The Real Uses for the iPad

A few months ago, I switched to the iPhone.  At the time, I believed that one smart phone should not be so different from every other, but I was wrong.  The iPhone is absolutely user-friendly.  My next step will be an iPad; although I have not taken the step yet, I have experimented with a few owned by my friends.  Consistent with the iPhone, the iPad is amazingly simple to use, and definitely has additional, iPad-specific applications.  The ease of using also has many other benefits for audiences with a wide variety of special needs.

In the article “IPad Opens World to a Disabled Boy,” Emily B. Hager of The New York Times explored some of the additional perks to this amazing tool—helping physically limited individuals.  Most impressive is Owen, a 7-year-old boy with a motor-neuron disease.  Owen is unable to use a typical mouse; however, when he pointed his finger at his nurse’s boyfriend’s iPad, he opened an app, and he entered a new world of opportunities for communication.  Through the iPad, Owen learned to try to read books and to play with various apps; he also can type some of his thoughts on the keyboard.  For other challenged individuals, there are so many other things they can do thanks to the iPad—the text-to-speech app gives some the gift of words, other apps give autistic children the gift of learning basic skills. 

The iPad may not have the same effect of all, but if even a few lives are changed by this tool, who can deny the benefits of such a technology. 

Why I Should Tweet?

A recurring theme for me is difficulty adjusting to all the changes and all the additions to technology.  In some respects, I am so far ahead of my contemporaries, but in others, I trailing so far behind.  I have already mentioned my challenges with the e-readers, but I am even more frustrated with figuring out Twitter.  I have a Twitter account, and I even have a few followers, but I struggle with how to tweet or even what I would have to tweet about that would matter to anyone; therefore, my Twitter account remains inactive.  Because Twitter seems like a social tool, I never really thought about how it could be used professionally.

In “Eight Reasons An Innovative Educator Uses Twitter” on techlearning.com, Lisa Nielsen presented her reasons for using this social media to interact with her students.  Many of her reasons could absolutely apply to my position.  First, my students could follow me on Twitter for instant updates to my Website; this instant access would allow me to initiate and maintain conversations with my students (possibly parents as well, however my students are older).  How valuable is that?  Second, as an educator, I could use Twitter to get instant advice from other educators, or I could use it to connect with experts in the field. 

With one tweet, we have the opportunity to encounter such a vast audience for interaction or for advice.  I might just be time to dust of my Twitter account.

The “New” Book

I am usually a fan of new technology, but I found this to be challenging when I was trying to function with an e-reader instead of a book.  A few years ago, I bought my daughter a Kindle (e-book reader), and she loved it.  She is an active member of her school’s reading team, and the immediate access to the next novel was pivotal in her success.  So, I thought I should give this technology a try.  I did, and I found myself wanting to retreat to one of the physical books on my shelf.

As I was reading the book Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, I read a passage by 14-year-old Arthur.  He elaborated on the benefits of e-books; he even went so far as to talk about the next step—interaction between the author and readers.  I thought this was somewhere far in the distance future.  Then, I was perusing the technology section of The New York Times, and I found a fascinating article by Noam Cohen entitled “Blurring the Line Between Apps and Books.”  Suddenly, I realized that the somewhere-in-the future-concept is readily available and gaining popularity.

Mr. Cohen talked about a series of books called The Adderall Diaries by Stephen Elliott.  This series can be purchased as an app.  However, the app does not simply give you access to an e-book, the app takes reading to the next level.  This app comes equipped with a chat room.  Wow.  While in this chat room readers can interact with other readers or even the author.  While interacting, readers are able to leave comments about the book and to read responses of other readers.  To me, this is simply amazing.

Although I have not been able to buy into the e-reader concept, I can see the benefit of this app.  As an avid reader, many times I would love to have an immediate audience to share my thoughts with or to pose my questions to.  This old dog may finally want to learn a few new tricks.

Helping Our Children Move Forward in Many Directions

Just this week, my daughter attended her first career day!  Yikes!  When did she become so old!  At the age of thirteen, she does not know what she wants to be when she grows up.  So for now, our focus is to finish this school year which will indicate that she has survived middle school.  Once she begins high school, the focus will then shift to college preparation:  PSATs, GPAs, and SATs.  Are there any other “real-world” skills being taught?  Very doubtful.  When would there be time?  And honestly, those skills are not as apparent, so many parents (and children) do not value them.

In “Merging Career Tech with College Prep:  Why It’s Succeeding,” Kathy Brown introduced a fascinating concept:  using hands-on activities in order to build technical skills.  In the article, she discussed career and technical education (CTE).  With CTE, the typical school curriculum is fused with career skills.  Ingenious!  Even as an adult, I tend to learn concepts more deeply when I can see the relevance in my own life, and CTE will take all of those classes in school and show our children how they relate to the world outside.  I find this to be such a valuable skill.  Many students, who do very well with academics, are not so self-assured in a work situation. 

If our students can graduate from high school not only prepared for college but also prepared for a job or a career, can there be anything more important.

Future Computing

Where will technology take us next?  Every time I ask that question, I am amazed with the answer.  I have had the benefit of witnessing so many of the changes.  My first computer class in high school had an Apple II e; my first printer at home was a dot matrix; I remember the 5 ½ floppy disks.  With each change, it seems there is nowhere else to go.  Then, I read an article about Microsoft Research Asia entitled “Microsoft research Asia Gives Glimpse at Future of Computing.”  Where we are going next is absolutely unbelievable. 

There were three developments unveiled at the event.  First is the Translating Telephone.  This telephone will allow us to converse with those in other countries and to have the conversations immediately translated.  Second is the Aided Eye.  This gadget will use a small eye sensor to recognize the direction of the eye gaze.  The third development, which I found to be the most fascinating, is the Microsoft Research Worldwide Telescope.  This final tool will turn any PC into a virtual telescope. 

As someone who has grown up through many of these changes, I cannot imagine where we can go from  here . . . only time will tell.

Teaching Our Students to Use Social Media

As we progressed through high school, then college, and eventually out into the job market, how did we network?  At least for me, it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time and meeting the right people.  Social media has the potential to open up a brand new world of opportunities; however, do students today realize the impact of the technology in front of them?

As teachers, we must teach our students how to tap into all technology has to offer.  As an instructor at a small business school, I have taught an introductory computer class many times.  A portion of the class is devoted to social media.  Part of the discussions involves maximizing the quality the digital footprint we are creating when entering the realm of Twitter, Facebook, My Space, and other similar sites, but the scope of my focus was rather limited.  I have used examples of individuals who have lost a position or never received the opportunity for a position because of a picture or a post found on a personal page.  To me, they are all very obvious points; however, what I did not consider were many of the points covered by Andrew Marcinek in “How to Help Students Use Social Media Effectively.” 

In my opinion, the most powerful point made by Mr. Marcinek focuses on skills which never entered my mind.  First, we all proofread endless papers ensuring our students are using effective writing strategies.  What many of us do not do is encourage our students to use those writing skills to edit updates made to their social media pages.  It absolutely makes sense.  What is written as a tweet or a Facebook status update has a far wider audience than any class assignment.  Additionally, along with editing for grammatical accuracy, students must be sure effort is exerted to post information which will matter to others.  I have taught my students to be cautious of the language used or the references to drugs or alcohol, but I have not taught my students to think of the audience and to post accordingly.

Used correctly, social media can be an incredibly powerful networking instrument.  As teachers, it is vital that we teach our student how that is done.