Enhancing Reading Instruction with Ipads

course syllabus
Instructor: Lea Taylor
Email: leataylor44@gmail.com
Course page: https://leaspring15wiki.wikispaces.com/
Course Description: Prerequisites: basic knowledge of the ipad's features
such as turning it on/off, volume control, swiping to turn pages and accessing
the app store. The purpose of this professional development is to provide
primary grade teachers with a plethora of skills and strategies to use ipads
with their students to enhance foundational reading skills. Each day of the
training will look at different reading skills such as phonics, phonemic
awareness, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and assessment. We will
also be going over tips for general use of the ipad to help you effectively
teach your lesson with little to no difficultly.
Course Duration: This is a 5 day course. They hours of the course will be
from 8:30AM-11:30AM Monday - Friday. All final assignment are due by
11:30AM on the last day of the course (Friday)
Course Outcomes: By the end of these trainings, participants will be able
to:
1. navigate and use the basic features of an ipad
2. identify best practices for technology use in the primary classroom.
3. transfer best practice understanding to find and explain effective
technology usage
4. identify characteristics of an effective app.
5. locate an effective app and explain why it was chosen
6. transfer their knowledge of effective apps to locating a free app that
would help support phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency,
comprehension, and assessment.
7. transfer their knowledge of effective apps and foundational skills to
create their own app to use in their classroom.
Course Materials:
Participants will need to have access to the following:

ipad
ipad charger in case of a dead battery during the course

desktop or laptop so participant can use course materials while

simultaneously using the ipad.
internet access
Apple ID account

Course Guidelines:
The most effective method to contact the instructor is by email given at the
beginning of the syllabus.
If the participant is unable to complete an assignment of course activity due
to technological difficulties or other personal matters, they will need to
contact the instructor in a reasonable time frame so the problem can be
solved or another course of action can be developed .
Required readings: any readings posted must be read completely to fully
understand the purposes of the technology's use.
A screen cast of how to navigate through the course is located here if
participants need assistance using the wiki.
Grading:
This is not a graded course, however to earn professional development
points to go towards your certificate, participants must complete the
following with substantial merit:
Attend each of the 5 day sessions for its duration
show growth and understanding of strategies for implementing ipads
into instruction.
complete all assignments given
complete the evaluation given at the end of the training and submit to
instructor no later than two weeks after the course.
Expectations:

Arrive on time and remain for the sessions duration

Come prepared each day
Come with an open mind and willingness to share ideas

Course Schedule:
Day

Topic

Activities

Day 1- Monday

Basic features and

functions of the ipad.

Day 2- Tuesday

Ipads for phonics and

phonemic awareness

Day 3- Wednesday

Ipads for vocabulary

and fluency

1. Overview and
practice basic
functions of the
ipad.
2. Q&A session
3. one ipad
effectiveness
4. introduction video
5. read and discuss
research article
6. app store video
7. effective app
website and
discussion
8. effective app
search and share
1. Read and discuss
article on
effective apps
2. create list of
effective app
characteristics
3. app search
good/bad
4. voice thread
presentations
5. phonics and
phonemic
awareness
overview
6. app search
7. In partners/small
groups, create
phonics and
phonemic
awareness apps.
1. Read and discuss
two articles on
ipads in the
classroom
2. share ideas on
Popplet

Day 4- Thursday

Ipads for
comprehension

Day 5- Friday

Using ipads for

assessment of
foundational skills

3. vocabulary
activity
4. Using Thinglink to
improve
vocabulary
5. App search
6. Fluency video
7. Fluency activity
8. app search
9. In partners/small
groups, create
vocabulary and
fluency apps.
1. Read and discuss
article on
importance of
reading
comprehension.
2. View video on
comprehension
3. Practice using My
story app
4. view how Raz-Kids
app supports
comprehension
5. search and locate
comprehension
apps.
6. In
groups/partners,
create
comprehension
app.
1. Guest speakerHope Fuss
2. Edutopia article
on assessments
3. overview of
simple
assessments with
ipads
4. demonstration

and practice with

creating
assessments
using Stride
Academy and
Socrative app.
5. split in two
groups- each
group receives a
different app. to
explore for
assessment.
Share out.
6. Visit Appolearning
website for
common core
assessment apps.
7. In partners/small
groups, create
assessment app
using TinyTap app.