Instructional use of Ipads

Description/Experience
The technology presented in the last seminar was the Apple Ipad. I've concluded that it is a much better technology for the elementary and middle school levels, rather than high schools. There are a plethora of educational games, mostly mathmateical and reading enhancements. I learned that they are valued in classrooms across the country, and many teachers are trying to get them for their own students. I think they are quite useful for younger children when learning the basics of reading, writing and math. 

Application
Language Arts is probably one of the more difficult subjects to incoorperate Ipads into. But if I had to create an activity regarding poetry, I would have my students get into pairs to create their own poem, using some sort of creative, Power Point-y type application offered on an Ipad to present to the class. It could have pictures, graphics, sounds, animation, anything. I would also have the students comment and analyze each other's poems and presentations, perhaps the next day in class.

First, provide some details regarding:

• Learners: I think this would work best with middle schoolers and underclassmen in high school, the freshmen and sophomores.
• Learning outcomes: The students will gain their knowledge on the never ending possibilities of poetry. They will also learn to incoorperate their visually creative side with their internal writing side.
• Assessment: I would know my students acquired the knowledge through various examples of poetry (sonnets, beat poetry, rhyming vs non rhyming, etc.) and see how they react to each one. I would also want them to comment and analyze their peers poems and presentations

Second, break down your activity into a timeline of planned events and procedures. Here you should describe what students and the teacher will be doing chronologically during the activity. Below is one of the good examples from previous reflections:

• Assuming we have already had lessons on various poetry and poets, i would have the students pick partners as they please. They would then pick what type poetry style they would like to write, and think of various visuals/audios they could use.
• I would then introduce the app to them and show them how to use it.
• The students would write their poems and pick their visual/audio inclusions.
• Eventually, the next day, the students would present their poems to the class
• After each presentation, the class as a whole will comment and analyze each other's poems.

• I would go over multiple, very different poets. I would go over more famous, sterotypical poets and their poetry, then discuss lesser known poets, and why their work would still be considered poetry. We would learn about context, language, and phsyical stucture of the poetry as well. I'd also talk to them about how visuals and audo can affect poetry and how it is received too.
• Some conceptions students might have is what poetry is exactly. They would probably have some sort of solid idea on what makes a poem a poem. I would be concerned that they think a poem has to rhyme, it has to have a meaning, it has to flow, etc. I would worry that they subconciously might be trying to imitate other poets as well, instead of going with their own, personal instinct. 

• The technology would mostly be used to add the audio and visual effects. It would also be used to do the actual presentations.
• The technology would support my activity in proving that aduio and visual effects DO have an impact on the poem and how the reader comprehends it. I would maybe present the poem HOWL by Allan Ginsburg (only the appropriate parts of course) in silence, then again with music and art in the background.
• I would have to make sure that the students were staying on task and not going to different websites they shouldn't be on. I would have to make sure that the students aren't physically rough housing, considering the expense of each Ipad as well.

• The technology would enhance the way the content is represented because the students get to make it personal. Like i mentioned before, I could give examples of how audio and visuals effect poetry using other poets and probably an overhead presentation. Using Ipads would give the students to get personal and see first handedly how it effects their own poetry. They could practice creating their own presentations and what sort of influence the audio and visual, at their own choice, would effect their own work. Then they'd be able to see it in other poetry later in life.

--Technology-Pedagogy-Content:

• It can be effectively taught because i'd be able to see what my students are creating, and hear their feedback and analysis of each other's work. The selection of this technology would enhance how i teach because each student would have their own way of expressing their creativeity and what they've taken from the lesson as a whole. I would choose a teaching strategy that harnesses with visual and audio learners to make them able to produce the best poetry and presentations that they possibly can