Dynamic Digital Assignments

James Matechuk

Connect School of Languages -> 1:1 iPad

School

“Edtech” can fully realize communicative teaching

Edtech actually takes technology out of the

classroom

What We Did• gave an iPad to every teacher

• built in iPads to our tuition

• developed our own digital curriculum

• got better Wifi!

• changed our approach to teaching English

How We Did it (after learning the hard way)

• apps and programs enhance communicative teaching at every stage

• most digital assignments were enhancements and substitutions for currently existing productions (SAMR)

• role plays were not the end of a lesson, they were the beginning.

Best Apps (So Far)

What have we learned (the hard way)?

1. Start at the end

• what is the final result?

• do it yourself

• how will the assignment be delivered?

• what is success? what is failure?

2. Break it down• Segment! Segment! Segment!

(20-40min chunks)

• Make milestones each day

• Model the app itself, look for hangups

• Monitor and motivate

• No surprises

• Outlining is very important. ‘Stepify’ the project

3. Know your class• what tech do you have to work

with?

• fight for it

• one iPad or laptop is enough

• most apps are cross-platform or have equivalents

• digital ‘literacy’ levels. Where are your students?

Digital Literacy• Level 1: Typing instead of writing.

• Level 2: Copy, paste, search.

• Level 3: Record video, audio basic. Email.

• Level 4: Single Apps, iMovie, Keynote, Garageband etc. Share with teacher.

• Level 5: Mashup apps. Share with class/school.

• Level 6: Professional Level productions. Share with community at large.

5. Correct and Redo• Plan for corrections and

remakes

• Ss often become George Lucas

• Monitor. Milestones!

• Don’t let Ss get away with mistakes, language or digital

• AUDIO is often a huge problem.

6. Share and Celebrate!• Plan for sharing

• Email, Dropbox (class or individual), Showbie, iCloud, Google Drive

• Workshop and reflect the assignments on every level (not just ‘grammar mistakes’)

• Reflect on your plan. Did Ss make something amazing? If not, go back and redo your plan.

Your success is the success of their projects.

Your turn . . .

Your turn . . .

• Groups

• Plan a digital assignment lesson

• Share your lesson