Reading Teacher Journal Article

Advantages and Considerations of Using iPads for Literacy Instruction

Helpful Aspects of iPads for Instruction	Special Considerations for using iPads in Instruction
Students were able to apply their prior knowledge of other digital literacy tools to figure out how to navigate the iPad without a lot of instruction from the teacher.	Manipulation was difficult within some of the apps. For example, it was sometimes difficult to resize text and images.
When they encountered problems, students worked collaboratively to figure out how to navigate the iPad. This collaboration led to increased and improved conversations about the assignments during the learning experiences.	The teacher had to rethink how she wanted students to save and share their work.  Though not difficult, the teacher had to adjust to a new way of receiving and reviewing student work.
The availability of many different apps, as well as the many features of each app, made it easy to differentiate assignments for students.	The sensitive touch screen caused students to engage functions unintentionally. For example, a student accidentally engaged the highlighting function in iBooks when using his finger to track along with the text he was reading.
iPads power on and off quickly, so it was quick and easy to restart iPads when needed without disrupting the learning experience.	As with any digital technology, teachers had to troubleshoot at times. This reality required the teacher to have a willingness to explore the potential causes of problems that arose.
Because individual apps perform specific functions, and because iPads are easily stored in student desks, it was common for the teacher to spontaneously think of ways to integrate the iPads.	Creating word documents is possible, but the apps that make it possible have limited features. For example, there is no app that allows the user to track changes within a document.
The iPad can be programmed to display in many different languages.	Many iPad apps do not allow the user to edit work once it has been saved.