By Amy Rowley
Emily Schall, a teacher at Griffin School, greets her middle school students. Each one is carrying an iPad as they settle into her language arts class.
“iPads at school really do get the job done quicker,” says Griffin sixth grader Brooke Brandsma. “The school trusts every middle school student with their own iPad and that makes me feel really good and also, at the same time, worried that something bad will happen to mine.”
The students pick up their iPads when they arrive at school and carry the devices with them throughout the day to each of their classes.
“I can see what has been completed, review revisions and easily make comments or give partial credit to an unfinished assignment,” says Schall, who now uses Google Classrooom to manage assignments.
Schall adds that the computer technology has been a huge bonus for students that struggle with handwriting. “Handwriting assignments are no longer a block. Students can use a talk-to-text feature to speak their ideas. For kids that struggle to write, this technology gives them something to fiddle with, as a starting point, to turn into sentences and complete ideas. Plus, I like it as a teacher because I can read their work,” she says, smiling.
With the introduction of iPads in her classroom, Schall has adjusted her teaching techniques. “There is a lot less paper shuffling,” she summarizes simply. “I can’t hand off a stack of papers for a TA to grade, but, at the same time, we are able to create self-paced learning options for kids,” says Schall. “For middle school students switching between classes, technology is one continuity that they have.”
Now, Griffin School is looking to extend the one-to-one ratio (one iPad for every student) to the adjacent elementary school.
“Kids are motivated by learning through iPads,” says Lori Buma, a veteran teacher with more than 30 years of experience in the primary grades. “Research is even beginning to show that kids score better on their assessments.”
Tammy Phillips, a second grade teacher at Griffin School, adds that technology in the classroom is giving kids another way to show what they know. “I look for iPad applications that are going to help students work smarter,” says Phillips. “I want to provide opportunities for kids to practice skills and concepts by adding meaningful work, not simply more work.”
As teachers, keeping up with the ever-changing technology is a new twist to their career. Both Buma and Phillips attended a national conference two years ago that provided excellent ideas. Schall simply “used the iPad a lot.”
Another bonus is the ability for teachers to communicate with each other and with parents. The learning tools are more accessible to students and Buma explains that parents can see videos and instruction tools to help with homework.
“Technology is a way of life for kids,” shares Katie Hackney, a parent of two Griffin School elementary school kids. “Technology in the classroom should enhance learning to keep our kids at the forefront.”
“Parents should be reassured that the current technology at Griffin School is being used today to enhance and differentiate learning for kids,” adds Phillips, who has taught at Griffin School for 15 years. “An iPad for every kid would mean that we can monitor their progress and growth across a lot of different subject areas.”
Buma agrees. “We can meet each child at their own level,” she says.
“For example, in creative writing, kids can start a story and then share their ideas with classmates online,” chimes in Schall. “Last year, a group of 7th grade students wrote a fantasy novel online, expanding on the story throughout the course of the year. The students took charge of their learning.”
Troy Peternell, a 7th grade Griffin student, confirms Schall’s comments. “When I write a story on the iPad, I can share it with my class and other classes and get immediate feedback.”
Schall is excited about the options that exist for technology-based learning. “We are looking at electronic textbooks to help reduce costs and keep content relevant,” she explains. “In 8th grade history, students are using a web-based program to view interactive videos and then discussing the content. You can re-watch videos and travel at your own pace.”
“Using technology in the classroom is an investment in our future and a priority for creating future leaders,” says Buma. “Kids need to be able to access information. I can’t teach the amount of information that is available to kids today, but I can teach them how to access the information they need.”
