Teacher/Student/IPAD partnership
The iPad is set to revolutionise education. In the next ten years everybody will have an iPad. It will change our lives in every area. This might sound like a sweeping statement but anyone who has worked intuitively with the iPad knows this.
How does the ipad do its magic? To learn successfully three key ingredients must be present.
We know that learning has taken place when a student can demonstrate:
We know that learning has taken place when a student can demonstrate:
Knowledge
Skills
Attitude
The IPAD delivers all three simultaneously in droves. How?
One, it has thousands of APPs in the app store which collectively cover almost every aspect of what we would want to learn. For example, take primary maths, take a simple skill like counting on. There are at least ten apps focusing on just this. Let your student try them. If he/she doesn't take to one, they can select another. They can try it out, practise their skills as often as they want, move on at their own pace.
By taking command of their learning, using resources that work for them, they are motivated. The IPAD harnesses their natural desire to learn and improve.
Struggling Learners
For any learner who is unable to learn ‘conventionally’, the IPAD disintegrates any fear of failure. The IPAD is merely a vehicle for learning, it is not judgemental, it does not have an attitude as many teachers inevitably do however hard we try.
For students with attention deficit difficulties, it immediately gets them to focus and to concentrate.
Learning becomes exciting, challenging colourful and most important achievable achievable. Success become attainable. Self-belief grows by the minute...!
Right???….So we don't need teachers……..?
Happily, teachers are just as important as before but in a more highly evolved form. Firstly, teachers are liberated from preparing resources. The quality of resources combined with the sheer volume is so inspiring, teachers no longer have to spend hours digging out the right resource, cutting and pasting or photocopying.
This is what teachers enabled do if they are using an iPad…….
They have the time and opportunity to truely engage with their students learning.
They have time to be in tune with their students thought processes. They observe the student learning and can pick up where difficulties lie and can help the student to unblock these difficulties.
They can discuss these thought processes with students and raise their awareness of what they are doing.
If one App is not working, they can almost instantaneously switch to another from the repertoire of apps that a teacher student has preselected for them.
The iPad takes the spotlight off the student, so to speak, and he/she can focus on the task in hand and not worry about the teachers reaction. the teacher receded onto the background.
Students determine the pace not the teacher or other students.
Lastly, teacher is needed to steer the student through the course with input at the appropriate time.
Teachers can sit next to the student and go back t pen and paper to explain points the student is still struggling with.
Teachers can sit next to the student and go back t pen and paper to explain points the student is still struggling with.
In my next article I will give you an example of how I work with students.
If you are interested in anything I have discussed and have any questions please do contact me on primarymathsblog.wordpress.com
