Using ipads to collaboratively analyze primary and secondary sources

Parts of this are grayed out for no reason - I can't seem to fix it - there is no reason for parts of this being a lighter text:)


Lesson Description:Students log in to their Edmodo, click a link posted by the teacher, collaboratively analyze primary and secondary sources to complete questions.

Reflection:When the teacher first contacted me, my first thought was to figure out a note-taking app that would promote collaboration.  The teacher and I didn't have a chance to discuss all the details ahead of time.  He had asked if he could check out the ipads and I explained they had to stay in the LMC and work through me.  He was completely ok with that and I knew he had a certain activity he wanted to do. I know I tend to go way over the top at times so this time I decided to  use this opportunity to just go with the flow, observe and see what happens.  I also don't want to intimidate teachers or be too pushy.  I really want to listen to their needs and not feel the need to use every aspect and capability of the ipads.  No reason to stress out myself or anyone else!

encourages collaboration - ease of passing back and forth, highlighting information; students were able to easily share interpretations of documents and images. What one person sees or understands, or finds meaning in, another person may have a different interpretation.

Students able to work more efficiently - rather than mousing and clicking, able to touch for access.  Also, while analyzing documents, ability to enlarge the screen was very useful.


Difficulties:Edmodo app doesn’t work - students have to go to Edmodo website through internet connection. I learned Edmodo needed to be updated and will hopefully work better next time. If they clicked a link through the app, it didn't work, they had to go through the website.
What did I learn?
If students had any downtime they started taking pictures of themselves…

Benefits:
Students will continue to face new technologies, applications, and programs their entire life. Using new technology is always fun but it also provides another experience. Students learn how to problem-solve. The more I work with students on projects involving programs or technology, the more I believe we should let them figure things out. If we constantly create detailed how-to documents, they never gain the confidence of resolving issues. I still have many students who want me to sit with them and tell them exactly what to do and how to work through difficult times. I have learned to ask more questions than give them answers. When they leave our walls, I want them to have confidence in their abilities.