Literacy with the iPad
Hadley Russell & Kelsey Person
As technology progresses through the years, education is going to have to adapt. With new technology comes new teaching ideas and concepts. The "iFamily" has been revolutionary in the realm of technology. It has created a whirlwind of advancement and with that we now have the iPad, iPhone, iPod, etc... The iPad is incredibly user friendly and can be looked at as a useful tool in the classroom. There are numerous apps that can be downloaded onto the iPad that deal with education and literacy. Textbooks are now downloadable as well. As we move forward through the iPad we will see how easy it is to use and how it can be applied in the classroom.
What is an iPad ?
There are over 300,000 apps at the app store. Students can use the apps to play
educational games that help with reading.
iPads have the capability of connecting to Wi-Fi for students to access the internet
to look up information about a topic they are reading.
How Do You Use the iPad?
The iPad is user friendly when it comes to basic usage. Children seem to catch on to the concept of a touch screen very quickly. There is one button at the bottom of the screen which works as a home button. When this button is pressed it will take you back to the main page of the iPad. As you can see on the diagram below there is a headphone jack on the top left corner. The volume is on the side for easy access. The iPad can also be easily connected to a computer via USB cord that plugs into the bottom underneath the home button. This is great for student use because students can work on the iPad and then transfer there work for printing or saving if that is not available through the iPad.
The iPad connects to wireless internet which is quick and painless for students. They will not have to worry about trying to connect to the internet or figure out how to do that. Once the wireless network is connected to a network through the iPad, it will automatically connect the next time. There is a network of apps that can be downloaded through iTunes that are helpful for students in the classroom. We have given some examples of several different apps that are downloadable and usable for literacy in the classroom.
Watch this video about iBook’s and the different tools you can use through iBooks.
http://www.apple.com/apps/ibooks/
Screen shot of what a book looks like on an iPad
Pros of using iPads for reading:
Students are able to be at different reading levels than their peers without others knowing what
books they are reading. iPads take away some of the peer pressure for students cannot see the
actual covers of the books.
Books can be read aloud on the iPad with different apps. This will help students who need help
with decoding and may not be able to see the actual words on the iPad.
iPads have a feature where you can make the font larger, smaller and highlight or underline the
text. Having all of these tools is very important for students have different preferences on text font.
Students can instantly look up words or information about a topic that they don’t understand when
reading if they are connected to the internet.
Teachers can create their own textbooks and books for the students to use, they can include:
- Videos
- Links to websites
-Pictures
1.5 billion books available through iBooks
Many schools are not able to afford new textbooks year after year but having iPads cuts the cost of
the new textbooks because the school is not paying for paper books.
Textbooks are 3D interactive and students are able to zoom into the text and pictures by using their fingers.
Cons of using iPads for reading:
iPads cost money and adding new books on the them and the price to buy the iPad is expensive.
Apple gives schools and teachers a discount especially the more the iPads the school buys.
Keeping the iPads up to date with the lasted software can take time especially if you have twenty
students in the classroom.
Schools have to decide if they want the students to take the iPads home or to just use them at school.
Some students still enjoy having the actual book and being able to turn the page.
Hard to monitor students’ progress for a teacher will have to check students iPad and their reading progress.
References
https://www.bookshare.org/
This website offers book sharing for teachers and students. The website has a feature which reads
the book aloud. The website has books New York Times Best Sellers, newspapers and magazines.
https://sites.google.com/site/itunesandpodcasting/i-touch
The website site offers great ideas about different apps to use in the classroom. It gives a brief explanation
about each app and how to use it in the classroom. Also included on this site are lesson ideas such as
Readers Theater with iPad’s and loading quizzes onto the iPads for the students to practice before taking a test.
http://iteachwithipads.net/2013/04/15/running-records-on-the-ipad/
The website has different ideas of how to incorporate iPads into your classroom. The website is created by a teacher
so there are lesson plans and advice of what worked and what did not work. The teacher who created this site wanted
to do running records on the iPad so she could transfer all the data onto a computer. She found there is an app provide
by Clemson University through the App Store.
Running Record App
http://www.ipadclassroom.com/blooms_taxonomy.html
The website shows different apps a teacher can use in which Bloom's Taxonomy is being covered.
Bloom Taxonomy is creating, evaluating, analyzing, applying, understanding and remembering.
Just a few of the Apps that Cover Bloom's Taxonomy
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/mobile-apps/trading-cards-30922.html
Students can make their own trading cards on any topic. Students can print, keep the cards on the
iPad or trade with other students. This app will help students material before quizzes or tests.
Other Helpful Websites:
http://www.apple.com/ipad/
The Apple website has many different tools for students and teachers to look at and there are
even answers to frequently asked questions if there seems to be problems with the iPad. Apple also has
support through the website .
http://www.edudemic.com/2012/11/the-early-results-of-an-ipad-classroom-are-in/
Is an article wanting teachers to think about the students quality of work when they use an iPad and
how students will use their creative when using an iPad.
http://www.jordan.pausd.org/ipad/100%20iPad%20Tips%20and%20Tricks.pdf
100 iPad Tips and Tricks from setting up an iPad on a T.V. to getting Wi-Fi onto an iPad.
http://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/reading101/literacyapps/
Lists the top educational literacy apps for students to use on their iPad.
http://www.techradar.com/us/news/mobile-computing/tablets/50-really-useful-ipad-tips-and-tricks-688556
50 Really Useful iPad Tips and Tricks
http://www.apple.com/education/itunes-u/
Numerous education apps for the classroom
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