iSee Chemistry with iPad

Funded Aug 26, 2020

Thank you for your generosity in funding my project. I don't know how I would have been able to teach as effectively so far this year without it. My students began the school year in the remote setting, then transitioned to hybrid six weeks later. After a month of hybrid learning, all of the students and staff went back to remote learning due to the holiday season and rising covid numbers. While the setting the students have been learning from has varied greatly this year, one constant has been the ability for me to teach them chemistry through use of my iPad.

In years past, I would use my classroom whiteboard to deliver notes, draw models, and provide sample mathematical problems. The iPad has taken the place of my whiteboard, allowing me showcase the same material to my students while synched to the computer and shared via Zoom. Using the Apple Pencil I am able to write and draw on the iPad clearly as I explain new concepts, show work for sample problems, and depict the microscopic principles of chemistry macroscopically. About a third of my students are special education students, so being able to provide them with clear notes, especially while virtual, is extremely important. Many of the students have reported taking screenshots of my iPad "whiteboard" and printing out the images as their own set of notes since they are so clear and detailed.

In addition to delivering lessons using the iPad, I also have been able to provide instantaneous and specific feedback to students as they complete assessments. I am able to review student work on my iPad, write comments, circle errors, and highlight information using the Apple Pencil. Using the keyboard I can also send messages to students in the Zoom chat, as well as type longer comments on their work. Students are benefiting from my ability to provide feedback to them in real-time so they can identify and rectify their mistakes early on in the learning process. Providing meaningful feedback is especially important for the special education students who require frequent check-ins on progress. By using the iPad I am able to provide personalized commentary and assistance on each student's assignment.

Finally, I have been using the iPad to increase student engagement in class, especially while learning from home. The iPad allows me to use the feature of the Google Classroom app that randomly selects a student for whom to call upon next to answer a question or provide a hypothesis or rationale. I also use the iPad as a second screen so I can always have a device set to see all my students on Zoom. This allows me to monitor their body language and facial expressions as I would do normally in person to get clues as to if they are confused, frustrated, boring, excited, or other emotions that would allow me to adjust my teaching accordingly. I also am able to be more mobile when in the classroom as I can move about the room to interact, from a safe distance, with the students in person while still seeing those at home on Zoom via the iPad. If I were to be without the iPad, I would be tethered to my desk to ensure the students at home could see me and the lesson being presented.

In summary, the iPad and accessories have truly been a life saver for teaching this year. I honestly cannot thank you enough for providing with the technology that has made teaching during a pandemic possible.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Allessio