All About ME! *Middle (School) English*

This is a short iMovie that one of my students created on his iPad as an independent reading response. There are seventy-five students in the seventh grade and over fifty now bring iPads to school. This is an incredible response to an initiative that began the year with only two devices that were given to me as the result of the grant award.

Chase shares his stop motion animation video

Zack explains his favorite scene from the book Divergent by Veronica Roth

Chase explains his favorite part of the Skeleton Creek book by Patrick Carmen, and how he created this clever stop motion video using Legos, poster board, and a flashlight. My students are having great fun with the iMotion HD app.

One of the things the iPad does the best is that it engages student readers. Students will be much more receptive to stop where they are, look up the definition of a word, and highlight a passage for discussion. They can also tap to open up the notepad and jot down additional key points from classroom discussions. Currently, my classes are finishing up the reading of Lois Lowry’s novel The Giver and are about to start on a mini memory project. As an intro lesson, I wanted them to focus on all the wonderful descriptive words in this book that are used to convey a memory that the main character has no recollection of whatsoever.

Using their iPads my students were able to easily refer to those portions of chapter 11 where the memory descriptions occur (having noted them earlier either by highlighting or indicating a note) and transfer those words and phrases to their work sheet.

The first Wednesday of every month during XBlock will be an iPad Workshop Wednesday where all the students can come together to share tools and tips of how they are using their iPads in the classrooms. It is a way for me to answer any questions, introduce new apps that the grade teachers would like for the students to have, and assign projects.

Currently there are a little over twenty students out of seventy-five in the seventh grade with iPads, and they need support outside the classroom. This first get together was more of a “get everyone on board” class to be sure all the students have the apps that are most important to start: First Class email, Evernote, Screen Chomp, Pages, and Flashcards to name a few. All language keyboards were added.

Students were given the assignment to create short stop motion animation videos as they finish an independent reading book, instead of filling out a one page writing prompt. They could use iMotion HD (free) or iMovie.

These creations will be posted later this week. For me, the most exciting part of this class was to see the kids excited, engaged, and helping/teaching each other. Many students came to the front of the room to demonstrate a tool that they use and share it with others.

In this video, Parker explains how to use Google Earth.

Jesse explains how to set a passcode on the iPad.

Sammy explains how to use Pages.

Give a student an iPad and magic happens. In English class, my students are using their iPads for independent reading and for our whole class novel, The Giver. With a tap of a finger, my students highlight key ideas in the novel as we read. When we come to a vocabulary word, one of the students volunteers to read the definition, use it in a sentence, and highlights it. Some students use Evernote to take notes of themes discussed in addition to highlighting in their books.

Currently, we are working our way through the punctuation unit in our grammar studies. Students take photos of the pages we work on in class and record my lesson in either Evernote or Screen Chomp. With Screen Chomp the student can copy examples from the board onto their whiteboard while recording the lesson. Evernote allows you to type below the photo or record. Both are powerful apps and serve different purposes. Students know that they must always ask the teacher for permission to record the lesson, and that it is the teacher’s discretion to allow it.

I have around twenty students with iPads and the number grows weekly. I have come to realize that students with these mobile devices need constant support. With that in mind, the first Wednesday of every month during XBlock (an hour block of time following an assembly) all students with mobile devices will gather in my room for a workshop. Here they can share with their peers how they use the iPad in various classes, I can be sure they all have the same apps and know how to use them, and introduce them to new ways of maximizing their learning experience with the iPad. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I would recommend you find some time to meet with these kids either before or after school or during an advisory or study hall. It’s an easier task for support if you have whole classes of mobile learners; but for those of us who do not yet, it’s important to find time to help them.

Beginning with their next IR book and instead of filling out a one-pager upon completion of their book, the students will create either a short stop motion animation video highlighting a key scene from their book using iMotion HD or a short book trailer using iMovie. Since I do not have whole classes of iPad users…..yet, I realize that the few in each block need to consistently use their devices in creative ways and be encouraged to do so. If that means a little more creative thinking on my part to ensure that this happens as I plan lessons, then it’s a challenge I wholeheartedly accept!

Until Workshop Wednesday…