I received my iPad a little over a year ago. The district wanted to give teachers a head start with the new technology, so we were given a year to play, discover, and plan. As an educator I was excited to know that my students would have the world at their fingertips. I didn't exactly know how I was going to use the iPad in the classroom, but I knew it was a game changer. I've always considered myself to be kind of a tech savvy guy, but with each passing year I can feel technology pulling further and further ahead of me. I've found myself gripping tight to my mouse while the world around me has moved on to touch screens and finger swipes.
Nonetheless, I volunteered to be on the "iPad Deployment Team" at my school in January. It would be my job to introduce the students to their iPad. It was a moment that I wanted to witness and be a part of. I wanted to see their reactions. I wanted to see their comfort level. I wanted to learn from them. The process of handing out and doing some initial set-up on 1,800 iPads took 9 days. There were a couple moments of deep frustration, but for the most part things went smoother than I could have imagined.
Our students have had iPads for two months now. I have gone full circle through the emotional ringer. There have been moments of pure excitement and moments of pure torture and frustration. There have been moments where I have felt like finding a sturdy shovel, digging an enormous hole, and burying 1,800 iPads. Students have been playing games, snap chatting, and making absurd sounds with their iPads. Holding the attention of a 15 year old while you lecture about equations written in vertex form is difficult enough; but when you add the distraction of an iPad, the task has become darn near impossible.
Despite the difficulties, I have been planning, collaborating, studying, and working non-stop to somehow find a way to make these iPads work in my Algebra classroom. We have experimented with different apps. I have tried new techniques. And, we have talked extensively about iPad etiquette.
Two weeks ago things suddenly became very clear to me. The honeymoon fog was lifted, and I was left with a very precise vision of how my classroom should be ran to make effective use of the iPads. Not only that, but I am also finding ways to tap into the "gaming" culture which has been embedded in my students' lives since they were two years old. I am also experimenting with new ways to customize the classroom for each individual student. All of this change has come very sudden, and I am still working out a few kinks; however, I have never felt so confident and secure about the direction of my classroom. I have a new found passion and excitement to give my students what they have been longing for, a style of learning which fits their lifestyle, culture, and individual needs.
I have been amazed at the changes I have seen in my classroom in the last two weeks. I am excited to share my victories and setbacks in this journey into the land of iPads. I hope to use my blog as a platform to share ideas and gather advice and input as I continue to search for ways to improve the classroom experience for my students.
