iPad Pledge

I realized it has been quite some time since my last post. Five weeks ago, I was busy setting up my classroom, getting ready for my students and about to undertake a huge pilot program for the school......our 1:1 iPad program!

While I'm so excited and thankful that my grade was chosen to pilot the program, it has also been a lot of work and research on my end to be sure that things are done properly. Yes, I have encountered glitches along the way and definitely had students do things on the iPad that I wonder what the heck I was thinking but overall it has been a wonderful experience. I look forward to sharing my experience with all of you and welcome any advice you may have.

One of the first things we had to do, was create a student iPad pledge. Since the iPads are the property of the school but students would be allowed to take them home, it was important for us to set some guidelines for our students. If you Google "student iPad" agreements, you will get a ton of hits.....which is exactly what I did to begin with. Once I had a few samples to work with, I sat down and reflected on what would be best for our school and population of students. This is what we came up with.

 

We reviewed the iPad pledge together as a class and talked about each point and why it was important.  Parents also have to review the document and sign off on it as well.  Today, is actually the first day that the students will be bringing the iPads home.  Here's hoping students honor and abide the pledge. ;-)

Do you have an agreement that you make students sign-off on for electronic devices?

Paperless Student Survey

Since I will be going to a 1:1 iPad program within my classroom, I've been busy researching and planning ways to incorporate even more technology in my room.  Typically, my students would use our laptops about 4+ hours a week since we had to share them with the rest of the school.  While, I don't plan on making the iPads completely replace everything I do in the classroom, I do want it to substitute for certain projects, especially if it makes sense.

Every year during the first week of school, I always give my students an "About Me Survey" in which they tell me all sorts of little facts about themselves.  From what their favorite movie is all the way to what they are most excited about this school year.  Which means I have at least an entire class set of papers copies front to back for me to tote around when I get a chance to read them.  Typically, I read them in the beginning of the year and then file them away.  Of course, when I wish I had them to look something up about a student or to recommend a subject for their writing, I don't have the information readily available at my fingertips.

Enter my new Student Survey - available on Google Forms.  I ADORE the forms component of Google.  I've created tons of surveys and even successfully hold the student council elections using them.  It nicely collects all the data in an easy to read spread sheet and I can even use the built in graph maker that Google has.

Not only will switching my form over to Google save paper (which hey - who doesn't like to go Green when they can), it will also provide me a way to have the information available to me wherever I am as long as I have access to the internet.  

If you want to use this form in your classroom you can access it here:  All About Me Survey

What are some ways you use technology instead of paper in your classroom?

Teacher Report Card

At the end of each school year, I like to take time to myself and reflect on my teaching. What worked. What didn't. What I should do again next year. What I should definitely NOT do again next year.  I find that one of my most helpful ways of doing this, is having my students actually reflect on our time in class as well.

Teacher Report Card

The last week of school I provide my students with what I like to call their Teacher's Report Card.  My students love this - the thought of giving their teacher a grade makes them absolutely giddy inside.  Yes....5th graders can get giddy too.  For the most part, I find that the students are very honest but respectfully so.  The fact that they don't put their name on it, helps them reflect with an open mind and be truthful. Some will even go so far as to write with their other hand. But for me, it's not about figuring out who wrote it but about what they said.

I make a point of not reading these reports until the end of the school year is over.  Well actually I'll be honest.....it's typically a few weeks after school is over with a delightful beverage in hand.  Every year, some students says something that sticks with me and makes me rethink the things I do in my classroom.

You can check out my form here.  Feel free to use and adjust it to suit your own needs. 

It's truly my belief that my students help make me a better teacher and in turn, I hope I make them better people too.  Do you do something like this at the end of the year?  Comment below and let me know.