The Digital Age of Room 105

 My husband, Tom, bought me an iPad for Christmas. I bought him a shirt and a water bottle. Oh well!  Anyway, as I played with my new toy I wondered what I could do if I had one in my classroom.  I did some research and found out that many teachers and districts across the country had already figured out new and creative ways to use this exciting technology. My next step was finding the money to purchase a number of iPads. I wrote and received a $10,000 grant, with the help of my former student teacher Jessica, to purchase up to 15 iPads to use with my first graders.  Why do 6 year olds need MORE technology time?  I'm not thinking of it that way (although I do plan to monitor their use).  Kids today are raised in the Digital Age.  Their lives will be filled with technological advances that will transform life as we know it.  I want my students to be a part of this exciting time! I have decided to embrace the Digital Age and welcome it into room 105.  I brought out the iPads during choice time last Friday.  Just one to start with and then another and another. To become familiar with how an iPad works we started with some simple art apps - Paint Sparkle. So fun! Soon we will be using them for phonics, math, listening to stories, researching animals, and so much more.  This week we are practicing poems and then using the iPads to video ourselves while we read.  We will view the video and evaluate our reading and think about what needs to be worked on to become better readers.  How crazy is that? I have two weeks left to spend the remainder of the grant dollars. It's a stressful and hectic time for me but I know it will be worth it. I'm excited to see what these amazing devices will add to the learning in room 105.