Learning with iPads for Diverse Students – Podcast Episode 114

Learning with iPads for Diverse Students – Podcast Episode 114 | Classnotes Podcast 114

Classnotes Podcast (October 1, 2012) More than regular computers and basic access to the Internet, iPads and other tablets present many possibilities for student learning when applied to real-world circumstances. These tools are particularly powerful for students who are learning English at the same time.

IDRA education associates, Veronica Betancourt, M.A., and Paula Martin Johnson, M.A., continue our series of conversations on seven research-based strategies IDRA has developed for delivering instruction differently for secondary students. In this episode, Veronica and Paula focus on Strategy #4: Maximize use of technology in delivery of effective science and el instruction and use Internet resources to supplement and enrich instruction of English learners. They describe how iPads can be used to enhance learning by engaging students in analyzing situations and applying critical and creative thinking to find reasonable solutions. Veronica and Paula are interviewed by Bradley Scott, Ph.D., director of the IDRA South Central Collaborative for Equity.

Show length: 14:56

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Resources

Science Classroom Strategies for English Learners – Learning with the iPad and Other Tablets
by Veronica Betancourt, M.A., and Paula Martin Johnson, M.A., IDRA Newsletter
http://www.idra.org/resource-center/science-classroom-strategies-for-english-learners/

Science Instructional Strategies for English Learners ~ A Guide for Elementary and Secondary Grades
by Abelardo Villarreal, Ph.D., Veronica Betancourt, M.A., and Kristin Grayson, M.Ed., IDRA
http://www.idra.org/publications/science-instructional-strategies-english-learners-guide-elementary-secondary-grades-2/

Visual Interpretation in Science – Strategies for English Language Learners
by Paula Martin Johnson, M.A., and Veronica Betancourt, M.A., IDRA Newsletter
http://www.idra.org/resource-center/visual-interpretation-in-science/

IDRA South Central Collaborative for Equity
http://www.idra.org/South_Central_Collaborative_for_Equity/

Science Smart!
IDRA’s professional development that provides teachers with scientifically-based strategies to teach initiative scientific concepts, critical-thinking skills, problem-solving abilities and processes.
http://www.idra.org/Services/Science_Smart!_Secondary_Training/

21st Century Skills: Rethink How Students Learn
J. Bellanca, & R. Brandt (eds)
http://www.amazon.com/21st-Century-Skills-Rethinking-Students/dp/1935249908

And What Do You Mean by Learning?
by S.B. Sarason
http://college.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/e00639/preface.pdf

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Show Notes

Veronica considers Bradley’s question of why iPads are considered “a big deal” in schools today, and she explains how quickly technology is changing and evolving.

Paula says that we can’t fear the ongoing sense of newness that technology brings. Instead, we can use technology to help students build on what they already know in content areas.

Bradley argues that technology levels the playing field in terms of equity, giving all students access to the world and challenging their thinking.

Veronica says that at the most basic level, iPads increase students’ visual literacy, which helps with their retention of knowledge. Students can access information and events in real time while talking with their teachers and classmates about what they’re seeing and learning.

Paula talks about the opportunity for iPads in math instruction. Even more so than web-based programs on standard computers, iPads provide students with visual representations of otherwise abstract concepts, such as rotating three-dimensional cubes.

Veronica says that for language learning in particular, iPads offer “a more equitable platform” by removing inherent teacher and cultural biases. But she also stresses that iPads should not serve as the sole source of instruction in the classroom; instead, they should be used as a supportive tool.

Paula talks about the important role of on-campus technology specialists, who help teachers integrate technology into their lesson plans.

Veronica and Paula discuss the accommodations that teachers need to make for English learners when new technologies are used in the classroom.

Resource Center