An Apple a Day

You've heard the old saying, "An apple a day, keeps the doctor away." Well in my opinion in our school district (and I am sure many others), "An apple a day could potentially keep the state and federal government at bay..." But this "Apple" is a little different than that sweet shiny thing you eat for lunch. The "Apple" that will help us make huge gains in education are the numerous "Apple" devices available, specifically the iPad.

I have recently discovered a tool that Apple has proudly launched through their iBooks app. The interactive textbook was an unthinkable dream for many educators, however, someone has taken our dream and made it a reality. I just watched this video where the entire concept is explained. You should take a few minutes and watch, I promise you won't be disappointed.

If you were able to watch the video you would have heard teachers reveal that half the battle in classrooms across America is engagement. I completely agree. If we can engage our students and help them see that what we are teaching is interesting and beneficial for their future they will more than likely be more successful. They will realize they have opportunities to do some pretty amazing things.

As I think about the new technology that is available to us as teachers now a days I am amazed. I am also completely at a lost when I think about the number of teachers that do not utilize it. I can't help but think about the diservice teachers are doing to their students when they do not allow them to explore technology. Taking advantage of the technology in our changing world is something we need to do in our classrooms! Technology is more than just one tool in our "toolbox" (as we call it) of engaging strategies. There are endless possibilities with technology.

So in the words of Dr. Seuss (who probably never dreamed of interactive books) go be the best of the best for your students, so they have an opportunity to be their best too!

"Oh the places you'll go! You'll be on your way up! You'll be seeing great sights! You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights. You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed. You'll pass the whole gang and soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you'll top all the rest."