Jed-iPad Master of Educational Technology

By Toby Price, Assistant Principal, Richland Upper Elementary

I have been using an iPad as an administrator since the day they came out. In the last year, I have learned a few things. If you have an app that you like…there will be 50 more out at the end of the week that do the same thing. The sheer number of apps can make an iPad a valuable tool or a big iPod that does nothing for you or your students.

My advice to teachers with an iPad is:

- That apps can be used to meet individual needs. Don’t feel like more apps makes it a better iPad. It’s a lot like our curriculum teach less, better and deeper. The same goes with your apps. Use less apps better and deeper.

- Keep it simple! Don’t keep a lot of apps on your iPad. Find a few games you know your students will want to play as incentives. If you don’t use it delete it. In my opinion, teachers need to get to know their students, then based on the data about their students needs, download the apps that will help their specific students.  If Billy needs help with prepositions, download an app that will help him with that.  My advice for iPads is similar to advice I have about classroom instruction. Use less apps better and dig deeper with them.

For example, Kindergarten, first and second grade teachers could use the app A Present for Milo, a wonderful interactive story about a cat and mouse.  There are tons of interactive pictures for curious fingers, and it will read the story to emerging readers.  But, to dig deeper Milo would be perfect to talk about predicting with the whole class or small groups of students.  Ask questions like, Why is he chasing the mouse? What will happen next? Why do all those other mice keep popping up? What will the people think when they come home and see their house? Milo is a fun story but is also one of the rare electronic books that has great animations and lots of teachable moments in it. DIG DEEP! Pull out the teachable moments. Keep it simple! Remember use less apps more deeply!

So remember, now that you have an iPad keep it simple. Find one or two apps that will help you improve your classroom instruction. Less can be more.

The iPad is a powerful tool. It won’t fix everything but can and will get you and your students pumped up and excited. But remember, you could buy me the nicest hammer in the world, but that doesn’t mean I can build you a treehouse. Technology is just a tool. It takes a really good teacher to build something special with it.

iPadawan Educators you are the future! May the apps be with you!

About the author: Toby Price is a father of 3, a special needs dad and a Principal to 650, and, of course, a Jed-iPad Master of Educational Technology.  The Jed-iPad Master Educator Code: Jed-iPad Master Educators challenge i-Padawans to create things that will leave the world a better then when they arrived. They encourage students to question things and explore ways to make their lives better and easier. Jed-iPad Master Educators seek out and use various forms of technology to let learners show what they know. Jed-iPad educators operate with a “What Can I do Attitude,” as opposed to an, ” If only” mindset. What can I do to make my school better? What can I do to help that child? Every child has something to contribute. As Jed-iPad Master Educators, it’s up to us to discover or uncover what it is?

Note from Ruckus:  A Present for Milo is on sale until the end of the day.  To celebrate the end of summer and help families prepare their children well for the school year, Carisa of Digital Storytime, Siva of Technology in (Spl) Education, and Patrick and Jeremy on the Teaching All Students blog have decided to collaborate on a Back-to-School App Specials promotion/sale and it ends today!  We had to be a part of this special campaign, which you can follow on Twitter at  hashtag #B2SAppSpecials on Twitter.