Purpose+and+Goals

====I have chosen to complete my project on the incorporation of Ipads in the classroom. I chose this topic because many of my students are so technologically focused that it is hard for me to engage them in typical classroom activities. The recent addition of a Smartboard in my classroom has helped in some ways, but only one or two students can truly "interact" with the Smartboard at a time, whereas individual Ipads could provide a more hands-on experience for students. ====

====My goal for the project is to discover what ways Ipads have already been incorporated in classrooms, and what possibilities exist for the future. I would also like to investigate the feasibility of acquiring multiple Ipads for a classroom. Do grants exist? Does Apple have programs that provide discounted products for high-need schools? Would organizations such as donorschoose.org be capable of funding such potentially costly initiatives? I hope to discover the usefulness and benefits of incorporating technology such as Ipads in my own classroom and paths I could take to do so in the future. ====

====I hope viewers of my Wiki will learn the aspects of using Ipads in the classroom, both through examples of methods already being implemented in classrooms and in exploring the possibilities of the future. If they happen to already have access to Ipads for their classroom, I would hope that my Wiki provides them with new and exciting ways to use them to most benefit their students. I would also like for viewers who are considering acquiring Ipads for their classrooms to use my Wiki to determine whether or not it is something they definitely would like to get. ====

====This project is obviously relevant to my professional life as a teacher. I have struggled at times in my first year to engage my students and to ensure that they are truly learning. I constantly have to ask that they put their phones away or stop listening to their Ipods. Perhaps exposing my students to new technologies that they have not yet had experience with could help with engagement and allow me to be a more effective teacher. ====