Uploading PDF's Part 1

Uploading PDF's in Explain Everything & Google Drive: Part 1

Though my inquiry is in math, I have been exploring new ways to utilize this wonderful piece of technology across the curriculum.

I was playing around with the Google Drive App and discovered a hidden button... in the top right corner.  With a slight touch of  my finger, a tab appeared asking which app I wanted to open the PDF with (the text that I was reading at the time).  A selection of apps were displayed (already downloaded on the iPad). So, as I grew curiouser, I selected Explain Everything and BOOM! Each PDF page became a slide in Explain Everything.  This was awesome and just like that, I solved my problem with journaling on the iPad vs a paper and pencil task.
Our learning block at the time was "Les Olympiques".  I found these great journaling prompts on a website, and displayed it on our Smartboard as our shared reading.  The students then had their own copy saved in Explain Everything and were not only able to journal daily, but then recorded what was written. Très cool!  Once we were done this mini journal, the students/the teacher, uploaded each one to Google Drive, which converted it to an MP4 video file.

Example of a slide in Explain Everything

The Power of Collaboration!

Upon teaching my class how to create and share documents on Google Drive, using the i-pad minis in class, my students have been thrilled to find that they can create group assignments in real time!  My grade nine French Immersion class is currently working on creating their own movies, in any genre of their choice, in groups, in French.  First, they worked on the script in Google docs.  They were thrilled to be able to work from devices at home (or on the bus or in the car) to write one script, as a group, in real time, seeing changes being made by their peers on the spot.  They have used this form of collaboration inside AND outside the classroom setting and have actually been excited to do homework and collaborate on this project due to the technology involved.  They have furthermore used the i-pads in class to film their movies and will be using the i-movie app to edit and put together the final product.  I am excited to see the end results! :)

iPads in Grade 5 French Immersion

I was very fortunate this fall to receive 5 iPADS to use in my classroom. The greatest learning and exploration has occurred not only for my students but for their teacher as well! We have worked as a team, enjoying new APPS and discovering informative ways to enrich our learning.

Students have learned about new APPS through guided groups. This strategy has worked well and has allowed deeper conversations and learning in a small group setting. Students have been supportive of each other and this setting has also allowed for individual support for students. For some of my students, this was the first time that they had used an iPAD and it was wonderful to see their eyes widen as they discovered this great technology!

I have already observed the influence of having technology in the classroom to support oral communication in a second language. My students have used Explain Everything to describe their art projects. It is evident that students listened to their own voices and were able to assess their pronunciation and correct usage of vocabulary. Not only have the iPADS improved the students’ use of correct vocabulary, the iPADS have also improved confidence and engagement in speaking a second language.

The iPADS have had an influence on not only student engagement in learning but on parent engagement in learning taking place at school. One of my students taught his father how to use Explain Everything at home and his father liked the APP so much he purchased it and will now be using it in his business! Now that’s engagement!