iPad study tour Melbourne 2011

A group of educators from Catholic Education Parramatta recently took part in an iPad study tour of a few schools in Melbourne.  We also had input from Apple and educators from schools who were implementing one to one iPad programs in their schools.
Following is a brief summary with links to useful information about the use of iPads  in Schools:

1. Apple presentation:

•  ios5 enhancements- use of Airplay with Apple TV box to project from an iPad wirelessly will untether teachers.  Some links to understand Airplay: Extension of Airplay in iOS 5 to advance iPad use in schools and a how to setup Airplay mirroring with iPad2 at Welcome to iPad2.5 Presentation Machine.
•  'Teachers should promote curiosity and the iPad provides that opportunity'
• 140,000+ apps available
• Apps like Virtual Roma and the Last Supper which immerse the students in an 3D like panoramic environment that they can explore.  These sort of Apps move the use of technology from enhancement to transformation on the SAMR model of inclusion of technology in curriculum. 

(Some useful links I have found to information on SAMR model and 'Thinking Creatively: Teachers as designers of Content, Technology and Pedagogy')

2. Presentations from:
Shawn Taggert Acacia College.
Went one to one with Years 7's after buying a class set.  RMIT is doing a study on the use of iPads for student learning in their schools.  Initially the school bought iPads for the students, next year parents will buy them.  They have halved their booklist.
Steven Cook Albert Park College.
Delivering a richer more multifaceted curriculum using iPads to transform learning.  Believe that schools need to use devices that are relevant to students of today.
Hilary Bland Victorian College of the Arts.
Look at the PISA Report on Digital Literacy when implementing iPads. Practicalities: use of Webdav instead of Dropbox to save student documents.
3. Visits to:
 Presentation College Windsor, Kelly McGurn and David Patterson provided very useful practical information on the preparation and implementation of a one to one iPad program in their school. Link to presentation.
Adam Brice from Ringwoood North Primary School: they have a one to one program with 138 iPads across the school using it for Challenge Based Learning in an Agile Learning Space.
Outcomes for them: the iPad allows learning to become the focus rather than the technology and teachers as collaborators.  See one example of students work 'River of Belief' and more posts about the iPad trial via the same link.
Phillip Sakellaridis from St Josephs Ferntree Gully. This year 186 students in Yr 7 have iPads.  Next year Yr 7, 8 and 12 will have iPads.  'Students are the experts'.

The above is a very brief summary of two days of very valuable information gathered from this tour. If anyone from the tour has anything else they would like to add or provide further links please add a comment or email any amendments to lisa.nash@parra.catholic.edu.au.