Annette+Kelly

My inquiry: I want to find ways to have authentic purposes and audiences for my students. I think this is where I am lacking in my writing instruction. I went to MRA and saw Nell Duke speak about her genre writing project. I want to give my students more authentic ways in which to write and audiences except for writing just for me, the teacher. I am looking for projects, (school, community) to help my kids have an investment in writing.

Im interested in this too! -Kristina

PASS THE PAPER (Ideas others have for you) How-To Writing: Motivating Students to Write for a Real Purpose (http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/writing-motivating-students-write-871.html?tab=4#tabs)

If you decide to do a website, you could have the students write the content on the Home page and use that instead of a classroom newsletter. - Mary Wever Blogs or Wikis for each student that are attached to your website. Encourage the parents to blog with their kids and other kids in the classroom. Pen Pals in East Lansing!!!! :)


 * Mobile Technology Inquiry**

Inquiry: I want to find Ipad applications for learners who have trouble with writing especially with getting their thoughts from their head onto their paper. What are some ways to modify for students (Special education, ADD, Auditory Processing, Speech and Language student, ELL students etc.

What did I learn?


 * Dragon Dictation**: Tell a story then the story is typed for you. You need to be able to articulate well so it might frustrate some Speech and language students. However, I thought you could work on articulation and expressive language with students.


 * Smart Recorder DElite:** Record story but students would have to play back and write. Good way to tape record students then they would have to write their stories down.


 * Quick Voice Recorder**: Record what student says. In this way students can hear their story after they say it and use that as a way to help them get thought from head to pen and then on to paper.


 * AudioNote Lite**: Record the story. Can use drawing tools. Drawing and writing a story


 * What I recommend?** I like __the Dragon Dictation__. I thought you could use it for students who have trouble with OT issues or students that are having trouble going from talk to putting those wonderful stories down on paper. I thought kids could talk into the program and see their story come alive. Questions I have would be can they go back and revise? Can they then transfer their work onto a word document so they can revise, edit? I do think it would be highly motivating for students.

__Smart Recorder and Quick Recorder__: These applications just have you record. There is nowhere to write on the IPad, so it depends on what your purpose is. I can see it working if your purpose is for students to just record their stories and then using pen and paper to draft their story.

__AudioNote Lite__: This application lets you record a story, use drawing tools, so students can type what they recorder. I liked it because kids love to draw.

The applications I looked at basically had the same features except for Dragon Dictation and AudioNote Lite. I think all of these can be useful depending on your purpose.


 * What thoughts I have about mobile technologies and my own writing/learning and about mobile technologies and my teaching of writing?**

I am so glad we did this inquiry. I am so interested in learning more about Ipad and how I can use them in my classroom. I also had a personal interest. My son is a speech and language students with an Auditory Processing Disorder. I began to think of him and other students who have trouble with reading and writing and what mobile technologies could help enhance their learning. I want to use these applications in my classroom next year. Our school just received 30 Ipads to use in the classroom and I was frustrated because I didn’t have the time to learn what I could do. This inquiry project helped me focus on something I could use and now I can also begin another inquiry project on my own. Too often I want to do everything, learn everything, and try everything. I need to stop overwhelming myself and focus on one thing at a time and then move on to the next. My next inquiry will be how Applications on the Ipad can help students with fluency and accuracy in their Reading.

As far as my own writing and learning, I can see myself using the applications and the Ipad when I write. Often I get ideas. Then there is no pen around, no paper. I could grab the ipad and record the idea. Anecdotal records of students could be kept. I can to continue learning about how the Ipad can be used in my classroom, not only by my students, but how it can help me.


 * Questions I have?** How do you print? Send to teacher’s e-mail? Cloud somewhere? We have only 30 Ipads for 600 students logistics? Are you going to be able to get those for students every time we write? Not realistic. What can schools do to help and provide Ipads for students with disabilities? Students without? How can students save work and have a working portfolio?

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