What I Observed
This was the first time I have observed a classroom that was structured with technology. I was impressed seeing students do their warm up activities on the iPad. Most of the students appeared to be engaged as they were working to solve various physics problems dealing with electricity. What really caught my attention was the variety of problems each student was presented with. Although each student had to solve the same problems and equations, each student were presented with different variables. I thought this was a great way to accurately measure student understanding of concepts because students could not simply copy off of their neighbor. Furthermore, students were being assessed as they were completing their set of problems and students were given multiple attempts to work through the problems. Since all the information is collected in real time, it makes it much easier to identify what each student is struggling with. I find this to be helpful in helping students progress toward learning goals because it informs the teacher of individual learning needs. For science or physics classes I feel that Mr. Fogliatti implemented the use of iPads in his classroom well.
Concerns
While I was amazed by how well thought out the iPads were utilized, I was a bit underwhelmed with the lack of creation. It seems that the iPads were primarily used as a paperless textbook and instant assessment tool to help the teacher track progress. I understand that this program is just in the beginning stages and I am confident that Mr. Fogliatti will identify ways to have students create with the technology as well.
