Using an iPad App to Support Bloom's Revised Taxonomy

Having the opportunity for my kindergarten students to use the iPads this second semester has been fantastic!  As my students have become more tech savvy, I have been trying to find ways to incorporate Bloom's Revised Taxonomy.

Story Kit has been an excellent way for my students to create.

Story Kit allows each student to create his/her own book.  Students can write text, record their own voice reading the text, and add pictures either from photos, the internet, or draw a picture.  When finished, the books can be emailed home to parents!  

We use Story Kit in the classroom for children to free write, for projects, and as a way to evaluate what a student has learned.  Here are a few examples:

I like to swim with my friends! (kid spelling)

I like to play soccer with my friends!  

Ways to make numbers.

Hope you enjoy Story Kit as much as we have!  (And it's FREE!)

Geocaching

My student teacher was able to get the kids outside for a little geocaching in order to prepare for the AP test in a unique way.

He and I spent the morning typing up personalized examples of literary devices they seemed to be struggling with.  Each of the samples featured one of the students.  We hid them outside all over campus in sandwich bags, making sure to plot each of their locations with device.

Students spent their mornings finding each of the literary device clues.  Once they found one, they used their iPhones (or iPod Touch) to tweet the example and notate which of the literary devices it was.  This kept all the groups that were spread out around campus truly "connected" to each other as they all were posting to and reading from the back channel.

Facilitator...

With the opportunity to have iPads in my classroom this year I have become much more a facilitator of learning. I still have those teaching moments in which I have to spew facts about the significance of the Fall of Constantinople or the impact Gutenberg had on the world far past his death. However, I can also guide a class of learners who search for knowledge on a particular subject to where to find the answers and then they can relay that information to others in there class and vice versa.
In the learning groups that I constructed on Edmodo I have given each group a different topic to research and had them report out on their findings. I find this has surprising results, as well as results people remember. Another good thing about the learning groups on Edmodo is that I don't have to constantly rearrange the room when we work in groups a student on one side of the room and the other side of the room can share data and ideas without getting up. One note of caution here is to include yourself into all of the small groups to avoid the inevitable off task cyber-chat.
I'd be amiss to say that I have a student who is homebound and is able to contribute to class from the comfort of his own home. He only has to log on to Edmodo and he can leave post-its on my virtual bulletin board at padlet.com (formerly known as wall-wisher) which I use to introduce subjects or review.
For the end of the year I am having the students plan a trip, research how much it would cost, and write up a detailed itinerary for their trip. On the linked "wall" I am having them report their destination. Trip Planning   Have a great summer!