Connecting & Collaborating

This very busy teacher, (who doesn't need the credits) is also a very busy grandmother, eagerly awaiting my phone call from Texas on the birth of my second grandson, and third grandchild, is trying to prepare for my formal evaluation , finish the requirements for class this week and hurriedly but carefully finish a baby quilt before I take off for Texas.... does not have a formal post for connecting and collaborating at this time.
I participated in the Mystery Skype challenge last year with a High School German Class from Jackson High School, and have Skyped once this school year, with a former fellow colleague at Michigan Center High School where our special education classes are issuing "challenges" to each other class. So..... Now that it is midnight, and I will only be getting 5 hours of sleep, I say Adios!

Pedagogy

Chicago schools, Ipads in the classroom,(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV8M6P9st9Q&feature=youtu.be) at 1:37    demonstrated a simple yet highly used method of SAMR's Augmentation. This clip followed a special education classroom through a shopping trip, using their Ipads and the Iconverse app, which allowed these non-verbal students to find a picture of what they wanted to say , tap it, and "say it". Many years ago, I used  PECs and lots of Velcro to this very same thing. Ipads have made communication for these students much more efficient! This example also falls under Bloom's taxonomy of remembering and understanding. I also have two non-verbal students in my classroom who use their personal Ipads and the Proloquo2go app. It has opened amazing new opportunities for these students.
Using the ipad as a "magnetic board "for spelling is a simple example of Substitution.(at :49). Ipads have become a low tech substitution for a magnetic board and magnet letters, which I used for years while teaching spelling and reading to my elementary special education students.I believe this also falls under Bloom's remembering and understanding level.
Modification allows for significant task redesign,which I cited at 2:32 of this same clip. Students were listening and reading for comprehension on Ipads, with the aide of headphones. Although, the same can be done in a "written" book, hearing it through headphones enabled the students to concentrate without extraneous distractions of others reading aloud. The Ipad app also allowed the student to highlight and call attention to important information that they had read. This example falls under applying and analyzing in Bloom's taxonomy .
Without a doubt, Redefinition according to SAMR and evaluating and creating in Bloom's Taxonomy describes the Wetlands project of the Quincey 5th graders (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X79rBrFaENg&feature=youtu.be) at :07. These students not only developed a unique path in a  wetlands area, but used their Ipads to film short commercials promoting the sale of wrist bands, with hopes of funding an outdoor classroom.Previously inconceivable? You bet! So glad we have the opportunity to experience the world of high tech.

iPad Basics

Setting up the home screen of the Ipad enables the  user to individualize in a variety of ways. I have 6 Ipads in my classroom, in addition to three students having their personal Ipads. Since I have 8 students in my special education classroom, this means we each have our own, personalized Ipads. I let my students pick out their own "wallpaper" backgrounds and I help them to customize their folders and docks to best meet their needs.
This is a screen shot of one page of my Ipad. In my dock, I have put a folder with all the apps I will need for my 21 things 4 Ipads class, internet access, app store and my student's favorite class app, Kahoot. On my home screen I created a folder for my education apps and left the frequently used app icons available for easy identification. Another page of my Ipad contains apps which I personally use and a folder for my grand-children's use.
As I add and delete apps, I am continuously changing my set up.