Camera and Photo App on the iPad
Knowledge
One of the first instances students have with giving tutorials is relaying information to others that they have already mastered in their everyday life. This is usually done by physically demonstrating or by retelling verbally. With a classroom that has minimal technology (a classroom iPad for teacher documentation and a Television) I contemplated how to dip our toe into the word of technology without diverting far from the regular classroom routine. To do this I focused on the intent of student tutorials and the practice, mastery and experience students must have in order to relay their information confidently. By allowing students to take a photograph of their process and work in real time and allowing it to be explained during group discussion by the students helps students to remember and retell their learning process to other students with support questions and assistance from the teacher.
Application
For free-play time today I placed solo cups on the rug and set up an engineering challenge for anyone to participate. As children began to be intrigued by these new materials on the rug, they began to explore different way of how to use them. After a few minutes of this I asked the open-ended question of what would be a good way to stack these cups up to make a sturdy 3 feet tower? Students began brainstorming and experimenting with a few ideas in both their placement or positioning of the cups as I stood close by and observed. As students got closer to their desired goals I asked if they would like to use the iPad to document their work and share their strategies with the class later during whole group. With this added excitement of “their turn to be teacher” struck, students were quickly organizing their thoughts and working together to discuss their strategies. When it was time for their presentation and the structure had been cleaned up, the students were able to show their pictures on the classroom television for all to see in a large format as they explained their task and the inquiry process they followed along the way. As I hoped, it also sparked the interests of the other students to want to have their turn as student tutorial presenter.
Reflection
Beginning student tutorial work in the group atmosphere takes the pressure off of students to perform at their best. They have support and guidance from others around them. With this a starting point, my hope is that all students will want to share learning processes with others and help guide students into using applications that can help them document and record themselves. Once this becomes a familiar process to them, apps like ExplainEverything or DoodlecastPro. With a mixed age group, I think it can be more of a challenge to find the right fit for technology in the classroom that is age-appropriate. Beginning their exploration in this way allows them to begin to understand the purpose and importance of peer tutorial making!
Looks like fun, Amy! I think at this age, just the simple ability to have kids easily document and share what they are working on or what they are thinking is huge. Good "before" pictures will allow them to analyze what went wrong (and what went right) --- if you are able to take the pictures before it all falls down. This seems like a very age-appropriate way to encourage your young engineers.
ReplyDeleteComing from a "picture person" I am surprised I didn't think of this! What an easy way for students to use technology (a camera- on a phone, ipad, etc) to be an instructor in the classroom. I loved that it sparked the interest of the other students to want to be the tutorial student presenter next time! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIpads are probably one of the first technical tools children are introduced to. This is a great way that we, as early educators, can bring technology into our classroom. It's easy and readily available.
ReplyDeleteI love how you used technology to take photos of the children stacking cups. This is a great activity on how the children can demonstrate their building by photos and very easy.
ReplyDeleteStudents of this generation are always motivated to document their work through pictures. I constantly have students asking me to take photographs of something they build or a puzzle they complete. While we often take photographs to document their skills or to share with parents, we do not use the images as a way of sharing with peers. I think you could use this method in many ways. It could be used as a way to share any of the student's creations, and even their discoveries across the curriculum.
ReplyDeleteLove this idea! And I agree with Jills above statement that using the pictures we take of their creations it share among the other students and teachers. You could create a gallery wall of all the creations. It would be a great way to see all the similarities and differences!
ReplyDeleteThey must have loved seeing pictures of thier creations! I use to take pictures of thier lego creations before clean up time so they could do it again at a later time or to show parents something the students were very proud of.
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