ipad adventure continues

Three weeks in and the ipad adventure is going well. Staff and students are enjoying having an ipad in lessons and exploring how it can help develop their teaching and learning.

Predominately I have been using the ipad as an assessment tool, filming performances and then students watching the clip to get a better understanding of their strengths and areas to improve. Nothing new but very effective and motivating for students development as learners. Mainly I use the ipad's camera to record performances and discussions, but I have also used Coach's Eye app which allows students to analyse performance in greater detail by slowing down clips, drawing lines to highlight key areas to improve and students are able to use the microphone capability to comment on performances as they watch the reply.

The other app that I have used is Team Shake app. An excellent app to sorting students into various teams without the fuss of students arguing with each other and me! All you have to do is put your group list into the app and press Shake'em up. To make teams fair so not all the strongest students are on the same team, you can tag each student as either, strongest, strong, normal, weak and weakest. If student are away, you can tag them as absent. Its brilliant and so simple.

As a department we are meeting during the first week of October during a free period 5 on a Friday afternoon. Before, this time has been wasted as I/we have either been taken for duty manger, cover, isolation cover or catching up on admin (tidying the desk)! This year the aim is to utilise this time for developing T&L instead of just using our department meetings, brief chats in the office or on the coach to off-site lessons. There is never enough time (I don't think my department head off before 3 Mr Wilshaw & Gove)!

I have also noticed students have become more engaged in watching and listening to feedback from others whether the ipad is present or not. However, the ipad is only a tool and needs to be manged correctly in lessons so students are able to progress their learning. How are students using this feedback to improve performance(s). This is another adventure, the feedback & feedforward adventure!!!

The Ipad adventure starts here!

It has been two days into a new term and the ipad adventure has only just begun. The department have got the ipad bug, playing with them over the Olympic summer before introducing them to their lessons.

There are a number of reasons for having ipads in the department. Thanks to Andy Baynton @theandyb10 for putting the proposal together which is summarised below.

1. To further improve learning & teaching by focusing on developing students ability to peer and self assess.
2. To monitor, review and evaluate student progress by developing 'student profiles/portfolios'.
3. To further students experience of the 'real world' and developing their ICT skills.

The first day of term started with the usual staff gathering in the main hall which over ran. Finally department time, but a bit shorter than planned. It begins with T&L and action plan for the ipads in PE. Staff share what the have discovered over the summer while playing with their new toys!

I advised staff to take things steadily, not to rush introducing ipads in to lessons but make sure they planned when, how and why they are going to use them. One step at a time and slowly slowly does it but I'm sure Andy will go flying in!

Let the ipad adventure begin!