As students in fifth through eighth grade embarked on a 1:1 iPad adventure I collaborated with teachers to identify the best way to help students learn the ins and outs of their iPad and it's workflows. We settled on a hybrid Boot Camp that would combine face to face sessions with online learning modules.
Teachers identified basic apps and skills they wanted students to have and in what order the apps and skills should be introduced. We worked together to identify activities that coordinated with advisory or curriculum topics as a means of introducing and teaching the apps. For example, to introduce the iMovie app's trailer feature, students were given the task of creating a trailer about a book they read over the summer. Videos were shared with classmates and one advisory created a RedBook (similar to a RedBox) station where classmates could watch book trailers to find new books to read.
Through this hybrid design, students were able to learn workflows and apps while retaining reference materials for future use. Tasked related to their school work helped to reinforce how the apps and workflows were used. Overall, teachers felt that this process improved students' ability to use their iPads effectively in class.
