Mobile Learning Initiative
The Perks of a 1:1 Classroom
Hello Parents!
You may have heard something about your child's school becoming 1:1. This is a great opportunity for your child and this newsletter will fill you in on some information about the benefits of a 1:1 classroom!
What Exactly is 1:1?
A 1:1 classroom is a class in which laptops or other mobile devices are provided to all students at the school. In this case, iPads will be provided. Although it may initially seem like a huge distraction to have a class full of iPads, they are actually wonderful tool that can assist in learning.
How This Can Help Your Child?
The use of iPads and technology in the classroom has been proven to be an efficient learning tool. There are an endless amount of apps that can pertain to just about any subject. This means that students can focus more on subjects they are struggling with by utilizing these apps. One very useful website that could greatly benefit a classroom is www.edpuzzle.com. This site allows teachers to put various questions on a video that automatically pop up when the student reaches that point in the video. In a 1:1 classroom, all of the students could watch the videos and answer the questions at the same time, followed by a discussion at the end. This is just one example of the endless possibilities that iPads can bring to a classroom. There is also a large library of educational games that students of many ages would enjoy. One game in particular that has been very successful in a classroom setting is Minecraft (more about that later). Below is a Pinterest board full of resources and more examples of iPads being used in classrooms.
Minecraft.edu
Minecraft has been used extensively in an educational setting for the past few years. There is even a classroom specific version called Minecraft.edu. This version includes exclusive teaching features and other hosting options to allow the students to all play together in the same world. There is even a "Pocket Edition" that can be played on iPads! Minecraft has been used to assist in history, literature, and even poetry lessons. Students seem to respond very well because it is a fun and creative way to learn. Here is a link to a blog with many example lessons from a 7th grade classroom (http://minecraft.edtecworks.com)
Conclusion
To wrap it up, technology such as iPads can be very beneficial in a classroom setting. Although they may initially seem like they would be distracting to students, various tools such as Remote Desktop enable the teacher to monitor the activity of the students on their tablets. The key to effective use of this great technology is just to make sure that it is being used in the right way. If this is done, iPads can pave the way for very meaningful and effective learning.