ACS Elementary Tech TidBits
Instructional Technology Resources & Celebrations
March 9, 2015
Alyson Carpenter
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Where is Alyson this week?
Looking forward to seeing everyone this week!
- Monday- Central Office
- Tuesday- Athens Elementary
- Wednesday- Brookhill
- Thursday- Cowart
- Friday- Julian Newman
Tech Management Tip
Effective Teaching With iPads
Reagan Tunstall, first grade teacher and blogger, shares the following on her website about the effective use of iPads in an elementary classroom:
"Although I love the convenience of apps and how they allow students to practice concepts during reading and math workshop, I also want my students to take it to the next level to create products that showcase their learning with iPads as well."
Several of you have shared that you are beginning to grapple with determining what constitutes best practices with Apps and iPads. With any form of technology, "best practices" are ever evolving due to constant updates and changes. It can be tricky to decide whether a tech tool will enhance a lesson or deepen student understanding of the standard.
There are several rubrics available that can be used as a guide when determining if an app or site is appropriate for your needs (links below). Using the SAMR model as a guide is another effective way to plan for meaningful technology integration.
Questions You Might Ask When Planning?
- Does this tool/app increase the level of student engagement?
- Does this tool/app enhance student learning?
- Which standards are addressed in the lesson? Is using this tool/app helping to meet these standards or increasing the rigor of the student task?
- Where would this lesson rank on the SAMR scale?
I'd love to hear your thoughts as well as about your experiences this year.
Meanwhile, check out more of what Reagan Tunstall has to share on the topic and see LOTS of other great resources available on her site by clicking the link below.
Intentional Planning & Purposeful Use of Apps Requires A Great Deal of Decision Making
Fortunately, other educators have done some foundational work for us that will help with the selection of meaningful apps and technology integration tools. The link below will take you to Kathy Schrock's site where there are several rubrics to guide the selection, planning, and evaluation process for apps and tech tools.
Check out this interactive SAMR review via "thinglink":
❤️ Cool Tech Tools ❤️
Review of "Cool Tools" Past
Because we've missed so much time for SNOW days, this week seems like a great week to revisit some tools shared earlier in the semester. What great tools have you tried out this year? If there's a tool (not limited to those shared here) that you've used and found effective, please let me know. I'd love to spotlight what's working for our students!
The links below will take you to the newsletter where each tool was originally shared:
Let me know if you'd like support as you try any of these!
All resources shared here (past and future) can also be found at this site: https://sites.google.com/site/acstechtidbits1/
❤️ Athens City Elementary Tech Integration ❤️
#ACSPowerUP
Ready to CREATE
Student Choice in 1st Grade
Tech Integration
Proper Grammar Prezis @ JNES!
Seuss Week Fun
Winning Team!
Congrats!
Whoist Who in Brookhill
Prepping for Performance
AES Celebrates Seuss
Happy Birthday!
Favorite Quotes
Sharing Seuss Week Fun with Canva!
Learn more about Canva here: https://www.canva.com/
Social Media- Learning & Sharing in Athens City!
Contact Information
Instructional Technology Specialist
Athens City Schools
Athens, AL
Email: alyson.carpenter@acs-k12.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/acstechtidbits1/
Location: 455 U.S. 31, Athens, AL, United States, North America
Phone: (256) 614-3554
Twitter: @alysoncarp1