We are storytellers!

Hello girls!

This time we are Andrea and María writing together a post related to the use of iPads in the school.

The last 29^th of May we attended our last ICT session with Maribel Benito, who shared with us a list of recommended iPad apps suitable for use in the class.

First, we talked about the increasingly popular QR codes, short for Quick Response codes. These codes are used to take a piece of information from a transitory medium to the cell phone, and once there give you details about a specific business. Nowadays, you can see QR Codes in many different places like magazine adverts, billboards, and webpages. They are more practical than a standard barcode because they scan (and digitally present) much more data, including URL links, Geo coordinates, and text. Moreover, these codes can be scan with almost any smartphone or tablet device and do not demand the use of a  chunky hand-held scanner. If you wish, you can find the full Wikipedia description here.

But can we use QR Codes and its advantages to enrich the teaching-learning process? Of course! In fact, the use of QR codes in the educational field is on the rise because they are intriguing and motivating, but at the same time they are easy to create and use. But how can we use them in the classroom? Here you can find a Pinterest Board full of great ideas and by clicking here you can download a pdf file named “40 interesting ways and tips to use QR Codes in the classroom”. We hope you like it and find it useful!

Then, we went through the list of apps placing special emphasis on the most interesting ones and briefly getting to explore some of them. We had time to explore Class Dojo an app which is an alternative to the conventional classroom management tools. This app offers the possibility to communicate with the parents and track the behavior of the students. Then we experimented with Skitch, an app to write and draw on pictures. Also, we became makers with the app Tiny Tap, a multimedia game creator. And finally, we chose Toontastic for the designing of our HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills) activity and spent the last two hours of class working on this.

We choose this app because it is intuitive, simple and full of possibilities. In a few simple steps, it enables children to create their own animated cartoons. First, you can either create your own characters or choose among the given ones. Then, you create the scenes and press the button to record the voice while you move the characters as you want them to move in the final movie. And finally, you add the music and the credits.

Due to its characteristics, we thought that this app could be of use in the designing of our Project for the Elective subjects of the Master’s Degree. For this project, we have designed a unit in which 5th graders go over 5 different versions of the classic Cinderella story, from different countries and time periods. Reflect upon gender, class, and racial stereotypes around the world. Acquire the needed language to write a story (connectors, descriptions, and verb tenses).  Learn about the structure of a story (beginning, middle and end).  And finally, create their own “Breaking Stereotypes Story” and share it with the rest of the school.

The use of this app for the creation of the story could make the whole activity easier and more motivating. Not only the app scaffolds and guides children through the creation of the story, but also gives a final product which is visually appealing. Therefore, we are considering the possibility of using this app to carry out this HOTS (High Order Thinking Skills) activity, which we believe inevitably and conveniently entails the use of LOTS (Low Order Thinking Skills) like applying and remembering what has been learned throughout the unit. Among other things, this unit  aims to shape critical and creative citizens. Below you can find the story that we have created with this app.

To sum up, after two lessons learning how to use iPads as an educational tool, we believe that they can certainly make learning more engaging and memorable. This interactive technology encourages participation, allows the creation of adapted and personalize materials, encourages the creation of appealing products using English and reinforces communication  through countless possibilities and proven enthusiasm. Moreover, the use of the latest technology provides students with a set of digital skills necessary in today’s world.