Goals+for+Installation

iPad Installation into the Elementary Classroom

__Goals__

1. To implement six iPads in a 4th grade classroom in order to enhance current instructional methods through the use of innovative 21st century technology.

2. To support differentiated instruction, student engagement, and student academic growth through the use of applications, iBooks, online assessments, and websites

3. To provide a professional development session for faculty and staff to cover pedagogical implications and basic use of the iPad devices.

__Introduction to the Project__

Students in the average elementary classroom come from a wide variety of cultural, social, and economic backgrounds. One common thread amongst these children is their experience with the use technology. Over the past twenty-five years, research shows that children’s “use of different media is at an all-time high” (Brooks-Gunn 2008, p. 4). Outside of the classroom students are already using iPods, laptops, and smart phones on a daily basis. Yet, many classrooms currently lack the hardware to support student learning on an individual basis through technology.

In order to support student success in the 21st Century, the use of technological innovation is imperative. Educators must strive to provide students with all of the necessary tools to succeed in the world around them, not only academically. The implementation of iPads into an elementary classroom will fill the current technological void apparent in Independent School District 191 today. Students will have access to applications, iBooks, and educational websites while familiarizing themselves and shaping “their behaviors [with technology] in a positive direction” (Brooks-Gunn 2008, p. 8). This project will use technology to engage students in their own learning and teachers will use innovative instructional techniques to support student growth. Furthermore, these tablets or iPads will allow teachers to modify lessons based on individual student readiness. This use of technology will translate into differentiated and individualized experiences where students can learn at the level that best suites their needs.