I am extremely fortunate to be able to serve on a committee of Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade teachers who are helping our administration team figure out our plan of action for implementing tablets in K-2 classrooms. We asked if we would be able to visit a district currently using tablets in these grades, and this week, we got our wish. We set out to visit
Glenview District #34, as they are piloting iPads in several classrooms in several buildings. Before I get to my observations...
Here's where we are now...
Our district purchased
Kuno tablets for students in grade 3-5 at one of our buildings this year. Along with those tablets came the adoption of a basal reading series (
Reading Street.) As you can imagine, there have been many hurdles to launching both! I have really been struggling with the decision that was made to purchase this new reading series. Philosophically, it just doesn't match with what I know to be good literacy instruction. HOWEVER... during our meeting last Friday, we were told the district will not be purchasing the digital (or paper) workbooks that accompany the series because that isn't something they want to encourage or support. I think we're getting somewhere... :)
A part of our committee's job is to think through when tablets will be in K-2 classrooms (if we'll all get them in year 3 or if we'll have some next year when the rest of 3-5 gets them.) We're also helping to determine professional development that needs to happen before, during, and after we get the new reading series and the actual tablets.
Transforming Instruction, Moving Forward
I've heard both of these phrases so many times that I've lost count! During our visit, Glenview's tech facilitators reminded me today that tablets become a tool in the classroom. The way in which we use this tool is what helps to drive that transformation. They pointed out some thoughts from
the SAMR model and how they hope their iPads will move from substituting activities to redefining them. I think this is going to be key in introducing tablets to our district K-2 teachers. The tablets have the potential to be really fancy worksheets... or really amazing tools for learning.
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Seeing this chart in one second grade classroom hit home with me.
Just as we introduce tools now that can be used for Word Work,
our tablets will have apps that can also be used. |
There's an app for that!
While this may be true, our visits today led me to thinking about how using tablets isn't all about loading as many apps as possible to keep the kids busy. Can apps help reinforce concepts we're working on? Absolutely. Are there apps I'll want to have on each tablet? Sure. But I think the true power comes in the sharing, collaborating, and connecting students will be able to do.
Cheetahs, Elephants, Hippos
Ok, so this analogy is going to stick with me for a long time! The head tech person from District 34 was responding to a question I asked about what we can be doing now to help teachers prepare in advance of getting the tablets in our rooms. He mentioned how some teachers are
cheetahs. They're fast to pick things up, usually are out ahead of everyone else, and want to get started right away. Some are like
elephants; they're easygoing, will do what you ask them to do, and tend to follow along. Then, there are the
hippos. These are the ones who are ornery and stuck in the mud. It makes me giggle, but isn't it so true?!
I'm looking forward to continuing to help my district through this process and reporting back as we continue moving our way through this journey.
