Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/96436
First Person ���Project-based learning,��� ���real world connections,��� ���collaboration,��� ���going beyond the desks and classroom walls;��� these are some of the phrases we hear about 21st century learning. These also are learning techniques that come very naturally to first graders ��� with or without the aid of technology. However, as digital natives, my students have an affinity for and ease with technology that cannot be ignored. For me as a teacher, the addition of the SmartBoard to my classroom was a significant transition. But the large interactive screen transformed how I taught and connected my students with the material. The functionality of the touch-screen technology, which took me some time to get used to, came second nature to them. Their tiny hands easily accessed what they needed with the point of a finger. Soon students were using it as a tool to show, share and create things with each other. Earlier this year, our IT department informed us that they had a number of iPads available for the faculty to borrow for experimenting. Again, the technology was new to me, but I had recently seen my own children, Nora, 8, and Finn, 4, operate an iPhone and an iPod touch. Within minutes, they had searched for and downloaded apps focusing on math facts, the state capitals, letter recognition and drawing. My kids were working together, developing skills and having fun. It made me think about how this tool was so ideal for children and how it could bring another avenue for researching, group work and portable learning to my classroom. I immediately emailed IT and reserved three of the iPads for the first grade. I started with apps that I knew would get my students talking about ideas and sharing in the process of learning. We talked about some guidelines for using this tool in our space: Work cooperatively and collaboratively with your learning partner rather than one at a time, and treat it like a tool, not a toy. The kids jumped right in. As part of our mapping unit, we used Google maps and Google Earth to see different places in the world. Using the iPad, they were able to zoom in and out, enter addresses, look for landmarks, see the street views and even look around corners. Because the students were already familiar with the functionality of a SmartBoard, they transitioned easily to the iPad. It became yet another tool we could use to help bring the content to life. The 3-D map apps, in particular, allowed students to view the streets of Chicago and look at three-dimensional depictions of different buildings in a very real way. With the swipe of a finger, they were navigating the globe. We also took advantage of the iPads for our class-made I Spy book. Without much direction, students put on their headphones, pulled up menu screens, paused, replayed and adjusted volume. If they missed a word, they would rewind the video, pause to get a closer look and then click on ���play��� again when they were ready to go to the next page. Using an app called Spellboard, we entered our weekly spelling words in typed and audio format. The instant access the technology allows translates into seamless learning. Its portability means that they can take the iPads in the hallway, to their desks or to a quiet corner in the classroom ��� wherever their learning takes them. As I think about Latin���s 21st century teaching goals, I believe that, like the SmartBoard, iPads will become another learning tool that students can use on a regular basis. The large screen interactive presentation capabilities of the SmartBoard continue to transform large group lessons, and the iPads offer ways in which to differentiate instruction to meet the learning needs and address the learning style of each individual student. When I look around my room at a choice time or a math games session, I see books, math counters, dice, markers, crayons, the SmartBoard and iPads. These are all hands-on tools for learning. The technology does not replace more traditional classroom tools but complements them and offers new options to our 21st century learners. first person by Fiona Deeney, first grade teacher Technology: A Hands-On Tool for Digital Natives ���The iPads offer ways in which to differentiate instruction to meet the learning needs and address the learning style of each individual student.��� Latin School of Chicago 17