Principal+Mark+Zoppina

media type="youtube" key="Z6jw4thWKPo" height="315" width="560"   **Penn Beach Elementary iPad Project ** At Penn Beach Elementary, an iPad Pilot will be conducted in 4th grade. Each 4th grade classroom will be provided with 5 iPads which will be integrated into instruction. Additionally, the 4th grade team will have access to a whole class set of iPads (on a mobile cart) to be used for whole group activities. We are very excited about this initiative and know that it will help further our students with a technologically rich learning environment and prepare them for the brightest possible future.

As leaders in academic excellence, we recognize that students of this generation learn and engage in the learning process differently than students in the past. Research has demonstrated that students today learn best when they are actively involved in their education, and technology engages students in all grade levels and at all academic levels. As a result, teachers need to use technology to promote active and engaged learning throughout their educational experience. Effective integration of technology into teaching and learning can result in higher levels of student achievement. Therefore, Penn Beach Elementary has joined many other educational institutions in establishing an iPad Pilot Program starting in September 2011.

Our fourth grade team of teachers, library media specialist, and I participated in a District "iPad Bootcamp" in July 2011. This intense two-day training will serve as a foundation as we integrate iPads into our fourth grade classrooms this school year. We left this training with a better understanding of the following:

1) How to operate an iPad 2) Why iPad technology successfully helps us to meet many of our educational goals 3) The importance of students learning critical 21st century skills 4) How iPad apps can help students build 21st century skills while exploring concepts and skills 5) What apps will best meet the needs of our students and the objectives we have developed, including the development of 21st century skills

When selecting the apps we would like to be loaded on our student iPads (as an initial image), we concentrated on how they could be used to enhance instructional practice, help students develop critical 21st century skills and become more engaged in the learning process.

The State of NJ, as specified in Core Curriculum Standard 9.1, expects that "All students demonstrate the creative, critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills needed to function successfuly as both global citizins and workers in diverse ethnic and organizational cultures."

Standard 9.1 describes skills that prepare students to fully engage in civic and work life. The standard includes six strands, which reflect the [|Framework for 21st Century Learning] : <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">· Critical Thinking and Problem Solving <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">· Creativity and Innovation <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">· Collaboration, Teamwork, and Leadership <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">· Cross-Cultural Understanding and Interpersonal Communication <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">· Communication and Media Fluency <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">· Accountability, Productivity, and Ethics

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We a consensus that we would like the following iPad apps to be available on our fourth grade iPads. This list was developed keeping in mind the goals of this initiative: to enhance instructional practice, engage students in the learning process, and ensure students develop critical 21st century skills.


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: calibri; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Stack the States - []
 * iMovie - []
 * StoryBuddy Lite - []
 * eClicker - []
 * Keynote - []
 * Toontastic - []
 * Grammar Dragon - []
 * Multiply Wiz - []
 * Rocket Math - []
 * Pages - []
 * GarageBand - []
 * PaperDesk - []
 * iBooks - []

Throughout the schoolyear, we will be meeting regularly through a Professional Learning Community (PLC) to evaluate the effectiveness of our iPad project - what is working, issues that may arise, etc. Our iPad PLC will also continue researching best practices in the area of iPad integration.