Happy Sunday, and for some of you happy summer break! Wow, that's weird. We're still looking at 17 more days. Theycantcomesoonenough. Anyways...
I give you the story of my iPad...
Sometime around November {I think}, Donor's Choose offered to match donations made to teacher projects, up to 250,000. The minute I got the email letting me know about their very *sweet* deal, I knew I had to spring into action, and bring out the big guns: I was going to request an iPad {I have ONE student computer in my room...needless to say we're lacking technology}! I had been lucky enough to have had 3 projects funded previously, including one that was funded like 3 days before I got the email announcing the matching funds. I had never asked friends and family for donations in the past, instead relying on the kindness of stangers. So this time around, I sent out an email asking for anything they could give, And my project was funded in about 2 hours. No lie. I am very fortunate to have some incredibly generous people in my life, with my dad winning "Most Generous"!!! {Thanks Dad!!!}
Soon enough an ipad had arrived in my room, and I realized that I had no idea how I was going to maximize its benefits as far as student use goes. Would I hand it out to the earliest finisher? {That seemed wrong on multiple levels}, would I pull a popsicle stick every time there was time to use it? {What if the same student was pulled more often? Would I keep a tally sheet?? How time consuming would that be}
I finally decided that I would pull popsicle sticks to determine an original order, and each student would get the iPad on their designated day. If they were absent, we would skip ahead, and then go back. If it was a half-day, it wouldn't count, and early finishers would be allowed to use it for a set amount of time, and then we would pass it on to the next student.
It has worked swimmingly. It is the fairest process I can think of, anyway.
We also made an iPad pledge, and they have done such an amazing job of following it. They were the ones who suggested washing and DRYING their hands before every use, and I hear them remind each other all the time. It's great! One of our rules is to carry the iPad like a newbord baby. And these kids cradle it like a preemie. I was so worried in anticipation of the iPad's arrival, and they have just blown my expectations out of the water!
Here is a picture of our iPad pledge. Students signed their name in the order their names were pulled, and we just refer to it to see whose turn is next.
Our principal's plan is to have student tablets in every classroom somewhere along the line, but I feel so fortunate to have our iPad until then!
Do you have an iPad or limited technology in your room? How do you manage it?
Halle
