I saw on our class Wiki Dr. Crawford posted a link to RubiStar. I have used RubiStar throughout my class time at Iowa State and also in my practicum and student teaching experiences. RubiStar is an online rubric maker that is FREE! I have found it to be very beneficial. It has a lot of topics you can choose from to create your rubrics (I have found something for everything I needed a rubric for so far). Some examples are: reading, math, art, and oral projects. I used the oral projects rubric during one of my student teaching experiences for a unit on biographies. Students presented as the person they researched and were graded based on an oral project rubric. Also, you can add to and edit the words in the rubric to better meet what you are looking for from your students. This is an easy and time efficient way of creating a rubric. I would highly recommend looking around on this site if you have not been on it before. It is definitely a great tool to use as a teacher.
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Research Article: iPads in the Classroom
I read the research article Reading with iPads – the difference makes a difference by Dale Sheppard. This article looked at the amount of comprehension skills in young students after reading certain material. The students task was to read, and then be tested by a post-test comprehension exam. The exam let the researchers know the difference in the amount of comprehension between students who read material on iPads to students who read material the traditional way. Sheppard stated in this article that reading with technology usually results in better comprehension. I was supposed at this statement, because I sometimes find it easier to print out material so I can highlight and add my own notes. After reading this article, I found on that on an iPad students can add annotations while reading. This is a great feature to the iPad reading application.
In this research, forty three 6 year old students were tested. Half of the students read a book the traditional way, and half read the book on the iPad. The results found no significant difference in comprehension between both sets of students. This information was accumulated based on a 15 question post-test after reading the material. In the research article, Sheppard talks about how the level of engagement with the students that were reading on iPads was very high. I can see how this engagement would be high because whenever I work with students with technology they are immediately engaged.
There were a few things that may have affected the results of this study. This was one of the teachers first time using the iPad with instruction, so she may not have known all of the information to tell students about the iPad. Also, only a few of the students using the iPad had previously or currently owned an iPad, so they were familiar with the technology. Also, Sheppard noted that sometimes during instruction the iPad was a distraction to the learning and teaching process.
I really enjoyed reading this article and I found that a lot of different things can affect the results of a study like this. What I did like from this study was when Sheppard talked about how much the students were engaged in the iPad and some of the features the iPad has. The author also talked about the difficulty in finding appropriate reading material for the students. I would like to learn more about what types of reading material are out there that is educational on the iPad.
Sheppard, D. (2011). Reading with ipads – the difference. Minnis Journals, 12-15. Retrieved from http://www.minnisjournals.com.au/articles/ipads et t3 11.pdf
In this research, forty three 6 year old students were tested. Half of the students read a book the traditional way, and half read the book on the iPad. The results found no significant difference in comprehension between both sets of students. This information was accumulated based on a 15 question post-test after reading the material. In the research article, Sheppard talks about how the level of engagement with the students that were reading on iPads was very high. I can see how this engagement would be high because whenever I work with students with technology they are immediately engaged.
There were a few things that may have affected the results of this study. This was one of the teachers first time using the iPad with instruction, so she may not have known all of the information to tell students about the iPad. Also, only a few of the students using the iPad had previously or currently owned an iPad, so they were familiar with the technology. Also, Sheppard noted that sometimes during instruction the iPad was a distraction to the learning and teaching process.
I really enjoyed reading this article and I found that a lot of different things can affect the results of a study like this. What I did like from this study was when Sheppard talked about how much the students were engaged in the iPad and some of the features the iPad has. The author also talked about the difficulty in finding appropriate reading material for the students. I would like to learn more about what types of reading material are out there that is educational on the iPad.
Sheppard, D. (2011). Reading with ipads – the difference. Minnis Journals, 12-15. Retrieved from http://www.minnisjournals.com.au/articles/ipads et t3 11.pdf
Monday, May 7, 2012
First Day
Today was the first day of the 556 graduate course. Just in a small amount of class time, I feel like I learned a lot of new information about technology. I really enjoyed class today and I am excited to learn more about integrating technology into my instruction. I really enjoyed using my favorite literature book Where the Wild Things Are and creating lesson plan ideas based on one book. The Comic Life application provides many opportunities for both the teacher and the student to be creative.
I have accepted a job, and I have been told they are in the process of being a 1 to 1 technology school in the next couple of years. I would like to gain as much technology knowledge going into this school year so I can engage and motivate the students I will have in special education. From my previous experiences working with children in special education, I know that some of the students who have certain goal areas are not very motivated to learn in the specific area. I think integrating technology into this instruction for them will be very beneficial and motivating. i also feel that technology will provide students to have success with their learning. I feel that I have a small advantage as a newer teacher because throughout my time at ISU I did use technology and was more aware of what is out there. This was also my first time using an iPad, so I hope we get to do more with those and learn about new apps that would be beneficial towards reading and language arts.
I have accepted a job, and I have been told they are in the process of being a 1 to 1 technology school in the next couple of years. I would like to gain as much technology knowledge going into this school year so I can engage and motivate the students I will have in special education. From my previous experiences working with children in special education, I know that some of the students who have certain goal areas are not very motivated to learn in the specific area. I think integrating technology into this instruction for them will be very beneficial and motivating. i also feel that technology will provide students to have success with their learning. I feel that I have a small advantage as a newer teacher because throughout my time at ISU I did use technology and was more aware of what is out there. This was also my first time using an iPad, so I hope we get to do more with those and learn about new apps that would be beneficial towards reading and language arts.
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