Teacher Improv

Improvisation was the skill I was most interested in when this whole project started. I knew they would use the tools and strategies when I was scheduled to be there and with the planned projects. What I wasn't sure about was how often the teachers would use the iPads during "spur of the moment" activities or without talking with me first. Not that they need my permission or guidance. But I do like to feel needed. 

This past week, all three teachers have done some pretty cool things without me. Here's a quick rundown of their improv:

Mrs. Guillory - iMovie
Her class got started right away with making their own iMovies. I showed them a trailer highlighting some things about me. And right away they were making their own trailers. Groups created videos about the Seven Habits and how to incorporate them into their days. 

Mrs. Heath - Educreations
Third grade was working on force and motion. I saw some tweets about roller coasters, and even saw one made from styrofoam tubing. But then I get a tweet sending me to an Educreations video that a student made about how roller coasters work. Check out the video here. 

Ms. Eastman - 30Hands and Quickvoice
The app of the day has been 30Hands. Students were making videos showing the expectations for their morning Daily Five activities. You can see some examples at their classroom blog. They also were working on using expression and feeling during their reading. Enter Quickvoice. Students recorded their reading using Quickvoice so they could hear how they sound.  

Pretty cool, right? That's one of the reasons I like to load a lot of different apps on the iPad image. If you only have a few, you get limited by accessibility and time. But if there's plenty to choose from, the integration is more seamless.