At LFES, we had three goals in our tech learning this year:
• to challenge ourselves to move forward in our personal learning
• to incorporate technology into our teaching in a meaningful, thoughtful way
• to encourage and support colleagues in their use of technology and to stimulate sharing of ideas on how technology can be used
In all of these goals, we focused on learning with iPads because we find them easy to use, they have a wide range of uses, and because our PAC has invested a significant amount of money on ipads this year.
Our first two goals were closely intertwined because as we used new technology with our students, we were often learning the new apps ourselves. It was also important to us to experiment with the Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition levels of the SAMR Model. Here are some of the learning opportunities and apps we tried this year, focussing on our grade one and two students:
WeeMee – to create avatars for pictures to use on projects, classroom jobs….
ScanLife – to use with in class scavenger hunts
Word Clouds – to use as title pages, to demonstrate answers to an outcome
Remind – our favourite teacher app to communicate easily with parents via text messages or email
Overall, this year has taught us to stretch ourselves, to be open to changing the way we ask students to demonstrate learning, and to creatively problem solve. We are finding the process rewarding and exciting.