Educational Services Division
Teaching and Learning in the Mobile Era
Administrator training. Teacher training. Is there an app for that? Well, not exactly, but the Santa Cruz County Office of Education did host two iPad workshops—one for administrators and one for teachers. These workshops, sponsored by TriCUE, a regional affiliate of Computer Using Educators (CUE), assisted educators in learning how one of the newest technology tools can help productivity, teaching, and learning.
Fifty participants received an iPad and were introduced to the technical aspects of the iPad which included the similarities and differences between a traditional computer/laptop as well as efficient ways to synchronize the device with existing files and applications on their computers.
Teachers and administrators were introduced to several iPad applications that can assist them in engaging students and managing their productivity. For example, school administrators can now use a simple form on their iPad to evaluate teachers and classrooms for effective instruction. Think about all the paper that can be saved! Teachers were introduced to several applications as well, including Dragon Dictation, which is a simple voice to text program. This can be used by students learning English. As they speak, the phrases are transcribed enabling them to read what they spoke. Also shown was SonicPics, which uses images and narration to create a digital story. Imagine students using this in a science classroom to summarize their experiment or administrators using this to showcase a school event.
Both administrators and teachers also learned how to use some of the native applications built into the iPad, such as the email program, the notes program, and even how to take a screen shot! One administrator exclaimed “I only began to scratch the surface. I guess it is time to explore and play.” A teacher said “[the workshop was] fabulous! Can’t wait to learn more.”
Teachers and administrators were also introduced to the importance of Mobile Learning (m-Learning). m-Learning allows students, and any stakeholder, to access knowledge and information anytime and anywhere, no longer restricted to the confines of a traditional classroom, notebook, or textbook. With the growth and widespread use of mobile computing, educators’ lessons and resources can be accessed online, through a variety of mobile devices. eBooks are now beginning to emerge in schools and districts around the state and country. iPads are currently being used in several classrooms around the country to organize all this information. The iPad’s slick interface and intuitive features make it ideal for educators and students. The video Going Paperless: Diverse Learning with iPads and Apps highlights the one iPad to one student program at Monte Vista Christian School in Watsonville.
There are so many benefits to using the iPad in education and thousands of applications that are relevant to administrators, teachers, and students. To see some of the resources and activities that occurred at the May workshop, take a look at the administrator iPad resource website and/or the teacher resource website.
