Instructional design/Tablet Technology/Example Scenario

Objectives

Now, having reviewed the introduction to the use of table technology in the K-12 classroom, as well as the benefits and challenges, it’s time to read about tablet technology in context. On this page you will read two example scenarios, of how teachers added the use of tablet technology to their classroom. After these examples, you will read a summary and review of what can be learned from each of these examples.

The Object of this page is to present two scenarios of how tablet technology can be added to a K-12 classroom and to connect these examples to what we already know about tablet technology.

Ms. Jane Smith, 3rd Grade Teacher

Jane Smith has been teaching at IST Elementary School for three years. She taught first grade her first year, but the past two year’s she has taught 3rd grade. She has developed her lesson plans for the curriculum and is really looking back to starting the new school year this September.

Over the summer she received an email congratulating her, she has been selected to win an internal, school distract grant, funding the purchase of tablets for her classroom for the next school year. Now, her classroom will be equipped with 6 iPads, and Wi-Fi technology in addition to 1 preexisting computer. With these resources, Smith hopes to use them as part of her teaching practice because they are available to use 24/7.

Incorporating Technology into the Classroom

Ms. Smith decided to look at how she can incorporate the tablets into some of her pre-existing lesson plans for the first week of class. She decided that she did not want to feel overwhelmed with having to remake and recreate every lesson plan she has for the first quarter. One of her first math lessons for the students was a review. The lesson featured a 15 minute lecture, 20 minutes of individual practice, and then group review of computed responses. Ms. Smith thought this would be a perfect place to incorporate tablet technology. She could update the lesson to still feature 15 minutes of lecture, but then split the class into small groups that could complete the practice problems with the tablet technology. The students could work together to complete the practice problems with the iPads. After the students complete the practice problems the whole class would come back together to review the answers they came up with.

Ms. Kalisi Lannister, 2nd Grade Teacher

Kalisi has been teaching at IST Elementary School for seven years. She has been teaching second grade for six years. Last year she redid all of her lesson plans for the history portion of her curriculum to feature less lecture and more interaction between the students. Kalisi Lannister has also been selected to win an internal, school district grant, funding the purchase of tablets for her classroom for the next school year. Her classroom will be equipped with 6 iPads, and Wi-Fi technology in addition to 2 preexisting computers.

Incorporating Technology into the Classroom

Ms. Lannister hopes to use the iPads to improve engagement and interactivity in the classroom. How will she incorporate the iPads into her lessons? She's decided to first focus exclusively on the math portion of the curriculum.

In order to improve the interactivity in the classroom, Ms. Lannister plans to place less emphasis on lecture and more emphasis on discovery and active learning. Ms. Lannister divides her class into six groups of students so that each group will have an iPad to use.
Ms. Lanister thought that the very first math lesson would be an appropriate opportunity to use the iPads. The lesson would be review, and she could use the iPads for review and practice, to discern where the students were at in their recall of mathematics. If she selected the right application, it should be at most everyone's learning level. The desired learning outcome would be for the students to practice basic addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
For the first lesson, Ms. Lanister introduces the topic and asks the students to sit with their assigned, small groups. She has selected a mobile app where students can collaborate to solve problems; she distributes the iPads. While the students work in groups, Ms. Lanister walks around the room monitoring the groups and checks to see if any are behind or struggling with the technology. She assists one of the groups that did not understand a multiplication problem. After ~15 minutes she asks the groups to turn in the iPads. Now the class will work together to complete several math problems at the board. One representative from each group will solve a problem.
After the lesson Ms. Lainster looks closely at how each group did. From this she redesigns the next math lesson. She decides to adjust the app for a couple of the groups, to better fit to their learning style. She noticed that one group finished 5 minutes before the rest of the groups, she decides to create additional practice problems for this group, on the iPad.

Ms. Lanister continues the pattern of reflecting after each lesson, on the success and shortcomings of the technology in class that day. She also reviews her future lesson plans in order to adjust them to better integrate the tablet technology appropriately.

Summary & Review

In this lesson you read about Ms. Jane Smith and how she initially added iPad technology to one of her lessons. You read about Ms. Lanister's strategic plant to re-conceptualize a lesson integrating tablet technology. Now, let's look more closely at the differences between these two examples...

	Ms. Smith & Ms. Lanister
Similarities	Both teach at IST Elementary and have won the grant for additional technology to be added to their classrooms. Both thought intentionally, and ahead of time, about incorporating technology into the classroom. Both selected one class to start with, integrating the technology slowly to the curriculum.
Differences	Ms. Smith did not want to remake her lesson plans when adding technology to the lessons. Ms. Lanister was willing to remake her lesson plans, considering at each step how and where it will fit appropriately to the lesson. Ms. Lanister selected an appropriate app for the lesson, whereas Ms. Smith simply had students use basic apps that came on the device. Ms. Smith did not assess the effectiveness of the technology, nor did she reflect on her teaching for improvement.
Summary	Both teachers tried to incorporate tablet technology into their lessons. Ms. Smith did not adjust her instruction holistically, but Ms. Lanister did. Ms. Smith modified her small group activity and practice but not as well as Ms. Lanister did.