From Mr. Turner and the Super Kinders:
One of the greatest benefits of using the iPad devices, Mac books, and Smartboard is that it has given our students a greater ownership of their learning experience. Students are able to track their own progress, challenge themselves, and become extremely engaged within the skill without feeling the need to compete with their peers. It has also given the teacher the opportunity to touch on a multitude of skills in a 60 minute language arts block. Students are constantly engaged and driven to do their own personal best. For example, there are students with a goal to learn 100 sight words. They know which applications will assist with their goal and can independently access it through the appropriate tool. The use of technology allows us to touch a variety of multiple intelligences within the classroom. Students who are visual, kinesthetic and auditory learners gravitate towards these tools immensely. The use of these tools has truly transformed our learning environment into a 21st Century Kindergarten classroom.

In building up to our Valentine's Day Party, the children were told that they would be preparing the cookies we would eat at the party. The children first learned how to bake cookies using the application on the iPad called, "Cookie Doodle". Individually each child used this application; first combining the ingredients to make the dough, then mixing the dough, then rolling the dough, next cutting out and baking the cookies, then decorating the cookies, and finally eating the cookies (using their finger to simulate taking bites of the cookie). The following day, the children were again shown the application "Cookie Doodle", but this time they had all the real ingredients in front of them. Each child was able to add an ingredient using the iPad and then place that real ingredient into a real Mixer. One child who is unable to communicate using words, used the application "Proloquo2go" to communicate wanting a turn, and if he liked something or didn't like something. We were able to follow all the directions and bake real cookies. It was so much fun!!!

Jamestown First Grade students in Mrs. Runkle's Class use iPad and iPod Touch devices every Monday morning for a half an hour during our first math block. Half the class starts on iPads and the other half starts on iTouches and then we switch midway through the time period, creating interactive learning stations. Mostly we practice our addition and subtraction facts. It works really well because there are so many different math apps that they can play and as a teacher, I can differentiate according to students' skill levels and learning needs. I like for them to switch devices so they can have access to both types of screens. At first I thought they would all want the iPad because the screen is larger, but many like the iPod Touch better!