Thursday, April 25, 2013

Tachlis! How do I use the iPads to engage students in writing activities?



You have a learning objective for a specific topic, unit, chapter etc. You always had one even before the iPads entered your classroom or even your mind. Your learning objective has not changed. What is changing is the way your students will learn and how you engage them to get the results and objectives that you want.
These iPad project ideas will focus on writing and publishing projects. Please note that you do not need to limit these project ideas to General studies. Most of these apps and project ideas can be implemented in a Hebrew or Judaic studies classroom. Let’s explore.
In general, your learning objectives may require your students to demonstrate writing and communication skills by researching material, collaborating and communicating with their peers, and documenting their sources. In traditional classrooms this may be done with a standard research project and research paper or book report assignment. Maybe even a Powerpoint presentation as an individual or group. In a 21st century classroom, objectives may include incorporating imagery and sound with written elements, citing online resources or interactive web sites, and possibly audio and video details.
Here are some examples to get you started on using iPad apps to engage and stimulate your students' learning.
Blogs
Apps examples - 
BloggerBlogsyTypePad
Develop your students writing and communication skills through posts and commenting on a topic of your choice. Insist that your students comment on at least one of their peer’s comments. You would be able to provide students a creative outlet through journaling and give those quiet students a voice they never had before. You can take blogs one step further and have them write posts as if they are characters in a novel your class is reading or historical figure. Blogs can also be used collaborate with classrooms from all over the world to discuss similar interests and international topics.
Movies
Apps examples - 
iMovieAnimoto
Have your students create 1-2 minute video trailers to advertise a book that they read. Like with movie trailers, these videos need to draw the audience into the plot, and introduce characters and setting, but not give away the ending. They can also get into character here as well and create a newscast or interview on a famous person or historical event. You can create a moving video but a photo video from many different resources can also culminate in a powerful project. This may be a way in which students with artistic talents can shine if they are able to create their own digital images.
PostersApp examples - ScrapPadGlogsterSkitch
Students can create a movie-style poster to advertise their book. Poster elements would include the title, author, a representative image, a “hook” to get others to want to read the book, a student review or quotation of a review which could in character or from a peer. The class can each create a poster of a US state or different country and create a whole “book” with everyones “page.” Other ideas can include a parsha scrapbook, or pages for each part of the Seder to culminate into a class Haggadah. Web tools like 
FlipSnack can be used to create the book.
Online Presentations
App examples - KeynoteSlideRocketSlideSharkPrezi
Presentations are an oldie but goodie way to show a final product of research and collaboration.
The presentations are in the cloud so it works well in groups. No more excuses about not be able to get together with your partner because they can do it all online!

Publishing
Instead of the standard book reports, have your students create cartoons. The dialogue should be creative and relevant and could take a story to a whole new level. You can also empower your students to be published authors. Have then write the next chapter in a book, their own creative writing story, a biography or autobiography about a relative. They can create informative and interactive iBooks for their classmates, teachers, and family members.

As you can see, you can use simple apps to engage your students in a lesson and in a project. You can use the iPad as a tools to promote collaboration, interactivity, publishing and digital citizens without separating the class from the learning objectives. As they say, “when in Rome.” I think that we are already there, might as well enjoy the sites and be in the pictures!


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