EDUC 335 and SPED 425 - Reap Danneker

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About This Article

This article describes how mobile computing, specifically tablets, was piloted in Professor Melanie Reap's EDUC 335 Teaching of Science and Environmental Studies in the Elementary School and Professor Jeanne Danneker's SPED 425 Inclusion in Regular Classes to transform teaching and learning.

Intended Audience

WSU instructors interested in past faculty experience with tablet devices in the classroom.

Spring 2013 iPad Pilot

Students in these courses had access to an iPad tablet to use throughout the spring semester along with several apps selected by Dr. Reap and Dr. Danneker for use in class and in the field.

How the iPads are Used in EDUC 335 and SPED 425

Both EDUC 335 and SPED 425 address inclusion for students with learning and behavioral issues into general education classrooms. EDUC 335 teacher candidates would be teaching a science concept to children at Rollingstone Elementary School. Dr. Reap would direct them to use their iPads to share assessment data and video with SPED 425 teacher candidates for the purpose of collaboration and problem solving if the elementary students were struggling to learn the concepts being taught. Using asynchronous conferencing, SPED & EDUC teacher candidates and the Rollingstone teachers would be able to collaborate to address and create learning and behavioral interventions for the Rollingstone students.

Dr. Reap and Dr. Danneker hoped to meet these objectives in the pilot:

  • Produce a compilation of lessons with assessments and interventions. Based on the collaborative work of the students in both sections, a collection of lessons designed to assist in the inclusion and successful completion of the science curriculum would be designed and implemented.
  • Begin a catalog of photographic, video, and paper artifacts. These artifacts could be used in future designs, marketing materials, classroom presentations, and more.
  • Present this project at state and national conferences in science teaching (ASTE, NSTA, MnSTA) and special education (CEC.). Professional presentations and publications are good for the university, the program areas, and the individual faculty members.

Outcomes

Changes in the classroom

Drs. Reap and Danneker met prior to the beginning of the semester to talk about when and how their teacher candidates could possibly interact. Special educators would wait to be contacted by their peers in the science methods course to begin problem solving as needed. The semester started and both instructors became busy with the usual content of the courses. The teacher candidates in EDUC 335 did not contact their peers in SPED 425 for assistance at any time throughout the semester.

Dr. Danneker talked with a teacher candidate who is a double major in both Elementary Education and Special Education. When asked about the teaching project in Rollingstone, the teacher candidate responded that the class sizes in Rollingstone were small enough to manage and no one was having any difficulty with behavior management or teaching the science concepts. It appeared that in this setting, the collaboration with special education teacher candidates was not necessary.

Recommendations

  • Continue to develop ways to use the tablets.
  • Investigate additional forms of collaboration.
  • Find new ways to use the iPads in the educational environment.

iPad Applications Employed in EDUC 335 and SPED 425

Because the pilot did not make the connections between the students in EDUC 335 and SPED 425 as planned, no applications were tested for viability. Had connections been made the students would have tried various collaboration and communication applications.

Descriptions, pricing, and links to iTunes for each of these applications is available on the iPad Pilot Applications page.

More Information

Related Wiki Topics


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