At-Risk Students Tackle Touch-Screen Tablets

Sandra Ziemniak, Teacher-Librarian, Peel District School Board

Dave Del Gobbo, Instructional Technology Resource Teacher, Peel TwitterDistrict School Board If you cannot read this move closer

What to expect…Project overview

Tablet specs and

apps

Student and

Teacher Observations

Questions?

Funding made possible by Ministry of Education, TLLP (Teacher Learning and Leadership Program)

THANK YOU TLLP!!

Project Overview Summary… Introduce touch-screen tablet technology

as a learning tool for the at-risk grade 9 student using a cross-curricular, collaborative approach involving the school library, English, Math and Special Education departments. Measure engagement and achievement outcomes.

Project TimelineMay 2011

Initial Team Mtg

June 2011

Research and

Literature Review

Summer2011

Tablet Practice

Sept. 2011

Unit Creation

Oct. 2011

Tablets in

Class room

Jan 2012

Reflect

Feb – Sept 2012

Share Findings

-rollout-duties-dates-concerns

-at-riskstudents-tablets-technologyand achievement-reading

-apps-websites-strategies-reading

-collaboratewith teachers-create surveys-link to library

-student use-ongoingdata collection

-student-teacher-refine for next semester

-OLA-PSSTL-English-Math-Spec. Ed-Min. of Education

Project Goals (Two-fold)TEACHERS

-raise teacher awareness, interest and skill level in the effective integration of tablet technology into their programming

STUDENTS -strengthen student engagement in class

-develop students’ language, math, technological, visual and digital literacy skills-encourage school/home skill transfer-raise student achievement scores

How does this relate to my role as TL?

“Key to a truly exemplary library program was that the teacher-librarian took on a broader educational role within the school, providing support for classroom teachers through partnering and collaboration…”

(p.10)

“…teacher-librarians are active agents of change working to build connections with classroom teachers, school

administrators and the broader community.” (p.18)

Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario, a study by Queen’s University and People for Education. (2009). Toronto: OSLA

“Students appear to have natural abilities to use emerging technology. But the reality is, while students easily grasp the entertainment and communication value of the devices they use, they need to be taught how these tools can be used in learning and critical thought. This is a task for the Learning Commons.” (p.7)

Together for Learning: School Libraries and the Emergence of the Learning Commons. (2010). Toronto: OSLA

How tech-savvy is the at-risk student?

1. Turn on Clicker

2. Select Answer

3. Press EnterIf you need to,

press delete

What we looked for:Operating System• Something ‘tweakable’ so it could be ‘locked

down’ students cannot delete apps• Choice: Android 3.0 Honeycomb

Screen Size• Suitable for both reading/browsing and content

creation• Choice: 10.1 Inches

Built in technology – Content CREATION• Camera + free photo/video editing software• Microphone for recording podcasts/commercials• Bluetooth Keyboard support for text entry if needed

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/04/education/04laptop.html?_r=1

Which Apps Did We Use?

Big Idea Students Need to

Understand

Manage Files

Track Student

Work

Note Taking: Note Everything

Video Editing and Recording

Google Movie Studio (built in)

AndroMedia (Narrated Slide Shows)

Using Web Resources: Browsers

Android Browser(built in)

DolphinHD (better website support)

Ebook Readers

Aldiko -kids can choose their own font sizeand look up dictionary definitions quickly

Lumiread – better performance but the dictionary does not work.

Graphic Organizers

MindJet (advanced, willallow linking to images on device)

Mind Map Memo (basic but very fast to use)

Studying: Flashcards+

Student Responses

Gr. 9 English: “Reading a book on the tablet was fun

because its so different then reading a regular book”

Gr. 9 Math: “Doing calculations on the tablet is much easier than pen and paper and faster than the

computer”

Gr. 10 GLE: “It makes working in a group easier because instead of

sending documents from computer to computer, you can

just pass the tablet to the person who needs it. I find that I prefer the tablet over the computer”

Gr. 9 Reading a Newspaper: “I like zooming in on pictures to get more detail” “Pictures tell you what the

story is about and you end up clicking on it and then you end up

reading a bunch of articles because the pictures caught your attention”

Krista Ghanekar - math teacher: “Students will use calculators in class but never purchase them once they are out of high school. One of my goals is to arm students with supports that can be used outside the classroom in the real world.”

Teacher Responses

“An app like CashDroid can be taught in the classroom on a tablet and downloaded for free on their phones.”

Mary Blackbourn - GLE teacher: “It was a gratifying experience to observe my students pursue their learning. The tablet seemed to offer fairly easy access to Internet learning and resources, communication online and a focal point for group and independent learning by students, for students and with the capacity to embed Ministry curriculum in an engaging medium that provides feedback.”

Things to Consider

Questions?