Tool #8

I am pretty excited for this technology roll out to happen already! Watching these videos just gets me more excited to get the equipment in here and get started. It is my understanding that we will get Dell Mini’s and I pads. While I am very familiar with both already, I did find some cool stuff about them just by viewing these short clips.

1. How to set up an i-tunes account on the devices… however I think this is something that needs to be discussed within departments and see what restrictions need to be put on them.

2. I was aware of the camera on the netbooks, however I was not aware of the capability to record video on some of the devices. This will provide possibilities with presentations, or skits/plays and other fun ways for students to express their knowledge.

3. One thing that I did not know is that SBISD has a link on the webpage that includes suggested apps for the ipad/Itouch. I recently picked up the first IPad for our classroom and already have gone to the website to download some fun apps for it! I am glad that I have the Holiday break to play with it so much to figure out what apps are best, and which ones I will install on all of my devices.
I have provided the link to the webpage below. If you click on the “App” names Tools, it will take you to the page to search through suggested apps by subject, type of tool, or age level.

The first thing that needs to be done is to secure the devices with passcodes for “Admin” usage. It will be essential that before our couple of “trial runs” with the equipment that we go over proper use of technology as to ensure that everyone is on the same page with what is appropriate. I am glad that we will be requiring the students to read and sign a SBISD technology agreement before allowing them to use the devices. We do a great deal of station work in my class and once the understanding of technology is there we will implement these into daily use with our stations. Just in playing with the IPad for the last couple of days I have been so amazed at all of the information readily available at our fingertips. The possibilities of what an amazing learning tool this could be are endless. I can't wait to get this technology.