Obstacle Course..

We are a third of the way through this spring semester and I am still struggling to find time to fit everything into the day. For a week now, I have had 5 iPod Touches in my possession to be used in my kindergarten classroom. I spent a few moments charging one to test out and play around with it. I need to become more familiar with this device before bringing into the classroom.


A few obstacles have popped up... Since I still live in the stone age, I cannot access wireless Internet in my apartment. Off to campus I go to and it works beautifully. I test out a few games that are already available on the iPod and search the Apple iTunes App Store but I am still so incredibly new to this I do not download any new apps for kindergarten level, not yet.


It dawns on me the next day, that I will need wireless access to the Internet while I am at school in order for the students to use the iPods. Again, I run into a similar obstacle. I now need access to the wireless server for our school and what on earth would the password be? After speaking with the principal on Friday, February 18th, it is my understanding the iPods will have access the following school week!


I have chosen to begin this experiment with students who are struggling in academics. After viewing PALS (Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening) scores from the benchmark testing, which occurred in the end of January, I have chosen 4 out of 16 students to work with during "rest time" that last 45 minutes each day. I will focus on alphabet games - recognizing letter names, letter sounds, and letter formation - and number games - recognizing numbers, forming numbers, and begin simple addition and subtraction. As I acquire more apps and games I will implement the iPods into the morning center, which will allow all the students to have 15 minutes working on the iPods daily.


It is my goal to begin blogging twice a week, I will share lesson ideas, good/appropriate apps to use with kindergarteners, other materials if used in collaboration with devices, as well as, videos of students using the iPods. But in the meantime, check out the iLearn Website for Teachers. Grade profiles has a handful of videos and testimonials from teachers using iPods in the classroom!