It's ridiculous that it's been over a year since my last post. Last year was, let's just say, NOT the best year ever, mainly because I ended up teaching a class of Ancient History (seriously) and it's not my favorite subject. It really and truly stressed me OUT! But last year ended and I enjoyed some time with friends at the pool, and decided to get back into my room before the summer got away from me. I did some updating (like hanging fabric on the cork panels in the back of my room to make it homier) and some sweating (because the air wasn't on and it was somewhere around the temperature of HELL). And thought I was ready for school to begin again.
I had already agreed to help coach 7th grade volleyball this year which I knew meant late days for practice. A couple of weeks before school started I received a letter stating that I would be mentoring a new teacher (which I am excited about) and then about that same time my principal asked if I would like to be on the team to pilot an iPad program in our school. Well, you know me...OF COURSE I would like to pilot this program! Of course I'm willing to do all the training necessary! Of course I am comfortable enough with myself as a teacher to allow my students to teach me (because, let's face it, kids these days know WAY more about technology than us digital immigrants)! Of course I am not already over-committed! :)
So here we are...several weeks into school, me teaching 103 kids, all of whom have been issued iPads by my school district. Most days I am really on top of things and I teach the kids something. However, I really am learning a lot from these children! I love it! It's exciting! It's the future! It's EXHAUSTING! The facilitator for this program assures me that once I figure it out and can stay ahead of the kids more than a couple of days, I will never want to go back to my old method of instruction. I hope so because I have very little brain power left at the end of each day. iThink i'M lOsing mY mInd...and the iPad is getting it!
If you have any ideas for using iPads in instruction or any awesome, must-have apps, please leave me a comment. I'd greatly appreciate it.
