Jerry's Action Research Summary

My action research has gotten off to a slow start.  Lyford CISD is in the process of issuing out iPads to all students.  There are a lot of small details that have to be taken into consideration before we hand out all the iPads to the students.  Our district has been modifying our internet access because of the demand that the iPads will cause.  Therefore, all iPads have not been issued out.  About 50% of the students have received their iPads and the other half will receive their iPads within the next two weeks.  I have been gathering information from some of the teachers on their opinions.  Being that I am a PE teacher, I do not have the opportunity to see students in the classroom using their iPads.  However, I spoke to my principal and he gave me permission to observe classes that have been using iPads for classroom instruction.  On what I have observed, iPads give the students another learning tool to help them master whatever is being taught.  The fact that not all students have their iPads limits what teachers can do in the classroom because not all the students have the same learning tool.  We have tried doing a lot of group work so that the iPads can be shared during instruction time.  We have had some trouble policing what the students are doing with their iPads during instruction time.  For example, some students will try to get on the internet or try to play a video game that they have downloaded.  I believe that we will find some type of routine and a way to maximize our learning with this new technology.