New Models of Self-Directed Learning and Pedagogy To pigeonhole the iPad doesn’t do it justice. The iPad seems to be developing its own instructional ecosystem or its own pedagogy. Arguably, traditional teaching models may not even fit, or at least may need to be modified to accommodate possibilities that we have not yet considered. Perhaps the system of learning is changing through this disruptive innovation and requires more flexibility and risk-taking than in the past. As James O’Hagan recently wrote in his blog post Are we screwing up the iPad?
“Teachers are trying to codify and define a proper use for this unique device. Techs are trying to control and manage this device. Unfortunately, the control and codification we are doing is with 20th Century ideas about education” (2011).
Even Apple seems to have been caught off guard by the educational implications of the iPad. Undoubtedly Apple will continue to rapidly evolve their product as new uses are envisioned. Can the same be said for education?
Another example of the iPad’s versatility is MotionMath an app that uses the iPad’s built-in accelerometer to encourage students to tip and tilt the iPad in order to explore the relationship between fractions and decimals by approximating their values on a number line. The app adapts to the student’s level of understanding by providing a continuum of visual cues that help the student build confidence and fluency in numeracy.
Thousands of Apps
The number of grade-appropriate, subject-focused apps is growing every day. Traditional learning materials generally take years to develop, are expensive, and cannot be easily updated. In less than two years more than 90,000 apps have been developed for the iPad alone (Apple, 2011). These apps are developed quickly, are often low cost or free, and can be updated almost instantaneously. This has led to thousands of content-specific apps for all levels of learners. Some favorite app examples are found on our St. Clair County RESA website:
http://sccresa.org/toolsforschools/ipads.
Fostering Authentic Assessment
When it comes time for formative and summative assessment, the iPad allows students a variety of ways to demonstrate their learning. Written content creation, sketches, voice recordings, and video recordings are just some of the modalities the iPad supports. One device is adaptable to the individual needs of learners and suits the several assessment modalities. This aligns well with Alan November’s suggestion for authentic assessment: assigning each student a role in a simulation distinguishable by interest; creating a visual representation of a topic (i.e. photosynthesis); making a movie about it; or talking about it. For more traditional formative and summative assessment, the iPad offers touch screen access to both online and survey-tool assessments using web apps like Socrative and Google Forms. Both facilitate immediate aggregation of responses and instant results that can replace expensive single- use technologies such as student response systems.
10 | What does it take to make progress?
While the iPad initially appeared to be a device best suited to content consumption – reading an article, watching a video or playing a game – the potential for content creation and collaboration is gaining a foothold. What does it take to get to the place where innovation becomes the order of the day in education? It takes teachers and administrators who are risk-takers, willing to live at the edge of possibilities. It takes teachers who are determined to reach all learners and will settle in to explore just what the iPad can do for students. Funding such innovation, St. Clair County RESA launched classroom mini-grants that are deploying iPads in a variety of ways. In the coming year, RESA’s team will support implementation and collect data to evaluate how iPads are impacting teaching and learning.
Early evidence suggests that it won’t take long to realize this powerful 7 x 9 inch tool has the potential to transform instruction from a teacher-centered to a learner-centered model. The self-directed skills that students develop in such an environment are empowering. They allow students to take charge of their own learning. And they build the traits that 21st century learning and living demand.
References: Apple - iPad 2 - From the App Store. (n.d.). Apple. Retrieved August 18, 2011, from
http://www.apple.com/ipad/from-the-app-store/
O’Hagan, J. (2011, August 14). Are we screwing up the iPad? EdReach- Te education media network. Retrieved August 18, 2011, from http://edreach. us/2011/08/14/are-we-screwing-up-the-ipad/
Kit Hard is an Educational Technology Consultant for St. Clair County RESA. He specializes in Universal Design for Learning. He can be reached at
hard.kit@
sccresa.org, via Twitter @kithard, and on his website http://
edtechkit.com.
Joanne Hopper is the Director of Education Services at St. Clair County RESA. She can be reached at
hopper.joanne@
sccresa.org, via Twitter @ joannehopper, and on her blog
http://joannehopper.edublogs.org/.
Winter 2011-12 | MACULJOURNAL
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