http://www.teacherplaces.com/sherry/weblog/136.html

Teaching technology goes against the grain. No one will remember how to do something unless they are ready to start using it immediately and keep doing it for a while for practice. However, the tablets are a new and different enough concept that I have been wanting to find a good way to introduce them and demonstrate the possibilities.

I was forced to spend some time on this because I was giving a hands on presentation at the VAIS technology retreat a few weeks ago. I think I now have something that will be useful in multiple situations. I have images and video of the tablets in use and the projects that have been produced. I also have some structure for using the images with the practical hands on component that helps create the "ah ha" for teachers.

Today the second graders created an ABC Penguins class book.  Each child was assigned two letters of the alphabet.  They had to write a sentence to include a fact about penguins that related to their assigned letters.  Using the Windows Journal program, they wrote the fact and created a picture to go with their sentence.  We printed them out to have laminated and bound into a book to add to our classroom library. My class is doing great when we use the tablets.  They are careful and remember the rules we have when using the tablets.  I am impressed by how much they remember from the last time we used the tablets.  Many of them are able to navigate in the program with little help from me. 

My only frustration that I continue to experience is saving their work to their files.  Due to the limited fine motor skills, they tend to "gobble up" other files as they are locating their own file.  It is a "now you see it, now you don't!" issue.  When they drag the pen on the tablet, files combine and appear "lost" to them.  It is difficult to locate them at times.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Marty, who was visiting our school to learn about tablet usage, seemed to be quite impressed with my class's skills and how well the kids worked while using the technology. 

The story in the newspaper is about a surprise that was ruined by Facebook’s new “Beacon” feature.  You know, the feature that allows Facebook advertisers to put up an ad on your friends’ pages alerting them to recent purchases you’ve made.  One embarrassed guy saw the surprise jewelry gift he had planned for his wife “ruined” when it was announced to her when she logged in to the site.

But the real story is about the surprise for Web 2.0 junkies who thought that all the free services that companies like Facebook provide maybe ain’t so free after all.  Apparently, our collective acceptance of google-ads, pop-ups, dancers promoting lower interest rates, little flash videos, and so forth says that we think the commercials are worth the information and services that we get for free.  But once the SQL servers start creating ads with our data, well, that crosses a line.  It takes a little shine off the Internet party when a billboard above the fireplace starts flashing data on where we bought our underwear, for how much, and invites the partygoers to make a similar purchase of their own.

Surprised?  I’m not.  When “old media” tycoons like Rupert Murdoch pay half-a-billion dollars for a social networking site like MySpace, you can surmise that he sees financial gain in it.  Half a billion is a lot to pay for a name, some software and servers, and a squirrelly bunch of teenage “users.”  Unless you see a big payday somewhere down the line.

Surprise!  Since you have input your likes, dislikes, and lured all your friends to sign up and sign in, I’m guessing that the terms of service you agreed to without reading them gives MySpace the right to use that information in just about any way they want, as long as they don’t, heaven forbid, sell that information to anyone else.  That was one way that folks imagined that they would be able to monetize their social networking investment but it hasn’t panned out.  And why should it?  These new service providers decided “why sell the information?”  It’s more valuable to keep it for themselves.  And it allows them to adopt the holier-than-thou position that they would never sell your information to anyone.  No one.  Ever.  But that’s because it is just plain too valuable to them, in business terms.

I guess we just didn’t see that one coming.  Surprise.

One of the topics that emerged this fall at TeacherPlaces Book Clubs is "play" and its role in education.  After reading several great posts on the topic by people much better informed on the topic than I am, I have arrived at this conclusion: the status of "play" in education is largely hypothetical.  To read some of these posts yourself, here are some links:

Bringing Play Into the Mainstream 

Yes, play gets lip service, mostly for children who are too young to read or writ.  But the minute that we could reasonably expect kids to track print with their eyes or hold a pencil, time for "play" is over and it is time to get down to the important "business" of learning the content and skills of academia.  Ned Hallowell, in his book The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness, refers to this impulse as the "great Harvard fallacy."  In other words, if we don't start working on that g.p.a. and SAT prep ASAP, getting into Harvard will slide off the table and a certain lack of adult happiness (read: earning power) will result.

So, even the most ardent defenders of play are very careful about what they say about its usefulness in certain situations.  Yet, it is easier to get into Harvard if you know how to play than if you don't.  It is axiomatic among college counselors that the so-called "perfect" record in high school (high grades, team captain, class president) can be the kiss of death at the most highly competitive colleges.  Those kids who show academic aptitude but who have done something more, something different, something exceptional, have a better chance at admission than those who followed all the rules to a "t."  Hallowell provides just such an example in his book.

So, how can we define play so that it sounds more productive and on point to those who think good grades are the key to success?

During the last New Student Open House, my second graders showed off their tablet skills.  As prospective parents walked around the school, they were surprised to see a class of second graders using this technology.  Many stopped in and asked the students what they were doing and how they liked using the tablets.  Many commented that they were not familiar with this technology. I gave a few short demonstrations with my tablet since it was connected to my LCD player for the lesson.

I am quite proud of how my class is handling this experience.  Many are able log on and open into Journal and are able to shut down the tablets with no help.  Some are willing to help those students who still need a little reminder or assistance.  There are only a few that are not comfortable with the routine and need more assistance.  I am also so proud of the way they return the tablets to the carts.  They are showing me that they are responsible and are able to handle this privilege.

Kathy's class had their second experience with the tablets today.  Since we only had 45 minutes of time, Kathy and I spent a few minutes setting everything up and saving their work before the first graders entered the room.  Kathy mentioned that they were so excited this morning during Morning Meeting when she told them that they were going to haveaTablet lesson.  I was welcomed with warm smiles and an enthusiastic group when they came back from Music class. 

Since the Tablets were already in Journal, we went over some rules and the "stylus down" rule as being one of the most important rule.  Kathy instructed them to write 1 sentence about their weekend and then draw a picture to go along with that sentence.  We reviewed where the pen and eraser feature is located on the Tablet and reviewed how to get a variety of color choices using the pallet icon on the toolbar.  Many remembered how to change the thickness of the pen from our last lesson.  This really surprised me since it has been quite a long time since we used the tablets in this class.

The only thing that you heard in that classroom was the chirping of the crickets as the children were working.  This group of first graders are great listeners and followed directions well.  When someone forgot how to do something or needed help, they were very patient waiting for assistance.  It is a bit more difficult for this age to not touch the button on the top of the stylus so some "strange things" happened.  Some of them are also afraid to rest their hands on the tablet surface, I think it is hard for  them to think of the surface as a normal piece of paper but with practice they will get more comfortable.

When we were finished with our "driting" we walked through the save and shut down process.  This class's ability to follow directions enabled us to get through this process with ease.