My Reflection
Taking my thematic unit and converting the lessons into an iPad technical module was challenging. Here are few areas that I found challenging while exploring this technology.
Challenges:
* finding applications that would meet the necessary criteria of the thematic lessons
* connecting students to the iPad applications (WeWrite and WeKWL)
* creating iPad documents that students could link to while still completing the necessary
assessment activities (cloze activities, documents, etc.)
Student Engagement with Technology
Although students did not have time to complete the culminating activity prior to completing this module, I was able to assess their work with word collage, WeKWL and WeWrite. Students completed a brief survey to find out what they thought about this activity. Overall, they found the word collage to be very interesting because they were able to personalize it and make it their own. They found the dictionary.com app easy to use and it gave them so many choices of alternate words (synonyms). The ESL students involved with this unit said they looked forward to social studies, whereas before they found the content material difficult to understand.
Teacher Review
Using the TPACK and SAMR models to guide me through this activity was helpful because I could look at iPad apps with more of a critical, pedagogical eye. Once designed pencil and paper activities could be changed to include engaging and real-time activities that still remain true to the thematic unit but added something extra (personalization) for students and teachers to process and evaluate.
Weebly was a very easy web design tool to demonstrate my technology module. They provided a clear tutorial that guided me through the steps to create an interesting website to showcase this thematic unit.
Challenges:
* finding applications that would meet the necessary criteria of the thematic lessons
* connecting students to the iPad applications (WeWrite and WeKWL)
* creating iPad documents that students could link to while still completing the necessary
assessment activities (cloze activities, documents, etc.)
Student Engagement with Technology
Although students did not have time to complete the culminating activity prior to completing this module, I was able to assess their work with word collage, WeKWL and WeWrite. Students completed a brief survey to find out what they thought about this activity. Overall, they found the word collage to be very interesting because they were able to personalize it and make it their own. They found the dictionary.com app easy to use and it gave them so many choices of alternate words (synonyms). The ESL students involved with this unit said they looked forward to social studies, whereas before they found the content material difficult to understand.
Teacher Review
Using the TPACK and SAMR models to guide me through this activity was helpful because I could look at iPad apps with more of a critical, pedagogical eye. Once designed pencil and paper activities could be changed to include engaging and real-time activities that still remain true to the thematic unit but added something extra (personalization) for students and teachers to process and evaluate.
Weebly was a very easy web design tool to demonstrate my technology module. They provided a clear tutorial that guided me through the steps to create an interesting website to showcase this thematic unit.