iPads in the Classroom: Obstacles and Opportunities

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iPads in the Classroom Obstacles and
Opportunities

• Kennedy Krieger School Fairmount Campus

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Overview of School Program

• The Kennedy Krieger School Fairmount Campus is
  an educational program currently serving students
  Kindergarten through 8th grade with the following
  federal disability codes
• Autism 14
• Emotional Disability 06
• Intellectual Disability 01
• Multiple Disabilities 10
• Other Health Impairments 08
• Specific Learning Disability 09
• Traumatic Brain Injury 13

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School Program

• All Kennedy Krieger School-Fairmount Classrooms
  are highly structured and potential based. Each
  student has access to integrated related
  services, school-wide behavior management, and a
  team approach to case management. As a team works
  with each student, program modifications are made
  to help students reach their educational
  potential. Each community has a specific location
  within our school building

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Description of Study Groups Red Community

• The Red Community provides layers of subtle
  supports that maximize cognitive abilities,
  nurtures social development, and leads to
  independence. With the aid of supports, students
  manage an increasingly complex environment. When
  success is met, the supports are systematically
  faded. Students access the state approved
  curriculum, targeted skill building, and social
  thinking instruction.
• Characteristics of the Red Community
• Students are provided with supports and
  structures to increase their independent
  management of an increasingly complex environment
  (more transitions, less structure, managing their
  own homework, etc.) and once success is met the
  supports are then faded.
• Curriculum input and output expectations are
  minimally altered.
• Students are provided direct and naturalized
  social thinking instruction.
• Strategies to organize information are directly
  taught and applied in a naturalized setting.
• Utilizes a team approach and integration of
  related services in the implementation of student
  programs.

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Red Community Classroom Demographics

• 10 students
• Ages 12-15 (7th and 8th grade)
• Primary diagnoses Autism, Multiple Disabilities
• Diploma-tracked students
• Classroom staff Teacher and Assistant Teacher

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Description of Study Groups Green Community

• The Green Community focuses on the needs of
  students who require a highly structured and
  individualized environment, instruction, and
  behavioral program. This group has the greatest
  use of instructional techniques such as discrete
  trial, errorless learning, applied behavioral
  analysis, and TEACCH to meet the individual needs
  of students. An emphasis on spontaneous
  functional language or alternative modes of
  communication, visual learning, predictable
  routines, individualized schedules, and skill
  generalization are important facets to this
  program. Instructional materials are customized
  from the state approved curriculum with access to
  functional academics and community based
  instruction.
• Characteristics of the Green Community
• Emphasis on environmental design, visual
  learning, individual schedules, predictable
  routines, and skill generalization
• Development of spontaneous functional language or
  alternative modes of communication are stressed
• Greater use of individualized instructional
  techniques such as discrete trial, errorless
  learning, 3 Step, Applied Behavioral Analysis,
  and TEACCH
• Customized presentation and/or output of
  instruction
• High level of sensory supports/ sensory
  integration
• Social skills instruction focused on initiation
• Access to functional academics and Community
  Based Instruction
• High staff/student ratio
• Students access the state approved curriculum
• Utilizes a team approach and integration of
  related services in the implementation of student
  programs

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Green Community Classroom Demographics

• 8 students
• Ages 10-13 (4th through 7th grade)
• Primary diagnoses Autism, Intellectual
  Disabilities, Multiple Disabilities
• Certificate-tracked students
• Classroom staff Teacher, Assistant Teacher, 7
  11 aides

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Process

• Identified need to expand upon the way that we
  use technology with our student population.
• Acquired iPads and iPad cart.
• Formed workgroup (comprised of teachers, related
  service providers, administrators, technology
  specialists, etc.)
• Researched apps available for use in instruction.
• Trialed and rated education apps for
  appropriateness and content for students in
  different communities.

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Process

• Determined what subject area would be targeted
  and what apps would be most appropriate for
  different groups of students (math fluency).
• Developed surveys to capture background
  information.
• Home Technology Survey
• Teacher Technology Survey
• Student Technology Survey
• Attitude Toward Math Survey
• Teacher Effectiveness Survey

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Process

• Selected 1-2 apps to be used in with different
  student groupings.
• 1 app for Red/Blue communities (Math Racer)
• 2 apps for Yellow/Green communities (Park Math
  and Matching Game)
• Developed data sheets to collect information on
  student performance during iPad and traditional
  instruction.
• Determined what pre-and post-test assessment
  measures would be used.
• Brigance CIBS subtest for Red/Blue communities
• LAP-3 (selected items) for Yellow/Green
  communities

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Process

• Outlined study design and study schedule.
• Trained teachers on their obligations during all
  phases of the study.
• Determined schedule and how iPads would be shared
  among classrooms.
• Obtain IRB approval.

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The Answers are in the Room!

• Escalator

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Study design

• This study used reversal design (ABAB when
  comparing iPad-based instruction and traditional
  instruction).
• Data was collected on student behavior or
  academic performance during each of the four
  phases of the study.
• Additionally, standardized pre- and post-test
  measures were used to show overall student gains
  in speed and accuracy.

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Study Goals/Objectives

• Academic Goal
• Increase basic math fluency
• Behavioral Goal
• Decrease level of teacher prompts (increase
  independent behavior and task completion)
• Teaching practices
• Identify opportunities/obstacles for using iPads
  as instructional tools in the classroom

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Procedure
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Results Red Community
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Results Red Community
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Results Red Community
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Results Red Community
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Results Red Community
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Results Red Community
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Interpretation

• The students in the Red Community showed gains in
  both speed and accuracy, thus a general
  improvement in math fluency over the course of
  the study window.
• During instruction, the Red Community students
  were able to answer more problems correct per
  minute during iPad instructional phases than
  during traditional instructional phases.

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Results Green Community
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Results Green Community
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Results Green Community
N 7
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Results Green Community
N 7
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Interpretation Green community

• The level of support and prompting the Green
  Community Students required to complete tasks was
  much lower when using iPad-based instruction than
  when using more traditional methods and
  materials.
• In other words, these students were able to work
  more independently during iPad instruction phases
  that during traditional instruction phases.
• 5/7 students maintained or showed an improvement
  in their raw score on the LAP-3 over the study
  window.

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Obstacles
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Obstacles for Students Instruction vs.
Reinforcement

• What do kids instinctively want to do on a cool
  new device?
• We need to teach our students that while this
  device is fun to play with, it can also be fun to
  learn with.

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Obstacles for Students Problem Behaviors

• Kids will demonstrate problem behaviors in
  school.
• The use of Expected Behaviors and simply not
  providing a student whos not ready with the
  device.

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Obstacles for Students Accommodations

• What about kids who have trouble accessing the
  device?
• Using a binder board
• Touch screen stylus
• Voice output
• Screen lock
• Volume lock

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Obstacles for Staff Technology What?

• Staff will have varying degrees of comfort with
  tablet technology.
• Specific training is needed to outline specifics
  from turning the device on to saving conventions
  and exporting products.

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Obstacles for Staff Planning!

• The use of tablet technology adds another layer
  to planning.

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Obstacles for Staff Sharing Technology

• Staff need to think thoughtfully about scheduling
  the use of this technology.
• May have to be flexible with planning and
  scheduling.

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Obstacles Logistics

• Charging, storing, and syncing
• Pick a day to sync
• Only teachers plug in the devices

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Obstacles Logistics

• Purchasing Apps
• Think about how to manage this task! Whos
  buying? For all devices? Budget?
• There are many, many cool free apps!

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Obstacles Logistics

• It broke?!?
• Have a clear plan in place about what do to if
  something goes wrong with the device.

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Opportunities
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Opportunities for Students Level of Engagement
Increases

• Similar tasks can be more engaging on the iPad
  then they are using more traditional
  instructional tools.

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Opportunities for Students Level of Independence
Increases

• Tablets can be more accessible for some students
  given the touch screen and other features.
• We found they are easier for many of our students
  to independently manipulate than traditional
  instructional tools and a computer with a mouse.

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Opportunities for Students Motivation Increases

• Many of our students were more motivated to
  complete work when an iPad was present.

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Opportunities for Students Advancement in
Technology

• It is becoming increasingly important that our
  students be able to use technology to participate
  in instruction and vocational opportunities.
• If we are not giving them the opportunity to
  access these tools, we are not adequately
  preparing them for the transition to adulthood.
• Think of all the jobs and careers that require
  people to be able to use technology in some form.
  The list is endless!

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Opportunities for Students Opportunities for
Study

• Students can use tablets to study areas of
  interest, compile and store information, generate
  reports or projects in many forms.

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Opportunities for Students Incidental
Learning/Teaching Opportunities

• There are countless teachable moments that come
  up throughout each and every school day. This is
  no different when using an iPad as an
  instructional tool.
• Social Skills sharing, taking turns
• Fine Motor
• Executive Functioning following a checklist or
  schedule

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Opportunities for Staff Ability to Differentiate

• With individual tablets, students can be using
  different apps to target their individual skill
  needs.
• Many apps also have the ability to differentiate
  built in.

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Opportunities for Staff UDL Opportunities
http//www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines
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Opportunities for Staff Advancement in Technology

• There are opportunities for staff to become more
  proficient in the use of technology.
• As this happens, teachers acquire more and more
  tools to help them effectively teach the students
  in their class.

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Opportunities for Parents Opportunities for
Repeated Practice and Exposure at Home

• Many of our families were interested in knowing
  what apps we were using and what skills we were
  targeting so they could do the same thing at
  home.
• This allows parents to have students complete
  assignments or homework with less assistance or
  prompting from parents who have busy schedules.
• Kitchen table test

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Resources and Tools
Name of App Age/level range(s) Likes Dislikes
Google Earth      
Drum Kit      
Piano      
Talking Tom      
AvatarBook      
Easy-Bake Cupcakes      
IBooks      
Fruit Ninja Lite      
Pet Shop      
Math Ninja      
Periodic Table      
Solar Walk      
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Data Sheet
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Resources and Tools
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Questions/Comments
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Contact Information

• Please email us if youd like more information!
• Claire Donehower donehower_at_kennedykrieger.org
• Brooke Wesley wesley_at_kennedykrieger.org
• Thank you!