Tool # 9

Why do you think it is important to tie the technology to the objective?: If the use is not tied into curriculum or a specific objective, students see these devices the same as their personal tools- only for fun. Yes, the APPs that are tied to the curriculum are fun, but they serve an educational purpose. Students take the devices and assignment more seriously when they are aware of a SPECIFIC purpose.

Why should we hold students accountable for the stations/centers?: See answer above. Students know there is a purpose & take the assignment more seriously. It's not a free for all.

Visit 2 of the applicable links to interactive websites for your content/grade level. Which sites did you like. How could you use them as stations? How can you hold the students accountable for their time in these stations?: Manipula Math will be great for students who need more support. As a station, students can have a record page where they keep track of what they used the manipulatives for as well as to document whether they still have questions about the concept. The same applies for PHet. Here support for class content comes into play. If you are covering something like inertia in science, this will provide a simulation. Students can draw their understanding of the simulation and state the idea in their own words or come up with a different simulation that models the concept.

List two to three apps you found for the iPod Touch/iPad that you can use in your classroom. What do you see that station looking like? How can you hold the students accountable for their time in these stations? One of my APPS is the Houston Zoo App. It's great for animal adaptations and habitats which we cover in science. This provides research opportunities as well as ways to apply higher level thinking skills based on adding or deleting info. when the animal is being discussed. I have an origami APP which I tie in to geometry. It helps students review angles, transformations... but also helps them practice their following directions skills.

What about other ways to use the iPod Touch/iPad? Share another way you can see your students using the device as a station. Students are currently using the video capabilities right now as part of their technology math menu, but then they import the video into a paid APP (thank you grant) called MovieMaker where they can edit the video, create titles, sound effects, background music, transitions...