I have chosen to apply Rolfe’s Model of Reflection to reflect on my teacher inquiry. I will first look at the ‘what’ - what happened and who was involved.
Something significant that has happened during my inquiry so far is the students immediate uptake of the chosen apps. I have found it really interesting how quickly the students have picked up how the apps work. They are not afraid to ‘explore’ and use ‘trial and error’ with the app in order to find out how it works. The phase of the Inquiry in which this event took place was week 25 ‘Act on your plan’ - this happened right at the beginning of implementation.
A further notable event I have identified in my inquiry is knowing the place of the iPads in the hub. When they are being used I need to ensure they are not disrupting other students work and the students have the capability of using them independently. The iPads should not just be ‘brought out’ at certain times of the day, rather they need to be used throughout the whole day when needed and as a learning tool for all. This was observed during the implementation stage of the action plan. In both of these events students and teachers have been involved.
So what? - I will now consider the theory and knowledge behind what has happened, I will look into the most interesting aspects of these events and how they can be explained.
Regarding students uptake of apps on the iPads, I found it interesting how keen, eager and engaged they were to do their learning on the iPad. Research suggests that through the use of iPads, students are keen to take an active role in their learning. They enjoy deciding what and how they are going to learn with the iPad. It is indicated in research that children are less fearful than adults in how they approach technology, therefore they learn much more quickly in comparison. As a result of this, I think we can introduce students to a wider range of iPad apps. The students have demonstrated their competence when using iPads and have proven that all children can successfully use an iPad - it isn’t something that should be kept exclusively for older students as a privilege.
With reference to the place of iPads in the hub, I think that this comes down to the teachers dispositions surrounding digital technology and understanding of the benefits it can bring to learning. Research indicates is important to continue to educate and inform teachers of the reasoning behind the use of digital technologies and the importance of these being freely available for students. Research states that teachers attitudes and understanding is a major factor in the implementation of digital technology. This impacts the ‘taking action’ aspect of inquiry as the iPads need to be available as often as possible for students to use and explore.
Now what? Looking towards further action and into the future, I have learned that children are very adaptable and open to learning new things. They enjoy creating original pieces of work and sharing this work with others. This would impact my ‘taking action’ in the future as I would offer a wider range of apps for students to learn and be exposed to. Further changes I would make to the ‘taking action’ component of my inquiry would be to consult with the junior team more regarding the launch of the apps in the hub to ensure they have a good understanding of what my intention is for my teacher inquiry.
Resources
iPads and opportunities for teaching and learning for young children
Reflective Writing
Trends Shaping Education Spotlight
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