Thirteen of 21 participating teachers reported that they did not receive any formal iPad training before using iPads in their classrooms. According to seven teachers in the same public school, they did not receive any formal training in iPad use, besides a formal training session provided by an Apple sales representative. They resorted to different sources to educate themselves about how to use iPads in the classroom.
Lindsey said that her husband was an engineer and was technologically perceptive, so he showed her how to use an iPad and "awesome apps" related to her subject area he found on the App Store. Six other private school teachers reported that they did not have any training, program or workshop before using iPad. This "tech camp" came before the introduction of iPads to their school, and did not cover the use of iPads.
According to these teachers, the "tech camp" was not considered formal iPad training. They managed to learn how to use iPads by searching for information on the Internet or by asking colleagues for help.
Another type of training was through attending an iPad-integrated course provided by a professor at a Midwestern university. Eight teachers from different school districts attended this course and were introduced how to integrate iPads into their subject area teaching. The second question focused on the effectiveness of the training. Six private school teachers, who did not attend any iPad training workshop, skipped this question. Seven public school teachers in the same school district attended a training workshop presented by an Apple sales representative.
They indicated that the training was not really useful because the sales representative only introduced them to basic features of the iPad, such as how to turn it off and on, how to charge it, how to use the web browser, how to search and download apps from the Apple app store…etc. According to Kim, a teacher who attended that training session, she did not learn anything new. She had already used her iPad at home for two years, so she already knew how to use an iPad. Sharing the same idea, Keith said,.
I expected more from him [Apple sales representative] to introduce us to useful educational apps or kind of experience, but it turned out a kind of product introduction. The information probably was useful for those who did not use the iPad before. In contrast with the preceding experiences, those teachers who took an iPad-integrated course at the university held that the training was practical because it introduced them to useful apps to implement in their lessons.
Nick noted that he appreciated that the professor introduced him to many interesting free apps he could integrate into his science class. Similarly, Rose said that the course was an eye opening experience for her to learn about virtual simulations, animations and apps in science teaching in schools.
Laura described her experiences as follows:. My iPad is now full of science apps I learned from Dr. When I used a solar system journey, which is a free app, to demonstrate my lesson about solar system, the kids were so excited about it…. Yes, the training is absolutely useful for me. The third question related to informal training. Thirteen other teachers did not have any formal training, so informal training through self-learning or through colleagues' support were common.
All 21 participants said that they learned about creative ways of using iPads in the classroom and learned about new apps from their colleagues. Coppi said she knew how to use the iPad with the Elmo document camera just by chance. She came across her colleague's classroom and saw him using it. Vivien mentioned that there were too many apps for her to test and buy.
She consulted her school colleagues about what apps they were using before she decided whether or not to buy a specific app. Sharing this concern about apps, David said:. Some of them [apps] are free, but some, we have to pay and we can't return them if we don't like them, so I often checked with my friends before I buy any apps. They are not so expensive, you know, but it's still better to talk with someone who already used them.
From the answers to the three sub-questions, it can be concluded that, except for a group of nine public school teachers who took an iPad-integrated course at the university, the rest of the participants in this study did not have any formal iPad training prior to using it in their classroom.
All 21 teachers had to resort to different sources such as self-learning and colleague support to learn more about how to integrate iPads and useful apps into their teaching. Findings in the previous study indicated that six teachers in a private school used iPads in the classroom on a daily basis, while fifteen teachers in two public schools occasionally used iPads in the classroom. The interview transcripts were divided into two groups, Public School Teachers and Private School Teachers to conduct data analysis and look for common themes between those two data groups.
Two common themes were identified in the Public School Teachers group associated with why they only used iPads occasionally in their classrooms. The first was Lack of Access to an iPad. Campbell said that she did not have an iPad at home so she did not know what applications could be used for specific lessons. Tim mentioned that he had to check out an iPad from the university and then had to return it later.
Although he loved using the iPad, the over two-hour drive to the university resulted in his not using it as often as he would have liked. Shara explained that though her school bought 30 iPads for the whole school, it was inconvenient to arrange her teaching schedule with the iPads.
When she wanted to check out the iPads for her classroom, her colleagues had already reserved them. Jeff explained that although he loved using iPads, he seldom used them in his classroom. The 50 new iPads in his schools used the same Apple account, managed by the school's technology coordinator, which prohibited him from using his personal account to download apps by himself. Another theme was Existing Technology Availability. Kim said she found iPads useful when taking the iPad-integrated course at the university, but seldom used them in her classroom, "My kids have to do Brainchild [an online learning program for students from grade one to eight] almost every week and taking all of them down to the computer lab to take Brainchild is a lot easier than doing it on the iPad".
Jane said that her classroom had almost all she needed for her teaching such as an Elmo camera, smart board and computer, so she did not see any need to use iPads. She tried using an iPad twice during the last semester and has no plans to use it this semester.
Keith shared a similar point of view and showed the leading researcher the technologies he had in his classroom. He agreed that using the iPad was fun, but check out and delivery from the library was time consuming. He found it more convenient to use his laptop and the smart board already available in his classroom. The transcripts from the six-member Private School Teachers group, presented one common theme, School Leader's Expectation.
Eric said he used iPads in the classroom every week. He stated that before the school year started, his school principal introduced the teachers to iPads and asked the librarian to keep a record of iPad use among teachers.
The teaching staff in his school understood it was implied that they were expected to use them in their teaching, although the principal did not explicitly require them to do so.
He also said, "Of course, it's kinda fun to try new things, especially the iPad, but probably the main reason we all use it frequently is him [the principal]". Similar to this view, Alice stated that due to her school's expectation that the teachers use new technology in the classroom, every teacher integrated iPads into their teaching in some way on a weekly basis. Anna added, "Using technology in the classroom is our school expectation.
You know, we are a small school and […] you know, he's [the principal] kind of technology oriented. Responses to three sub-questions showed that besides a group of nine teachers who took a formal iPad-integrated course at the university, the remaining thirteen study participants did not have any formal iPad training before using them in their classroom and were not prepared for iPad integration into their classroom.
According to a report by the U. Similarly, a survey by the National Center for Education Statistics NCES found that only one-third of participating teachers responding to the NCES survey reported feeling well prepared or very well prepared to use technology in classroom instruction.
According to Jones , providing teachers with access to computers, software, and the Internet was just part of incorporating technology effectively into schools. One of the most decisive factors for successful technology integration into classrooms was teachers' technology training.
Studies focusing on lack of teacher preparation or training in the integration of technology into their classrooms have been present for over a decade. Another area of concern is the type of technology training that should be offered to help teachers integrate new technologies into the classroom. In this study, participating teachers received three separate types of technology training. One group did not have any training. One group attended an iPad training workshop provided by an Apple sales representative.
Another group took an iPad integration course at the university. Seven teachers in the same school district indicated the training workshop provided by an Apple sales representative was not useful. Nine teachers took an iPad-integrated course at the university and found the training was practical, because they were introduced to apps that could be used in their classroom.
This finding validates Zhao and Bryant's research on the effectiveness of intensive curriculum-based technology training. McKenzie speculated that schools relied too much on unsuccessful business-oriented technology training models for teachers. According to McKenzie, after 20 years of training teachers to use new technologies, a majority of teachers reported feeling ill prepared to use technologies in curriculum-rich ways.
Existing training models failed because many software and hardware companies used business examples and knew little or nothing about education. Additionally, corporate-derived training models sometimes put teachers under pressure by rushing them through too many skills in too short a time without sufficient guided practice to reach a comfortable level of familiarity.
It was likely the seven teachers who attended a training workshop by an Apple sales representative faced the challenges McKenzie noted. In contrast, providing teachers with professional development opportunities was an effective strategy to help teachers successfully integrate technology into their teaching.
Similarly, in this study, nine teachers who took an iPad-integrated course valued what they learned from it about classroom implementation of iPads. Responses to the first research question also provided an interesting finding: the participating teachers all learned creative ways of using iPads and new apps in their classrooms from their colleagues.
This supports McKenzie's findings that teachers working together create an environment of sharing and exchange of experience that helps teachers to learn significantly from one another. Similarly, Alden proposed that effective programs for training teachers on technology integration should have incentives and support, teacher-directed training, adequate access to technology, community partnerships and ongoing informal support as well as training opportunities. While the teachers at two public schools used iPads one or two times a month to several times over the course of one semester, teachers at a private school used iPads on a weekly basis.
It was noteworthy that all participating teachers were considered technology savvy by their school principal, and none of the private school teachers had attended any iPad training. According to the teachers who only sometimes used iPads in the classroom, lack of access to iPads and the ready availability of existing technologies are the two main reasons they did not use iPads as often.
In contrast, according to the teachers who used iPads often in classroom, the expectation of school leadership was their driving force. The reasons why teachers in this study did or did not use iPads in the classroom often are in line with factors concerning effective use of technology identified by Hew and Brush The second factor is leadership their private school teaching counterparts used iPads more often because they knew their school administrator's expectation.
This study showed that one of the reasons teachers did not frequently integrate iPads into their teaching was the lack of proper iPad training. This result indicates that the school districts in the study emphasized the purchase and installation of new technology without providing sufficient funding for teachers to learn how to integrate new technology into their teaching. Many such devices can connect to the Internet and interconnect with other devices via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular networks or near field communication NFC.
Active Learning : Learning that involves active student participation in classroom activity. Student-centered Learning : A form of learning where students are responsible for their learning; the instructor is a facilitator. Apps include everything from web browsers, to word processors, to photo and image editing tools, to chat programs like Skype and Google Hangouts.
Tablet Devices : A mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and LCD touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single thin, flat package. It runs a modified version of iOS optimized for its larger, 9. Student Engagement : Refers to the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion that students show when they are learning or being taught.
Introduced in alongside the iPad. Self-Directed Learning : When individual learners are motivated to take on decisions related to their own learning. Offer does not apply to e-Collections and exclusions of select titles may apply.
Offer expires December 31, Browse Titles. Add to Cart. Instant access upon order completion. Free Content. More Information. A large amount of this research recognizes how iPads, like the laptops used in the classroom prior to , act as portable devices that allow students to transport their learning outside of the classroom. Throughout the years, many researchers have continued to note that iPads have enhanced student learning because they are more beneficial to students than other portable devices are like laptops and smartphones.
In , researchers Picard, Martin, and Tsao claim that. Picard et. Ipads therefore act as a medium that allow students to have access to a portable device with touch screen abilities that is still large enough and easy for students to use in order to compete their school related activities. Another way in which iPads have their own unique aspects that have changed student learning is through their ability to engage students with their learning in a variety of creative ways that were not previously available to them before The touch screen aspect of iPad devices, along with the devices multiple apps, which have a variety of video and audio functions, allow and encourage students to apply their creative thinking and skills to their school work more than they had been able to do prior to In , Westlake High School conducted an iPad pilot initiative program in order to test the effects of iPads on student learning and compare it to student learning without iPads.
Having recordings of class projects enables students to be able to replay their work so that they can access and critique it and ultimately enhance their learning experience. Studies conducted on the implementation of iPads between and have also showed that the iPads can also affect the creativity aspect of student learning by discouraging students from using their creative skills that traditional methods of drawing with a pen and paper encouraged them to use.
Such findings suggest that students are more likely to draw detailed and more artistic drawings with their traditional pen and paper than with their iPads and that iPads may have changed student learning by leading students to exercise a smaller amount of creativity to their drawings. In addition, iPads allow students to communicate in ways that computers prior to did not offer. In their own study conducted in , researchers Orrin T. Murray and Nicole R.
With iPads, students can communicate globally and gain access to a vast amount of information that extends beyond their classroom and home lives due to the variety of unique applications. Murray and Olcese go on to explain how iPad applications also allow for students to participate in peer group work, as these applications enable. It also provides an opportunity for multiple users to work on the same document at the same time, a function that has given cachet in the classroom to online collaborative offerings like Google Documents.
Murray and Olcese Such innovative applications encourage students to engage more with those not only in their classroom but also with those around the world. Such findings suggest that the introduction of iPads into the classroom has therefore allowed students to interact with a globalized world and to extend their learning beyond the classroom even more than prior means of learning allowed them to do.
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