We’ve been chugging along, using iPads and other mobile devices in the classroom on a regular basis. Students have been finding ways to demonstrate their learning through the use of these technologies. Sometimes, they come up with ideas all on their own!
This time, we teamed up with our 4th grade iPad buddies in Mrs. Horton’s room. They are the other class in the BYOD pilot, and they have been integrating technology in many of their content areas as well. As part of their Science Fair Projects, Mrs. Horton’s students recorded themselves presenting their scientific research. Their videos were uploaded to YouTube, and then they created QR codes to display during the Science Fair.
After a de-briefing on how to walk All. The. Way. to the cafeteria, we were off to the 4th Grade Science Fair! Anyone who saw us in the hallway were sure to hear me reminding my students to “Huggy Huggy their iPads”.
When we arrived at the Science Fair, my third graders were able to go from scientist to scientist, and listen to their presentation.
After listening, we used our iPads to scan the scientist’s QR code. The links to their YouTube videos were then saved into our history, so we could access them later on.
When we arrived back in the classroom, we all talked about the Pros and Cons of bringing our iPads to the Science Fair….
Pros:
We are able to revisit each presentation later on in the classroom.
We were able to scan QR codes at stations where the scientist had walked away.
We learned that we can walk around the building safely with iPads.
We had the chance to explain the whole process to curious students and adults at the Science Fair.
We were inspired to add QR codes to our upcoming Wax Museum presentations.
It was SUPER loud in the cafeteria, so having the videos to watch later will help us get those important details we might have missed.
Cons:
We basically only visited scientists who had QR codes, and missed seeing those in other classes.
Sometimes the scan wouldn’t work, which distracted everyone listening to the scientists’ presentation.
We were sometimes a distraction to students in other classes, who don’t have iPads and were very curious about ours.
We decided that when we add QR codes to our Wax Museum projects, they probably won’t be videos, because they are impossible to hear over the noise of the crowd.
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As a 3rd grade teacher, I love attending Science Fair, because I’m able to see my former students. It was exciting to see how one of my former students used a mobile device in his research. He was able to explore whether chronic ear infections had an effect on the hearing ranges of people of all ages. Using an app, he tested the hearing ranges of a few dozen people, and came up with some great thinking points. Bravo!
Are your elementary students carrying their iPads around the building? How are they being used? Be sure to share your ideas, too!!
