I’m beginning a new endeavor as a part-time preschool teacher this fall, and I’m taking my iPad with me.

Technology integration has long been one of my strengths in the classroom, and I have used labs and software and websites as a tool to enhance our learning and illustrate our application of skills and knowledge.  My previous teaching experiences, with students in grades K-5, have always had access to a computer lab along with classroom desktops and had scheduled computer lab time and measurable expectations.  My preschool classroom meets two mornings/week and has one classroom machine.

As a mother of two children (ages 3 and 6), I believe whole-heartedly in the importance of limiting screen time.  Netflix and iPods and online games are used sparingly, and most often in times when there is little opportunity for free play or meaningful adult interaction; car rides, long waits, Mommy’s treadmill time, etc.  But, as a teacher and a heavy-technology user, I see a large discrepancy in children who are familiar and comfortable with technology devices and those who have less experience, and I see the level of their technology skills impacting their education and career paths as early as their elementary days.

So, along with finger paints and dried pasta, blunt scissors and stubby crayons, I’m bringing my iPad.  I want to use the iPad as a tool to intensify our learning themes or add another opportunity for skill-building.

Knowing students and the novelty of iPads and similar devices, I have been tossing around several ways to promote equal opportunities for use.  In past classrooms, I have used ticket punching systems, name charts with clothespins, popsicle sticks and pocket charts.  There is no doubt that some students will gravitate toward the technology center and try to trade trinkets for extra turns, while other students will still display that behavior for a favorite baby doll or tractor as well!  Most often, the technology center will be a “can-do” center as opposed to a “have-to” center; students can choose to visit the iPad table or may skip it to have extra time for other centers.

Our preschool programs utilize Creative Curriculum and develop lessons, activities and centers to support two- or three- week themes.  Within the themes, we provide activities in: art, writing, math, science, sensory, fine and gross motor and reading. Planning often looks like this:

Preschool Theme Planning

Where will an iPad fit in?  I am trying to find an app or activity that fits with all of our themes so that the iPad (and maybe a couple iPod touches) can be offered as another learning center.  (for animal homes, I like the My First App/Eric Carle matching games and several easy readers) I also foresee several opportunities for adult use of the iPad as a on-demand tool for learning and record-keeping.  Computers and iPads are expensive additions to a classroom, and my limited teaching time with students is even more valuable.  Every activity we present weaves together with stories and songs and experiences to encourage growth and development, and the iPad must be no exception.

              

Apple’s iPad is finally here.

Amid the hype and speculation of its features and design are also the musings of educators seeking to enhance student learning experiences in their classrooms.

Educational soundboards everywhere are asking readers for ideas on how to utilize the new iPad in their classrooms.

More than finding ways to integrate technology into the classroom with the iPad, I’m interested to see how this will affect application development through the App Store, and, most importantly – whether it will drive change in textbook publishing.

Online textbooks are more readily available, and what better way to interact with your studies than to curl up with an iPad?  You can use your fingers to zoom, scroll and flip pages, and there are no library fines for dog-eared pages.

What we need, though, is the ability to annotate your textbook and make choices about learning.

Is reading text enough for you?  Or, do you need to doodle in the margins, underline and highlight words, or even jot thoughts down on a sticky note.  Maybe you need to hear the text, or see a video, image, or animation?  Perhaps you would learn best by interacting with an applet on your eReader and stacking up bricks to make a physics theorem really ‘happen’?

Going further, perhaps you think of a question while reading and want to leave it on the blog of an expert.  Or, you have finished reading your assignment and want to take the end of chapter quiz to check your comprehension – with immediate feedback, of course.   Maybe something you read catches your attention, so you record a sound file with your thoughts and tag it to a certain phrase from the text for pondering later.   There are also links to further reading, videos, websites, blogs and assignments, all provided by your teacher.  These textbook interactions are where education is headed.

In a study released last week by The Kaiser Family Foundation, groups of students were observed and surveyed in 1999, 2004 and 2009 about their media use.  Theses students, ages 8-18, are spending 8-10 hours of their day interacting with media devices like phones, computers, mp3 players, and TVs.  The study also reported that students with the highest number of hours media use reported the lowest grades, most discipline problems, and most feelings of boredom, sadness or fatigue.

I hear many educators discuss how technology integration – especially with devices like the iPad – will be the savior that our institutions need.  Collaboration and access to resources will increase, as well as enthusiasm and participation.  But if students are already spending all of their waking hours outside of school engrossed in some sort of media device, won’t teachers still be struggling to find new ways to captivate their audience, even if they do have a shiny new Apple?

              

I have been a long time Mac and Blackberry user, and have wanted an iPhone since it first entered the market.   Because the network ATT uses in our area is an affiliate and not ATT, I cannot sign up for a plan.  There are always ways around these issues of course, but  as a technology professional, I need reliable access to email and messaging.

Until recently a Blackberry Curve has been my handheld of choice.  My most recent Curve, and its predecessors, have supported my needs with few complaints.

When the Droid debuted in November, I saw an opportunity to have an iPhone-like experience on a much larger network.  I purchased my Droid three weeks ago.  I didn’t port my number immediately, as I had read a few negative reviews and wasn’t quite ready to leave the Blackberry at home.  I’m happy to say that I ported my phone this morning and am now a satisfied Verizon Wireless and Moto Droid user.

I have a couple observations that I’ll share.

I am not an Exchange user.  I use an IMAP email server.  The IMAP client that is provided with the Android OS is buggy.  I had many issues with it crashing and needing to be restarted.  A quick search of the forums showed that I am not alone.  I found an app by the name of K-9 Mail.  I am extremely impressed with this app.  It is robust enough to serve the purpose of a smartphone.  It supports IMAP IDLE, which maintains a connection to the IMAP server in order to be instantly notified of new email.  This is an obvious advantage to waiting for the client to check in every 5 minutes or so.  When I held my Blackberry and Droid side-by-side, I would often receive the same emails fifteen minutes later on the Blackberry.

I’ve also been using an open source app called Expense Manager.  The app offers organization in my expense reporting process.  It allows you to take a picture of your receipt and associate it with a particular expense.  It also supports the export of expenses into CSV format via email.  I haven’t looked at similar apps, but this one is definitely convenient.

Finally, I’ve been using an app by the name of doubleTwist to sync my iTunes library to the Droid.  For the most part, the app works pretty well.  It also allows you to purchase MP3s via the Amazon MP3 store and your 1-click account.  The app has the obvious limitation of not being able to sync any DRM protected music.

As a new user, I’m interested in seeing what apps others are using, so suggestions are definitely welcome.