February+7th+Assignments




 * Reading Journal**

__Special Ed. Pupils Find Learning Tool in iPad Application__


 * 1) Outdated technology (like a 2-foot-long board with a choice of six words at a time) is still being utilized, completely unnecessarily.
 * 2) These iPads help to give the students self-confidence and allow them to communicate in greater depth, which is key to success.
 * 3) Although school districts have to be responsible and conscientious about which technology they choose to adopt, for individual families, the value of an iPad is priceless.
 * 4) The iPad makes “scary” subjects or topics less intimidating, which allows students to approach them and be open to learning.
 * 5) The touch screens are pivotal because they provide instant gratification and are easier to handle for those with poor fine motor skills and don’t understand the connection between a mouse and a computer screen.


 * 1) Can iPads (or similar products) be required in an IEP?
 * 2) Is a lower reading level common among the deaf community? Why?
 * 3) Would these students be allowed to bring the iPads home?

__iPad As A Mobile Classroom and the Newest Tool for Special Education Teachers__


 * 1) The space that these mobile computer labs save is priceless.
 * 2) Is it amazing how streamlined the concept is with only an airport, an allotment of iPads, a projector, and a Macbook as supplies.
 * 3) There seems to be more emphasis and importance put on the “cool factor” of these special needs students being able to use these technologies.
 * 4) There has been a definite shift from laptops to tablets/e-readers.
 * 5) The iPad and the Neo 2 aren’t even comparable, so they must serve different functions.


 * 1) I wonder how much the Neo 2 costs?
 * 2) How can the Neo 2 only provide two lines of text?
 * 3) How much (comparatively) is a Mac mobile lab?

__Apple in Education: Useful to everyone. Right from the start.__


 * 1) The feature of “Spaces” is very useful for all people. It helps to keep the work and different functions and tasks from becoming overwhelming.
 * 2) The built-in dictionaries and grammar-checks are more realistic for today’s students. We are becoming used to having everything at our fingertips, so stopping to go get a dictionary, or simply flip through one, is no longer relevant.
 * 3) To help with finding assignment and remembering assignments ease, students could be required to utilize Finder and iCal.
 * 4) It only makes sense that a program or feature like VoiceOver exists, but it seems like one of those innovations that seems so obvious that it isn’t developed right away. For example, using only the keyboard is so much easier than also utilizing a mouse.
 * 5) Automator would be perfect for students with limited attention spans, or limited finer motor skills.


 * 1) What is Refreshable Braille?
 * 2) Would using this technology be potentially overly stimulating for some students?
 * 3) Do any non-Apple computers/tablets have these features (or similar featres) too?

__2011: The Year of the Media Tablet as a Learning Tool__


 * 1) As of April 2011, there were 85 iPad challengers, so by now there may be as many as the mid-90s.
 * 2) Companies encouraging their employees to use these technologies for microblogging in their personal time sounds like they are making it so that all the employees can think about is work.
 * 3) It seems quite overboard for JCPenney and Sephora to use iPads to try to close sales. This seems like a lot of extra complication to try to hawk a $11 lip gloss or $25 sweater.
 * 4) This article really taps into the totality of the usage of mobile devices. As was mentioned, they function as GPS, for social networking, communication, and payment of goods and services.
 * 5) There is almost instant satisfaction when using the apps. An example would be using it for translating purposes.


 * 1) What is augmented reality?
 * 2) How many major apps can an iPad accommodate?
 * 3) If there was an app for students to give instant feedback to their teacher (like an Panera, microfeedback), how would have change teaching? For the benefit or the detriment of learning?


 * “Universal Design for Learning: A Guide for Teachers and Education Professionals”**

One of the main benefits, or beauties, of the iPad is that it provides the opportunity for information to be represented in multiple formats and media forms. As a tablet, it is a separate form of media beyond the classic book or paper packet in itself. Even if the text was exactly the same, since the words are being presented in a digital form, which may be more palatable and engaging for certain learners. Or, conversely, a book, with highlights and pictures and words in the margins, may be overwhelming for some readers, so the iPad could present a sleeker, words-only presentation. Within the applications or other capabilities of the iPad, for students with visual handicaps, the iPad can zoom in and magnify the text, or even go as far as read the text to the student. This method is superior to the student needing to rely on listening to lectures or other instruction, because the automated reader can be paused and controlled to rewind so that the student can hear the words over and over again. Also, certain applications or programs have the ability to describe pictures, which could be additionally helpful for individuals with limited eyesight and would need support seeing the finer details of illustrations. For individuals who are more visual learners, simply having a teacher explain a concept is not enough to adequately understand and remember in the long-term. For example, the concept of kinetic energy is much easier to understand when seen, not just described. Additionally, a picture is not enough; it would be most effective to see kinetic energy in action. The iPad would allow a student to pull up a video (like this one, [|kinetic and potential energy]) to be able to see it.

The iPad is not a one-way, one-sided instrument. Not only does it give information in a variety of ways, but it also presents many alternative ways for students to produce their own work and input their information into the iPad. For example, some students aren’t as comfortable with their handwriting and those finer motor skills are not as developed, so writing out an assignment can be a time-consuming and frustrating task. The iPad gives those students a convenient opportunity to type their work. Furthermore, there is software, like Dragon Diction, that allows the student to simply speak and the program does the task of “typing” the words. The iPad provides multiple pathways for students’ actions and expressions. Beyond the basic typing assistance, the iPad provides wonderful ways to creatively express information. If the teacher requests a report on the Revolutionary War, the “normal” route would be to do research and then write out a multiple page paper. But, the iPad would allow the student to make a video dramatizing a pivotal point in the war and biography certain key players in that historical period. Or, there are apps where the students could experiment with different audio levels and make a song. The iPad allows students to investigate alternative ways of showing their understanding, which comes more easily to them, and is more meaningful.

Students who have more challenges in the classroom that their peers often do not want to be in class and have given up on trying. By introducing a tool like the iPad, learning has gotten a new edge and has once again become interesting. There is a definite “cool factor” to the iPad, so the student will be excited to use it and want to use it. Although the iPad shouldn’t necessarily be used as leverage, it could be a tool that is also used to regulate behavior. The iPad is perfect for enrichment within the general curriculum. If after listening to a lesson about the rainforest and its place in the environment a student became curious about what types of animals live there, he could investigate sloths. That curiosity about sloths could lead to learning about how much they sleep and are sedentary. This could lead to wanting to learn about why sleep is so important, and just like that, the student is learning about the brain and neurological processes. This unlocks a whole new set of knowledge and potentially a new interest. The iPad provides multiple ways to engage students’ interests and motivation.