The first lesson...

Well we had the first lesson today and it was HARD WORK. The beginning of the lesson was fine - they responded well to my rule of not using the iPad until given permission, they asked sensible questions about the project and seemed pleased with the idea of Tweeting about the progress of the iPad trial.

It was when we tried to start working that the trouble started... in hindsight I probably shouldn't have expected as much from them on the first lesson. I have been informed by many that the first few lessons of an iPad trial are often a bit of a write-off in terms of work. The iPads are still very much a novelty for the pupils and although I am confident that they will become more focussed during lesson time I do also think that it may be a little harder than I had first imagined! Once the pupils realise that there are still rules and consequences for breaking them (e.g. having iPads taken away, Apps blocked etc) things should become a little easier. They are naturally testing the boundaries, as pupils always do when there is change.

In fact I am probably being a little over-critical here. The truth is that despite the lesson seeming quite hard to manage, all of the pupils successfully downloaded another learning App, recorded two pieces of speaking work and most managed to send me their work on Audioboo as well. In the grand scheme of things that's pretty good going for a first lesson I suppose! I just look forward to the time when we can do that and more, without the constant rule-reinforcements and nagging!

Patience is a virtue...

Smiley faces

The year nine group received their iPads on Tuesday. Somebody from the company running the pilot came in and talked through the setup of the devices with the pupils. It was like a second Christmas for them - they were SO excited! Setting up the iPads was not as complicated as I thought it would be. there was the odd hiccup along the way but nothing disastrous and now everybody has a working iPad. The next day I was inundated with pupils wanting to show me Apps that they have found - it was lovely and they seemed so grateful to be a part of the project.

An introduction

I work in a mixed comprehensive school in a market town in Devon. It is a lovely school with a great buzz about it. The thing I love most about the school is that despite appearances (we were unfortunate enough to miss out at the last minute on a shiny new building) it is a very forward thinking place where experiments are encouraged and change is embraced.

It was the prospect of a new-build that saw us on our way towards a 1:1 device system. And when the plans fell through our Assistant Head in charge of New Technologies decided to take the idea forward regardless, and so here we are!

Every pupil in my mixed ability year 9 French group has one, and another 7 year 11 pupils who take French as an extra GCSE. Quite a few teachers have also chosen to take part, and we will have the devices till Easter. This blog will follow our progress