"I wanted to take a closer look at the iPad Evaluation I previously blogged about in Evaluating Apps with Transformative Use in Mind. The section of Content and Components deserved a closer look and explanation.
You can download the PDF file of the iPad App Evaluation for the Classroom with the following sections of evaluation included:
Considerations
Content & Components
Logistics
Fluency
Substitution vs Transformation Model (based on SAMR model of Ruben Puentedura and Alan November's work)
Evidence of Learning (based on conversation with Stephen Wilmarth)
After looking at iPad apps through the lens of Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, November's Digital Learning Farm, 21st century Upgrades, let's take a closer look at the content and components of these apps."
"In my previous post titled Enhancement-Automating-Transforming-Informating, I described the fusion (in my mind) of the SAMR model with Alan November's concept of Automating vs. Informating to transform teaching and learning."
"I have been working with 5th grade for several weeks to upgrade "The American Revolution", a unit in their Social Studies curriculum. Along the Way I blogged about individual lessons.
Bringing in Experts. Transformative Teaching & Learning?
The Official Scribe: It's All About Learning Styles & Collaboration"
"Recently, I tried to explain to a teacher from another school how we are trying to use iPads BEYOND apps. We have over 100 apps on our school iPads and introduce our students according to age level to a variety of them, but the focus of the use of the devices NEEDS to remain primarily as a tool for:
exposing students to skills, characteristic of a "modern learner"
critical thinking
personal learning
transformative learning
workflow fluency
anytime/anywhere/anyhow
creating"
"The app development market is exploding. More and more companies are creating "educational apps". In some cases, they are simply digital versions of a book or a web based tool. Some seem to have "no educational value" to it at all, but are still sold under the label of "education". "
"This summer, I facilitated quite a few workshops about iPads in the classroom. I wanted to make sure that the sessions went BEYOND using apps to play games, replace worksheets and kill & drill activities, but that the focus was transformative and pedagogical use.
I am especially thrilled with the slides from the following slide deck… I took my own advice from Presentation Makeover and took all the images used myself…no stock images…the model guiding us through the presentation is my 8 year old niece, Sophia, who was so patient with me as I asked her to model with the iPad. Many times she became engrossed in playing on the iPad that she even forgot that I was taking photos of her."
"The Situation: I am working with Middle School students (Grades 6-8 - 11-13 year olds) at Graded, The American School of Sao Paulo, Brazil. One of the vision of our division is to create student blogfolios (Digital Portfolios on a blogging platform) to encourage and support sharing and documentation of learning artifacts and to receive authentic global feedback. We are just at the beginning of our journey to use the blogs to document and reflect. Specifically… Our 8th graders have written a "This I Believe" essay, which they are "upgrading" from a text base essay to a video or audio presentation using images, video or sound to not just "enhance with technology" but to truly transform a reader's/viewer's experience."
"I am constantly wrestling with the issue of using technology in schools to TEACH and to LEARN. Long ago, I have resolved that teaching and learning DO NOT depend on technology nor are "not real", good or effective without it"
"The step from using a static website or emails as a mean to share announcements or calendar items to sharing the same type of items on a blogging platform is not far nor a steep step. My ultimate goal for using a classroom blog or student blogfolios though, is that of creating transformative teaching and learning opportunities, not to have a platform that substitutes a composition book or paper journal. To make the difference visible and clearer, I am looking through the lens of the SAMR model."
"Documentation OF/FOR/AS Learning has many objectives, goals, levels, and components. My work is concentrating on making pedagogical documentation visible and shareable to amplify teaching and learning. I believe that using technology, as a tool, to be able to share best practices, to make thinking and learning visible to ourselves and others, is the key to transform teaching and learning..."
"Langwitches readers know that I LOVE my iPad! What I like most about it, that it constantly changes. It is never the same iPad than the day before… a new app was added… an old app was updated… something I could not do yesterday is suddenly possible today… my iPad is constantly growing and evolving."