Disclaimer: I stole this idea from Pana Asavavatana - please give her all credit. I had three kids start in my class this semester. Keen to get the new kids up to speed on iPad usage and also give some of my less confident kids a bit of a boost, I held an icon scavenger hunt. The... Continue Reading →
Using documentation to power up writing
One of the challenges of teaching writing is that it can be challenging for children to see improvements day on day. They often zero in on surface features: spelling, the legibility of their script, punctuation as areas for improvement. One of the challenges for me as a teacher is to help the children catch that... Continue Reading →
Taking iPads on camp with 8 year olds
My Year 4s had their first taste of adventure by venturing into Malacca on school residential trip. The children had traditional pencil and paper to record the children's thinking and experiences. But They also had... iPads For those worried about a school camp where the kids were on their devices the whole time, the iPads... Continue Reading →
The power of iPads – making the unseen visible
One of the joys of using iPhones and iPads in the classroom is the ability to make the unseen visible. At the moment the children are learning about the transfer of energy to different forms. These transfers can be almost impossible to see with the naked eye. While the children might have remember the large... Continue Reading →
iPads – The Thinkers tool #ipadkl
Slide deck from my Presentation on using iPads to make thinking visible from the iPad summit in KL.
Get the technology outside
iPads are made to be taken outside. Children learn all sorts of places and contexts. They need ways to document their experiences, to remix ideas. Where the children are learning the devices need to follow. How are children to learn to care for technology if they are not entrusted with the responsibility? //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js
Where great learning with iPads really starts…
Today was like Christmas at school. Each member of the primary school teaching staff received an iPad mini. For the amount of time and effort we put into technology, the most important person who needs the device first is the teacher. They need to understand what it does, play with it. Then start thinking about... Continue Reading →
Students teaching the teachers – the best tech PD comes from kids #ipadkl
One of my jobs in the last few weeks has been to share professional learning back to the other teachers in the school. Way back in September last year I attended the iPad summit ISKL. It's been almost 6 months since the conference, which may seem a long time to go between attendance and feeding back... Continue Reading →
The best app to use in the classroom? The camera
When other teachers find out I'm Apple Distinguished Educator, I'm often asked if I've got a killer reading, spelling, writing, maths app recommendations. There's almost a sense of a let down when I say the app that my students and I use most in my classroom is the camera. Yet when in the course of... Continue Reading →
Taking the text out of assessment for learning – Inforubrics
Formative assessment is a tricky beast. Rubrics are way to get the children reflecting and showing growth on their learning. However they are often text heavy and written in teacher speak. This makes it hard for children to identify learning priorities and document how they have shifted in their learning. Enter the inforubric. A set of simple concepts... Continue Reading →
Teaching the Teacher 