand. Try to learn all the features and kinks of the application so you can anticipate students’ issues with and questions about using the program.

4) What additional resources are necessary?
Consider all aspects of an application: will you need speakers if it’s an audio application? A projector and screen for a visual application? Does the application require each student to have access to a mobile device, and does your school have the resources to provide them?

5) Collaborate with other teachers both online and within your school.
Share your ideas with your fellow teachers and ask for suggestions when searching for new applications. Many teacher blogs and forums discuss the use of applications in the classroom, so other technologically minded educators can be resources for you.

Teachers and students at all levels will benefit from the meaningful integration of technology in the classroom. From kindergarten students learning about the weather to university students studying for an organic chemistry exam, all can benefit from a wide range of mobile applications. When it comes to education, the slogan “there’s an app for that” couldn’t be more true.

The image used to create this poster was posted to Flickr by Kevin Cole. Click on this mini poster if you would like to view a larger version for printing.  Click on the title of this blog if you would like to email this post to a friend.