iTouch? Nope, I'd rather iPad.

After reading some of my cohort members’ blogs, I have new questions about using an iTouch in the classroom.  They have brought up a lot of good points.  One of them wrote about the fairness of it.  Is it fair that one student gets to use it?  One person responded (not exactly in this way) that life isn’t fair.  A suggestion the person made is that you might want to apply for a grant to see if your class could get more.  I think that is a great suggestion.  So, let’s say that you don’t get the grant, but you do have an iTouch in your class.  If you do have a student or students who complain that they don’t get to use it, how do you handle the situation?  Do you talk about having the iTouch and explain why it’s in class ahead of time?  What or how do you say it while being sensitive?  (Not: Jimmy needs it for math.)  Do you have a main user (student) and let the other kids use it during “free time”?  Do you have a sign-up sheet?

I do like the iTouch, but for three of the students who need the differentiated instruction (I have five students with IEPs), they have fine motor skills difficulties.  I think that if I had the option, I would want an iPad.  The great thing about it is that you can hook up a key pad.   (I am hoping soon that you will be able to hook up a key pad to the iTouch.)  Back in January, the students in my 3^rd grade class started working on “Learn to Type”.  The students, who have the fine motor skill difficulties, have been doing well with the program.  They may just use one finger to type, but the keys are large enough that they have a large enough space to touch.  After seeing this, I think the iPad would better suit these students.  The apps and screen are bigger.  Another of my students, who would benefit from the iPad, is a girl who has glaucoma and has difficulty seeing a paper in front of her.  She would benefit from a larger screen, which the iPad would offer. 

I think that an iTouch could really get my students excited to learn, since sometimes they get frustrated when they don’t “get it”.  My students also like technology.  They love working on the ACTIVboard.   Every morning they sign in using it.   The iTouch is technology and I am sure they would love working with it year round!