![]() I just got a new IPad Air 2. I really like it! I have the first generation but that was so heavy. I may as well carry a laptop. Then my division gave each of the ITRTs an IPad mini. It was too small. I had a hard time reading on it so most of the time it stayed on my desk at home. The IPad Air 2 may be just right! My last post was about Scratch, a coding program from MIT. Coding is the new literacy! I truly feel we are doing our students a huge injustice not focusing more on this skill. Instead we are obligated to teach to a plethora of standardized tests. Since getting the IPad I have discovered a couple of Scratch programs that were designed for mobile use. One is called Scratch Jr. I have been playing with this program today and really like it! I have already suggested it to a SPED teacher who had a student very interested in coding. The program is so engaging for younger students! It uses a drag and drop interface just like its big Web brother. Students learn the basics of coding by making simple stories. The biggest issue that I can find with Scratch Junior is that there is no way for the students to share their work with others besides handing over their IPads. i did manage to capture a story that a second grader and I did together by using my cell phone to video the story. This means it isn't the best quality but it would do in a pinch. Maybe in the future Scratch Junior will do an update that will allow sharing. Hey, even the youngest of storytellers wants an audience!
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Melanie LewisHi, my name is Melanie Lewis. I am an Instructional Technology Resource Teacher for Amherst County Public Schools, located in the beautiful state of Virginia. I LOVE my job! I get to work on my hobby, anything that has to do with computers. I get to work with teachers and students, and I am definitely a people person. Plus, I DO NOT have to give grades. Wonderful, huh? Let me know how I can help you better integrate technology into your classroom. Archives
July 2020
![]() ACPS' 1st computers
I know only one thing about the technology that awaits us in the future: We will find ways to tell stories with it. ~Jason Ohler
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