I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity today to attend a conference on the use of iPads and the associated apps in the classroom for teaching and learning. The group of people ive spent this day with are very innovative and are on the cusp of doing some phenomenal things in their classrooms and schools with technology.

One of the comments that hit hard today was, “We need to prepare students for their future not our pasts!!”

As educators, we always need to be mindful of whatever best works for the student should be utilized. Therefore if technologies are going to bring about more engaged learning then we should be using them to whatever extent.

My teaching world was opened to a whole range of diverse iPad apps that could be used in my teaching. Some fantasatic apps for use in the humanities, arts and sciences….and no doubt plenty of others.

Here is some food for thought from the conference:

Be an experimenter and an innovator.  This will require self-education, sustained professional development, risk takers (those who will go above and beyond), ambassadors, be involvedd in evaluation and reflection.

Learning Spaces are imperative to 21st century learning .

Constraints on the traditional classroom set up it the 21st century:
1. Can reduce the ability for collaboration and movement around the room
2. Can reduce creativity and inclusion of technology
3. (Guriah 2010) biys need more physical space to move as part of their learning.
4. Very different to work places in the future that students will work in

Steve Wheeler (2011) mobile technologies as a platform to link traditional formal learning with informal learning styles. 

20th century traditional learning – content driven
21st century informal learning – skills driven

Transforming classrooms from lecture halls to learning spaces and workshops.

Let’s take the next step in our teaching and learning whatever that may be for each one of us!!!!

Remember, technologies will never replace quality teachers!!!!