El Camino High School Visit Reflection

During our visit to El Camino High School we got the opportunity to see students learn in the classroom using ipads. Unfortunately, when we visited most of the students were neck deep in preparing individually for the Math CAHSEE and so we didn't get to see some of the lessons or day to day assignments the students would've used their ipads for. However, there were some intriguing uses of the ipad I did grasp while we were there.

The first is, with an apple TV device, I could take my ipad and teach the classroom while I walk around in it. Instead of being up at the board with my back to my students while I write, I could project what's on my ipad onto an overhead projector for them to see. This would allow me to focus more on them to see if they are paying attention and understanding what I am teaching. It also allows me to manage the classroom better through proximity to my students.

Another thing I really liked, though not something relegated solely to ipads (it could easily be replicated through computers) is using them to guide my assessments. Something Dr. Nank (one of the teachers we observed) used his ipads for was to have students take assessments on them. His computer would then gather the data from all the answers submitted by the students and create a chart showing what the students did well and what they had trouble with. The advantage of this is it circumvents the nebulous question of "who doesn't understand this?" Using this method of assessing, a teacher wouldn't have to ask this question and instead say something like "from the answers you submitted, I can tell many of you are having trouble with question #21. Let's take a closer look at it to see if we can figure out what was confusing or difficult about that question." Assessing therefore, becomes much more accurate and useful in helping students correct misunderstandings and progress at a faster pace towards learning.