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Teaching with Tablets
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Teaching with Tablets



March 2015 | 152 pages | Learning Matters

The presence of handheld technologies in the classroom isn't enough - you need to know how to use them to enhance teaching and transform learning. 

As more and more primary schools acquire devices such as iPads and tablets, it is becoming clear that adding them as a classroom resource is not enough. Teachers and trainees need strategies to integrate these into existing learning contexts in a meaningful way. Without this, these fantastic resources lose their value.

This book helps teachers to make the most of these devices in the primary classroom. It offers guidance on:

  • how to use tablets to devise meaningful learning activities
  • embed them in genuine curriculum contexts, drawing upon case studies from existing practice

It is written for non-specialists and explains technical terms in an accessible, practical way. Each chapter begins with a case study contributed by a teacher using tablets in schools. Real life examples and comments like this give the text a truly practical focus. The book's Pinterest board includes the apps mentioned in the book as well as a handy infographic for a snapshot guide on starting off your tablet  teaching journey. 

A note from the authors

The use of technology in schools continues to evolve rapidly as new devices and tools become available, and the adoption of mobile devices such as iPads and tablets has been a particularly exciting development in recent years. The benefits offered by these technologies, such as their portability, connectivity, accessibility and range of media, present new challenges and opportunities for teaching and learning. As the take up of tablets gathers pace in our schools there is a need for advice on the best approaches and apps to help achieve successful learning outcomes. Teachers need to find meaningful ways to integrate the devices into their own practice and to evaluate which of the many thousands of educational apps might be appropriate for their pupils.

This book considers how iPads and tablets can be used to enhance teaching and learning in primary schools. It is especially relevant in the light of the computing curriculum, which puts a new emphasis on children as makers and creators of digital content. Across other curriculum subjects too, the introduction of mobile devices that can be quickly and reliably accessed has precipitated a shift in practice. For example, they have enabled teachers and children to spontaneously pursue lines of inquiry, to connect, collaborate and publish in many different ways, and to use their digital skills to enhance their exploration of the physical world outside the classroom.

With these opportunities in mind, we offer anecdotes from the classroom and examples of how tablets might be embedded within current pedagogy and practice as a natural learning tool. Each chapter combines a practical case study with discussion of related pedagogy, and recommends apps to support a personalised, inclusive and active approach to teaching and learning.

 
Introduction
 
Theme: Combining Media
 
Chapter 1: Manipulating Media
 
Chapter 2: Digital Storytelling
 
Theme: Visible Learning
 
Chapter 3: Visible Learning
 
Chapter 4: Talk and Collaboration
 
Theme: Personalised Learning
 
Chapter 5: Individual Needs
 
Chapter 6: Early Years
 
Theme: Any Place Learning
 
Chapter 7: Technology Outdoors
 
Chapter 8: Children as Researchers
 
Theme: Computing Curriculum
 
Chapter 9: Computing
 
Chapter 10: Touch Physics

Technology is also progressing rapidly into the education industry. Student prefer learning with IoT (Internet of Things). However most of the teachers with many years of working experience are now motivated to use technology to teach and to keep themselves abreast of teaching technology. The tablet is the future of interactive teaching and learning. This book is a great guide on teaching for the future with a reliable tool - tablet.

Dr Habib Kassim
Acdemic Division, ERC Institute
April 16, 2015

This is a clearly-written textbook, with many useful suggestions for trainee teachers in all subjects. I will suggest that some learners give presentations to the group during the course showing how they have used tablets in their teaching, based on ideas gleaned from this book.

Mrs Jane Berridge
April 2, 2015

Very useful for people choosing IT as an option for our BA course. This is a well-written and topical book.

Dr David Waugh
School of Education, Durham University
December 10, 2015
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ISBN: 9781473906792
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