Teachers’ Overview of apps to date

The teachers provided an overview of their app usage to date.  Although there were logistical issues with Karaton, the students liked it and the teachers liked the concept behind the app.  The feedback highlighted the importance of making it easy for teachers and students alike to be able to use apps as smoothly as possible in order to get maximum benefit from an app.  The feedback on the Lexia app was very positive - the students liked the game-based learning and some students asked to play it every day.  The information on usage data is also helpful for teachers.  Immersive reader was another app discussed on the day.  There was a comment that it sometimes ran out of passages, and one teacher cleverly suggested that a Generative AI (GenAI) tool (e.g. ChatGPT) could be used to generate texts.  The teachers also discussed other apps like Nessie and Spelling for Me (which has both digital and linked paper-resources).

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Challenges

The discussion then moved on to challenges faced by teachers.  These include issues with devices and their availability, difficulties in finding time to learn about the apps and actually use them with students.  Some of the schools had issues with paying for licences for apps.  The teachers noted that it is important that the AdAPPtive project captures the reality of the school context and not only what it would ideally look like.

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Final Thoughts

Plans for the next CoP were discussed and the teachers are aware that they need to capture data on the students in advance of the next CoP.  In their reflections at the end of the CoP, the teachers said it was good to hear what others are saying and get different perspectives.