Blogging is hard to stay on top of, especially when you are taking 3 doctoral classes (one which requires a research blog), teaching full time, doing service/volunteer work, taking on side jobs in ID&T, and trying to find time to throw the ball for two rambunctious doggies.

But, I really think it's important to share what is going on, so I am trying to make time.

IPad Fridays are in full swing again. I highly recommend getting a feel for your classes before trying to implement iPads. I have had to tailor some planned assignments because the maturity levels of some classes are just not ready, and protocol and following directions are important things for the students to understand before letting them go with the iPads. I feel more comfortable training my students using traditional projects and then easing into the technology once I know they know my expectations and limitations. Next year this will be the path I will use.
Last week Art 2 got to "play" with the painting apps.
“Play is the highest form of research.”~ Albert Einstein
This week  I began with a visible thinking strategy from Project Zero to get my students to begin thinking about how they will go about learning to use these apps. I found that students (and myself) get a new app, play with a little, figure out some quick tricks and then move on to the next thing. I want them to became experts, and in order to do this they need to really investigate their apps. The idea of research in today's Google age is something that needs to be addressed with high schoolers and the THINK PUZZLE EXPLORE routine was just what they needed to start to plan how they would go about finding out about this apps. Below are some examples of their thinking. They worked in groups for about 10 minutes and then got out the iPads and begin learning how to use the apps.

CLASSROOM CONVERSATION CLIPS

It was such a nice day I took Graphic Media classes outside and let them use the iPads to work on their discussion posts in the Google+ Communities.

I loved when one student commented that +ones helped her feel more confident and that she wasn't the only one with the thoughts she posted. The validation one receives from the communities is an important factor in using the Google + Communities, not one that had originally occurred to me.

I find that the students are more apt to think carefully about their postings then if we were just having face to face discussions.

I told them we were having 21st century discussions - every one on their iPads, talking with one another through the Google+ discussion posts, while sitting 3 feet from each other.

Yeah yeah, the lack of real time social interaction, kids don't know how to have in-person communications, blah blah. I actually think their live social scene is fine, it's carrying on a thoughtful discussion in written form is where they lack. We actually talked about how a discussion post is like a real life conversation, sometimes where you begin is not where you end up.

Anyways...back to my real work! Maybe I will actually leave my house this weekend, it could happen!