Tanja


 * INQUIRY GOAL: How iPads can be used to support struggling and reluctant readers.**

1. Who is using iPads (and other e-readers) in elementary education? 2. What are the iPads used for? 3. Who is using e-readers for reading/reading instruction etc.? 4. In which way are the e-readers used (e.g. individual use, reading groups, literature circles)? 5. What apps are being used? 6. Are there studies that show the impact of the use of e-readers on reading skills and reading motivation/attitudes towards reading?
 * MY QUESTIONS:**

//What do I know?// //What do I want to know?// //Does my question connect to the central idea?// //Does my question connect to the concepts?// //Do my questions connect to my goal?// //What is my plan, how will I find out?//
 * GUIDING QUESTIONS:**
 * TUNING IN:**
 * iPads and other e-readers are popular with kids. More and more own such a device.
 * Few students use their e-readers.
 * Students who struggle with reading are often also reluctant readers.
 * Would the use of e-readers have a positive impact on students' attitudes towards reading?
 * Would the use of e-readers consequently have a positive impact on the reading skills?
 * In which contexts are e-readers used in elementary education?
 * Are their recommended strategies?
 * Are their recommended apps/e-books?
 * Not sure... (I am using inquiry to find the answer to my questions and I am learning a lot about the inquiry process. However, the use of e-readers to support struggling readers won't be inquiry-related. Students using e-readers won't use inquiry...?)
 * Form (What is it like): What kind of e-readers/resources exist? What are they like? Who is using them? What is inquiry like?
 * Function (How is it used): How are e-readers used for reading/reading instruction? How does inquiry work?
 * Yes, even though I have broadened it a bit by not just looking at iPads but e-readers in general.
 * Find resources through Internet searches, Twitter and by following discussions about the use of iPads in the classroom on PYP Threads.

//What am I learning?//
 * FINDING OUT:**
 * There are a lot of iPad pilot studies out there. Lots are happening in elementary classrooms and with younger students (KG, Preschool).
 * There seem to be few studies looking at the impact of e-readers on reading skills/motivation.
 * There is a great discussion about the use of iPads in the primary classroom currently ongoing on PYP Threads.
 * iPads are used as a tool to support inquiry (e.g. to search for answers when questions come up, to record information in words and images).
 * iPads are used across the curriculum to enhance learning, e.g. creative writing/digital storytelling, movie making, math.
 * Some teachers use them to set up centers (e.g. listening, reading).
 * Some teachers use them for formative and summative assessment.
 * Some schools have iPads with textbooks on them.
 * iPads are used for reading, supporting readers with audio and visual.
 * iPads are used for differentiation and/or to provide support to students with special needs.

In addition, I am learning lots about inquiry and myself as a learner. I realize that I can be a "messy" learner, one that is all over the place. I get excited about new things I read and learn but that sometimes leads me off track. Fortunately, there is the facilitator to help me to get back on track. Sometimes also my own confusion helps me to stop and take a few step backwards. I realize how important it is to constantly connect back to the the central idea, to the concepts and to the questions. I am thinking that this might be one of the most important roles of the teacher/facilitator in the inquiry process: helping students to constantly connect back to the questions/central idea/concepts so that they can stay on track.

//Revising my plan:// While I have found lots of interesting resources on the use of iPads in the elementary classroom, I don't have much yet about the use of e-readers in reading/reading instruction. I have gathered and read enough general resources and now need to make sure that I am focusing on e-readers.

I did some additional searches on e-readers and reading/reading instruction and discovered the following resources: Apps that support literacy instruction (especially 4. Reading Fluency, 5. Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension) The iPad, your secret weapon for helping struggling readers
 * SORTING OUT:**

I also found recommended titles for the iPad for reluctant readers and for reading instruction: Recommended iPad Book Apps for Older & Struggling Readers Ages 10 and Up iPad Apps for Learning to Read

//How do I know?// I know from... (1) Browsing and reading various articles on the Internet. I had already gained the impression that iPads (and other e-readers) are considered to have much potential in helping struggling/reluctant readers, it was especially the blog post "The iPad, your secret weapon for helping struggling readers" that clearly stated the reasons for the iPad's potential: => Reading isn't a chore or struggle anymore - it is engaging and motivating and therefore helps the learning process. Quote from the article: The device “seems to unleash an engagement in learning, an increase in motivation, and previously unseen independence in the reading and writing process.”
 * Readers are in charge of their interactions with the books
 * Readers can choose what to read
 * Readers are independent and don't need adult support

(2) Making my personal iPad (and sometimes also Kindle) available in the library, i.e. when sharing books through the Smartboard with a class or when allowing students during break time to use it for reading. There is always much interest and excitement in any new book I introduce and not just from the avid readers.

(3) Constantly using my iPad, downloading and exploring new apps. There are so many fantastic resources out there: a wide range of fiction and nonfiction books, books with interactive features, books that read to you, books to which you can add your own narration, books with attractive designs, additional video resources. It is amazing!

//How am I making sense of what I am learning?// At this point I have no doubts that iPads and other reading devices can have a big impact on struggling and reluctant readers. Most students are extremely interested and excited about using technology. When using an iPad (more than the Kindle), reading becomes fun and isn't considered a chore anymore, just as suggested in one of the articles above. If it is fun, students will read more, which would have a positive impact on their reading skills.

//New wonderings, tensions:// How could it be put into practice? How many iPads would you need for a class/grade level? Or would it be enough to have a set of them for various grade-levels as part of the library collection? Would I download all the apps and students would then select from these? What opportunities do I have to try it out, maybe just with a small group of students? After talking to Miranda, I also wonder how iPads also provide opportunities to help students at the other end of the spectrum, by providing them with additional opportunities to extend their learning

//How am I applying my new learning in my own practice?// With Miranda's help, I am providing additional reading opportunities for three of her students. Through the use of technology, we are hoping to extend their learning and learning experience. We started last Tuesday, letting students access, read and explore Tumblebooks on the library computers. I am hoping to be able to let them use iPads during the next sessions but yet have to work out the logistics with Rhona. I have also spoken with Sarah. We are planning to let one of her emergent readers spend DEAR time reading on my iPad in the library for a week or two. We will identify suitable books and apps and let him explore these. From informal conversations and anecdotal observations, I am hoping to get an idea about whether there are indications that using an iPad would have a positive impact on his reading.
 * GOING FURTHER:**

//Is my plan working?// I have not been able to try using the iPad with a struggling reader as I originally wanted but hope I can arrange for it during the second semester. However, Miranda's three students are coming in every single Tuesday for an extended reading time and this provides a great opportunity to try out and explore the use of various apps. So far we have used a Tumble Book Collection with six individual picture books that students can read or have read to them. For next week, we are planning to use the "Don't Let the Pigeon Run This App". Therefore, this inquiry has opened up another use of iPads by providing students reading above grade-level expectations to extend the reading experience independently. I am amazed with what ease students navigate the iPad and respective app independently.

//New wonderings, tensions:// I am still wondering what the best way is in finding suitable apps/books for students in general. I feel that I don't have much yet and would need a much bigger list of resources to be able to use this with students of different ages, interest and reading abilities, regularly. For the time being, I will just have to keep up exploring new apps which I discover through various resources (e.g. blogs, tweets, recommendations from colleagues). I would also have to find a way of organizing the apps/books I discover in an effective way, so that accessing them is easy for students. So far, I am just having folders which divide books into the following categories: reference, nonfiction, easy fiction, and fiction. This would eventually not be enough if I wanted to use the books/apps with various age groups. (So far, I have not come across a study/pilot, in which the iPads were used across grades by various students. It was usually limited to a small group of students or a class.)

//What am I learning?// One of the most important aspects for me at this point was the discovery that iPads can also be used to extend the learning for those at the top end of the skills' spectrum. So far, I had just looked at its potential in helping struggling and reluctant readers, which was based on the assumption that most students love using technology and would therefore be more willing to read if technology was involved.

//Conclusions about the use of iPads to support struggling and reluctant readers://
 * DRAWING CONCLUSIONS:**
 * There are a lot of apps and books out there (and new ones are introduced on a daily basis) but it is not an easy task to discover and assess them. Basically, you have to explore one by one as you come across them. This is not just time-consuming but can also get pricey (even though most are cheap). Often there aren't any reviews yet and only once downloaded (and paid for), you know whether they are of use or not.
 * More and more schools are conducting pilots with iPads, experimenting in how they can extend the learning (in general, not just specifically for reading) for students. Many of these pilots take pace in early childhood and elementary classrooms.
 * There seems to be a general consensus that they have much potential in extending the learning, especially since students love to use them.
 * Especially interactive book apps are not just fun to explore and experience but provide struggling readers with the necessary support (audio and visual) to read independently. For example, in some books, individual words can be selected to hear their pronunciation; some books come with a "read to me" feature; etc.
 * Making the assumption that increasing the time spend reading will also lead to increased reading skills, the iPad can have an impact on a student's attitudes towards reading and ultimately his/her reading skills.
 * iPads do not only provide struggling readers with an opportunity to read independently, but also allow for an extended experience for students with high reading skills.
 * Since iPads are a new technology, there are still many questions and much to be discovered, explored and tried out.

//Reflections on the inquiry process://
 * There never seems to be enough time to get everything done, that we would like to do.
 * Answers always create new questions and it's okay that the inquiry somehow never ends.
 * It's important to keep the fluidity of the inquiry cycle in mind, there are no strict boundaries between the individual stages (I have experienced that sometimes I am finding it challenging to say exactly on what phase I am, e.g. is it already Sorting out or still Finding out etc.).
 * The role of the facilitator is extremely important in keeping the learner on track/on task and re-connecting to the central idea constantly.
 * No matter how big or small the initial question or wondering, the inquiry process can always be applied. Often we go through the process without being aware of it.
 * Inquiry requires personal initiative and engagement - you cannot expect that everything gets done in the allocated time. Thinking about students, wouldn't the ideal be that they follow up in their own time too?


 * TAKING ACTION:**
 * I will definitely continue exploring and collecting helpful resources (i.e. apps and books) and thinking of ways how to organize them best on an iPad.
 * In addition to the three KG students, I hope to be able to work with at least one struggling/reluctant reader during the second semester.
 * I am currently trying to discover and compile a list of studies which confirm that increased reading time leads to increased reading skills and that a positive attitude towards reading positively impacts also reading skills. In addition, I am trying to locate studies which confirm that most students respond positively to the use of technology in education (if possible, in particular in reading/reading instruction, but I doubt that I will be successful since I haven't discovered anything so far).
 * I have already shared some of the reading resources I discovered with parents during the iPad Cafe session (see iPad Cafe Blog).

iPads in the Primary Classroom (Forum discussion on PYP Threads) 68 Interesting Ways to Use iPads in the Classroom Bloom's Taxonomy for iPads iPad in Education (Diigo Group) Apps that support literacy instruction (especially 4. Reading Fluency, 5. Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension) iPad Apps for Learning to Read Recommended iPad Book Apps for Older & Struggling Readers Ages 10 and Up
 * RESOURCES:**

E-Readers and Low-Income Students: Comprehension and Attitudes Towards Reading iPad Studies Words come to life when they are at your fingertips The iPad, your secret weapon for helping struggling readers
 * Studies:**

Shauna Ullman's Posterous iPadding iPads in 3C Technology / KC (Pilot in KG classroom in Japan)
 * Blogs of iPad Pilot Programs:**

(tags: ipads, apps, e-books, reading) [|tgaletti]
 * My Diigo:**