Suzanne's Ed Tech Reflections

The iAchieve Project is an Apple Distinguished Program. As part of that designation we host site visits. Apple advertises and supports the visit but we do the hosting and presenting. During the site visit, attendees from other schools and districts come to hear and see how we are integrating Apple products to impact learning. Last Thursday, November 13th, was out fall visit. We chose one of our schools that has 7 flipped learning classrooms supported by 1:1 iPads. There were about 20 attendees along with 4 representatives from Apple. We shared information about iAchieve: how it all started, how we use the iPods for learning, iPad Media Kits being used by teachers, and our 1:1 iPad flipped learning classrooms. The highlight of the day is visiting classrooms. The teachers and students did a great job and everyone was excited and impressed. Fifth grade was beginning their study space. One group had brainstormed questions they had about space and were researching the different topi

Mastery Connect has developed a new Common Core Standards app for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The AZ Core app provides easy access to Arizona's College and Career Ready Standards. The app is free and allows you to search for standards by content area, grade level, or keyword. Check it out! Click here to download a pdf.

When the iAchieve Project first began 5 years ago (where has the time gone!), I spent my days visiting our iPod touch classrooms working with teachers and students integrating the iPods into teaching and learning. I was helping teachers plan lessons and activities, co-taught iPod integrated lessons, and assisted teachers with locating new apps and syncing the iPods. When I would enter a classroom there was a feeling of excitement in the air along with whispers about what was going to happen that day - I wonder what we are going to do today on the iPods? Are we going to get a new app? Pretty soon when I entered the room there were whispers of "The iPod Lady is here; the iPod Lady is here!" That label stuck in classrooms and by students across the district - wherever I would go. A couple of years later we started integrating iPads. Same thing happened. I would enter a room to students clamoring a new title - "The iPad Lady is here; the iPad Lady is here!

Apple has recently released their iPad in Education Results study.  The study highlights the changes to teaching and learning brought about by the integration of iPads: academic performance, engagement,  flexible instruction, and content design. The study highlights a variety of iPad schools and includes a vast amount of data collected during the study. Really a good read! Download the document here .