Edgaged

One of the challenges that Zack and I have faced the last few weeks is finding apps that allow primary students to create on an iPod. Sure, there are a lot of apps out there that help kids practice and develop skills, but most of the production opportunities are with the iPads and are too complex for a kindergartener or a first grader to use. Doodle Buddy has worked well in the past, but teachers obviously need more than one free app that will allow the students to be creative. This week I came across an app called Story Kit. (New to me, not to iPods.) I think this app will really allow young students to show their creative abilities. The kids have the option to take pictures, add text, and record their voice while reading it. I could see this being used in all content areas. It could be to demonstrate a skill, publish a story, publish a how-to book, share an event, etc. Not only that, but it is a pretty simple and straight-forward app. I hope to have the opportunity in the near futur...

Last week's post had to do with the exciting project that I was able to be involved with at Avilla Elementary. The students created spirit signs using Doodle Buddy for the Mount Vernon Nazarene Cougar volleyball team. The game is on Saturday the 10th and many of the students will actually be at the game. (I know I will, and I will get pictures!) This week, we actually heard back from the Cougars and they had a message for the Avilla first graders! What an opportunity technology has provided for these students. Who knows if this would have happened without the 1:1 initiative throughout East Noble Schools.   [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6by13xvbjc&w=480&h=390] Here's the action from the game!!! [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K0a3jmTgEQ&w=640&h=390]

Last week I had the opportunity to work in Mrs. Yoder's 1st grade class. The students are using their iPods and creating pictures using the Doodle Buddy app to focus on being "College Bound." (Being college bound is a mind set that college is in their future and they need to work towards it.) Mrs. Yoder's sponsor school is Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU), and it just so happens that the MVNU girls' volleyball team will be playing St. Francis in the near future. The students will also have the opportunity to go to the game; so the whole experience will be exciting for them. I was excited to be able to help them in this activity. They all took a picture of a volleyball and created some spirit posters to help encourage the Mt. Vernon Cougars towards a win. I helped them with the devices while Mrs. Yoder taught the lesson on how to use Doodle Buddy. They were extremely excited and some were even able to make multiple pictures. I hope to be able to continue par...

Wrong Way Today I was excited to help 1st graders connect their iPods to the wireless internet. Mrs. Baker at South Side was gracious enough to allow me to come in and assist her. Yesterday, I thought I was such a genius because I had created a video that I thought would help the teachers get their kids connected. Once again...I came to the realization that teaching fourth graders is a much different world than first grade. My video only kept their attention for about 20 seconds, most kids were just playing apps (I know I heard Talking Tom yawn), and I realized just how dull my video really was. (I'm feeling very humbled at the moment.) Right Way As the kids are on their iPods doing their own thing anyway and I'm actually trying to tell them how to connect to the wireless, (first grade remember) only a select few can follow me. I am assuming they have experience with these devices at home. I eventually just gave in and let the kids have some free time with the things. Mrs. Bake...

Here we've come to the end of week number two and the students are extremely excited. It was fun having the opportunity to deliver the boxes of iPads and iPods and see their excitement. It was fun to see the excitement of the teachers as well as they have long anticipated the day that the devices would arrive. As I walked the halls of North Side today, I witnessed the new technology being used in numerous classrooms (despite the lack of Internet). Hopefully next week the network issues will be resolved and we can get kids going on email and Internet access. This will really open up the world to them. Now that Zack and I have gotten through this initial rush of trying to get apps loaded onto the devices, we are now getting to the point where teachers can start scheduling times for us to assist them. We are putting into the works a plan to use YouTube to display various teaching videos for both the students and the teachers. I was thinking it might even be a good idea to create a vid...

Hello all, This first three days of school have certainly been interesting. Zack and I have been attempting to load apps and make sure all classes have an accurate count of devices per student. This is difficult due to the ever changing numbers that come in and out of classrooms (especially at the beginning of the year). I know those frustrations for you as teachers. Some stability would feel pretty good right now, right? I'm finding (as I've entered this new role as a peer coach) is that the same desire for stability exsists in the tech department. Other challenges we are facing is the devices just not loading apps correctly and also the drag on the network. Yesterday, as I was sitting between two kindergarten classrooms, I could tell that almost every kid that had a device at South Side was using it. The lag on download speed was without a doubt felt. (That wasn't necessarily a frustration...more of a comfort in knowing it was being used.) Hopefully soon Zack and I will b...