BYOD...Bring Your Own Dinosaur?

Where did you find information about your device?
I have used an iPad before for various activities but I do not have my own and have never used it in a classroom until now. I normally use it for email, notes, and music, so in order to find more information I went to the App store. I found the app store very helpful because most of the apps were arranged by category and sorted into appropriate grade levels. The search que allowed Caleb and I to tour the app store and apply it to both of our fields.

What did you try but discard? Why?
We tried using the app "iMotion HD" which allowed the speed of movies to be manipulated. However we did not use this app for our project because the app supplied more cinematography features for making an actual movie. Whereas, we wanted to use the app to slow down our recorded videos and critique the actions in the movie. This app did not break the frames and kept a smooth transition, but we wanted more. We wanted to focus on the one person recorded and be able to manipulate and critique their actions.
We found this app inconvenient because the movies had to be recorded using the app (and movies that were recorded on the iPad could not be uploaded to the app).

Did you "test' out your applications on your friends (or younger people if you had access to them)? What was the reaction?
We tested our applications between the two of us and then I had used the apps with a few friends of mine in the teacher education department. My friends said that they enjoyed our project idea and agreed that iMotion HD was cool but not as good as SloPro or Coach My Video. My friends really enjoyed the features of SloPro, being able to slow down the recording and edit the framing. The SloPro app had a feature titled "ghosting" where every single action is characterized and recorded with a fainter line, allowing the viewer to see every movement.

What are your thoughts on 1:1 classrooms? Do you hope to teach in one? Why or why not?
I think the presence of technology is growing within the everyday life of students and students are adapting so why shouldn't schools adapt to every day life and incorporate technology into the classroom. In a secondary classroom I could see many applications of 1:1 classrooms. For instance, textbooks could be online, the students assignments could be more interactive and visual. The variety of apps could cater to the students learning needs. If a student is a visual or an auditory learner, there are different apps that are easily accessible and effective for different learning styles. Inevitably I think that teaching in a 1:1 classroom has the advantages of captivating more of the students attention because the classroom would be more relatable to the real world. Everyday students are reading and writing in class but are communicating with their touchscreen smart phones. The world is evolving to use more technology and students are adapting to their touchscreen smart phone. I wonder if giving students more technology will exercise their critical thinking skills and inspire students to adapt to change.

What are your thoughts on BYOD? Would you or could you make this work? Why or why not?
I think that BYOD would encourage students to take ownership over their devices and ensure that each student had the ability to access their devices. However in this economy it is a lot to expect each student to have a high enough SES status, where their family can afford such a device for their child, let alone other children in the family.

What are your thoughts on one-device-per-classroom? How would you make this work?
If the classroom had one device that was accessible to all students I would want the students to share. The students could be split into groups to complete their assignments and have to complete their assignments through a rotation (like circuit training).  For instance, an assignment/worksheet can be handed out to the groups and the students have to complete sections A-D on the worksheet. Each section (A-D) have to be completed at different stations. Station A could require the students to use tangible objects to answer the question. Station B could require the students to use pencil and paper to answer the question. Station C could require the students to make a poem/riddle to answer the question. Station D could require the students to record a skit to answer the question. The scenarios mentioned are just an example of how a student's creativity and adaptability can be measured in the classroom. The students are all able to use the device at a different time, but in this scenario the students are in groups. Since the students are in groups, it is possible that not each student in the group will be using the device. But all the students in the group would benefit from the capabilities of the device because they would be able to complete Station D.