Tony Vincent explains the benefits of technology in his classroom. His 5th graders received palm handhelds a few years ago and he has been nothing but pleased with the results. The students’ favorite applications were ones that they created something to share with others. Palm handhelds along with Itouch and ipad are great ways of mobile learning. This learning can happen anywhere. But Tony stresses that the portability is not as important as the ability of the learner to connect and create using tools that are readily available. Applications, podcasts, and websites provide options for personalization of learning. Readily available tools are the best way for project learning, Tony gives an example of a 5-min project he made himself that helped him learn how to use a lot of the applications. Then he also gives tips for developing driving questions. Project based learning is great for planning, research, and presentation of projects. Instead of lecturing on a topic, Tony explains that these devices allow students to figure things out on their own. He shares a variety of apps he has used and shows how they can be effective. Project based learning makes students managers of their own learning. They learn to work collaboratively on projects and communicate their work with others. In order for this to be effective in the classroom teachers must review standards, craft driving questions, design rubrics, and create examples. Tony points out that although it may be a lot of work to prepare, teachers are leading the students to create quality projects that reflect great learning.
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