{"id":52,"date":"2011-07-21T03:47:08","date_gmt":"2011-07-21T03:47:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/?p=52"},"modified":"2011-07-21T03:47:08","modified_gmt":"2011-07-21T03:47:08","slug":"ipads-a-bolt-or-a-lever-for-authentic-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/?p=52","title":{"rendered":"iPads: A Bolt or a Lever for Authentic Learning?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday I attended my first webinar. I probably shouldn\u2019t admit that but it is true. There are other first experiences that I\u2019m hoping to have before my summer is over. I consider this my summer to play<\/em> with technology. I registered for this particular ASCD webinar because it was focused on using the iPad as a production tool<\/em> for authentic learning. I wanted to compare what the speaker had to say with the direction we have been moving as a district. We have been repeating the mantra, in various forms: it\u2019s about the learning and not about the technology. Mike Fisher<\/a>, the presenter, opened with:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\tFisher referenced Alan November\u2019s book Empowering Students with Technology<\/a><\/em><\/span> (2009) for his discussion on using technology as a production tool in education. November describes automating<\/em>–using technology to bolt on top of existing educational practices–as limiting. Fisher\u2019s example was using the Smartboard as a traditional blackboard rather than using it as an opportunity to change instructional practices. The goal would be to move from automating to using technology for informating or amplifying. November<\/a> explains,<\/p>\n

You get very different results when you informate. The real revolution is information and communication, not technology. Let go of the word technology. If you focus on it, then you\u2019ll just do what you\u2019re already doing.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\tAmplifying is the idea of publishing or broadcasting your work. When you think about using technology for informating or amplifying, it it similiar to Bernajean Porter\u2019s<\/a> notion of using technology to transform<\/em> learning. It empowers students to use the tool to access information and engage in the creation of a new product. Fisher emphasized the need to shift to student-centered work; the student is the producer rather than consumer. To make this happen learners need ample opportunities with authentic tasks in alternative instructional contexts. The pieces fit together.<\/p>\n

\tSo how can the ipads be catalysts for this pegagogical shift? He talked about apps that provide students with the opportunity to be creative. For example, ShowMe<\/a> is an app that allows student to make their own simple videos adding audio and text. He also gave an example of Easy Chart<\/a>, an app students use to create bar, line, pie and sidebar charts. He gave a quick demonstration of Comic Life<\/a> for the iPad. Many teachers in our district are familiar with this software on the Mac and now it is conveniently available as an app. iMovie<\/a> was the last app that he walked us through. Again, we use this as well and it is a great app on the iPad. He then provided a list of other suggested apps, including Dragon Dictation<\/a>, Corkboard<\/a>, Doodle Buddy<\/a>, MindMap Creator<\/a>, and Storykit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\tWhen it came to resources, the item he identified as most useful for teachers was Livebinders<\/a>. Unlike google, it\u2019s a curated search where you get the information that is most relevant to your needs as an educator. If you search iPads in Livebinders you can find lots of folders with excellent information. The folders are rated with stars and the number of users so you have a sense of the popularity of the information inside the folder. Check out Mike Fisher\u2019s folder<\/a> as a good example. When I attended the CUE conference last spring, Livebinders was also named as a key resource. I suggest you bookmark it.<\/p>\n

\tAs we move forward with the iPad technology, it will be important to remember, it can be a powerful tool to leverage student learning. It is teachers, however, who will make the difference. We can simply bolt the iPad onto what we already do OR we can look at it as a lever to unleash constructivism-teaching strategies. Bolt or lever–what will you choose?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday I attended my first webinar. I probably shouldn\u2019t admit that but it is true. There are other first experiences that I\u2019m hoping to have before my summer is over. I consider this my summer to play with technology. I registered for this particular ASCD webinar because it was focused on using the iPad as…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,4,5,6,8],"tags":[11,15,19,24,284,29,31,32,38,45,286],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=52"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=52"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=52"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=52"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}