How 5 Inspiring Tablet Classrooms Are Changing Edcuation

Megan Westcoat

IL

Noonoo, S. (2014). How 5 Inspiring Tablet Classrooms Are Changing Education. THE Journal (Technological Horizons In Education), 41(7), 11.

Summary:

                                    As much as I appreciate research and theory, articles that give examples of how something is being done inspires me.  I may take something mentioned and do it exactly as described using my own curriculum, or I might take something and tweak it (either the next time or right off the bat).  The idea being that specific ideas give way to greater thinking not more narrow thinking, even though we are often groomed to believe to seeing another’s ideas leads to “copying.”  In any case, this article highlights the work of various instructors and how they are using tablets in their classrooms.   Readers are introduced to a high-school history teacher, a middle school special ed teacher, a 2^nd grade teacher who works with ELL students, and multiple upper level science and math instructors.  In each case they expounded on the ways they are using tablets in the classroom and the benefits of doing so.  The overwhelming theme being that they don’t use the iPads to do things in new ways, but rather, “. . .to do new things in ways not possible before going 1-to1.”

Review: 

21rst century literacies and instruction are somethings I wanted to focus on in my reading plan.  While nowhere in the article does it specifically mention the SAMR model, they present gleaming examples of it.  I particularly liked that the article include the voices and experiences of teacher who are involved in special education and instruction of ELL students. Often those learning groups are forgotten or only included in topic-specific articles.  Furthermore, one high school instructor discusses using tablets to flip his classroom, which in turn allowed him to better know his students.  I think that idea is incredibly powerfully, especially as an instructor of older grades.  In middle or high school teachers are more likely to see upwards of 100 students or more in a day, decreasing the level of personalized instruction feasible.  However, these teachers have found that technology has increased the amount of feedback they can give students and the amount they are able to know about each individual.