iPAD FJN

[jilytibrme]

Tom,

Please consider making us a FJN that would hold the iPad in a sleeve that would be operable in, while still having all the other standard FJN features.

Would sell like hotcakes and bring whole different genre into the TB fold. World domination and/or assimilation is the flavor of the day!

Thanks

[Lani]

Oh goodness, I can't figure out what FJN stands for!

[TXGirl]

Oh goodness, I can't figure out what FJN stands for!

Field Journal Notebook

[Lani]

D'oh. Thanks!

[Perplexa]

I would love this too! You can actually fit an iPad inside the FJN if you take out the notebook part, but only just barely, and there's nothing to keep it there. I would seriously consider switching to note taking on an iPad if I could hide it from my students by putting inside an FJN. They'd all know, but it wouldn't be so obvious.

[jannilee]

Why would using an iPad for notetaking be problematic????

[Perplexa]

Why would using an iPad for notetaking be problematic????

Because the children are not allowed to have MP3 players/cell phones/computers/iPads/etc at school and because, even though the children understand that their guides have different rules than they do, it is disrespectful to them for me to blatantly use appealing and forbidden technology in front of them. If I put an iPad inside an FJN, they would certainly notice, but it would keep me from advertising the fact every time I took it out to record observations or keep records (especially if my FJN also had a small notebook in it that went in front of the iPad.)

[jannilee]

Ahh! Students in our school district, especially those with special needs, are encouraged to use technology. Many schools have 1:1 laptops, class sets of iPads and all teachers have laptops. Starting last year students were allowed to bring their own technology and use it in controlled situations ( not to text their friends of course! I am in Canada.

[backpack]

One solution would be to take note on paper with an FJN then scan your note onto your laptop then transfert them onto the iPad to consult in the privacy of your office.

[Perplexa]

I'm in Canada, too, but since I teach in a Montessori school, things are a bit different for us. Technology is actually a bit of a challenge for us, because parents see that other schools are using a lot of technology and want us to use it too, but we find it doesn't necessarily support the children's learning. For the age group I have right now (ages 6-9), we let the children use our classroom computer for typing practice and some occasional word processing and maybe using the public library catalogue, but we don't really want them typing their work because we want them to practice their handwriting (and there is some evidence that children learn more through their writing when they write by hand, though I'm not sure how strong the studies are). We also intentionally avoid having the answers to too many questions available in our classroom because we want the children to plan their own "Going Out" trips to libraries, museums, etc. to pursue their research. (An adult always accompanies the children, of course, but the children are in charge.) Internet access essentially brings the whole world into the classroom, and it discourages the children from Going Out as much.

Things are a little different for the older elementary age group (9-12 or so) who use their computer for making presentations, typing up finished work, even making movies, since being able to present their research in polished ways ways is a pretty useful skill. They're also working on a large enough scale that they use the internet to help them research and plan their Going Outs. Our oldest children (11 and 12 year olds) are planning a trip to New York in the spring (we're in BC) to go to the Montessori Model UN conference. It would be absurd to insist that they make all their travel arrangements without the benefit of the internet, since they'd basically have to turn everything over to a travel agent and would get less useful experience.

What all this has to do with Tom Bihn bags, I don't know anymore!

[Perplexa]

One solution would be to take note on paper with an FJN then scan your note onto your laptop.

That's basically what I do right now, and I'll keep doing it for the time being. I don't even own an iPad!

[backpack]

I'm in Canada, too, but since I teach in a Montessori school, things are a bit different for us. Technology is actually a bit of a challenge for us, because parents see that other schools are using a lot of technology and want us to use it too, but we find it doesn't necessarily support the children's learning. For the age group I have right now (ages 6-9), we let the children use our classroom computer for typing practice and some occasional word processing and maybe using the public library catalogue, but we don't really want them typing their work because we want them to practice their handwriting (and there is some evidence that children learn more through their writing when they write by hand, though I'm not sure how strong the studies are). We also intentionally avoid having the answers to too many questions available in our classroom because we want the children to plan their own "Going Out" trips to libraries, museums, etc. to pursue their research. (An adult always accompanies the children, of course, but the children are in charge.) Internet access essentially brings the whole world into the classroom, and it discourages the children from Going Out as much.

Things are a little different for the older elementary age group (9-12 or so) who use their computer for making presentations, typing up finished work, even making movies, since being able to present their research in polished ways ways is a pretty useful skill. They're also working on a large enough scale that they use the internet to help them research and plan their Going Outs. Our oldest children (11 and 12 year olds) are planning a trip to New York in the spring (we're in BC) to go to the Montessori Model UN conference. It would be absurd to insist that they make all their travel arrangements without the benefit of the internet, since they'd basically have to turn everything over to a travel agent and would get less useful experience.

What all this has to do with Tom Bihn bags, I don't know anymore!

I greatly admire the Montessori school system.

What kind of writing instruments are you using?

[Perplexa]

I greatly admire the Montessori school system.

What kind of writing instruments are you using?

#2 pencils, mostly. :-)

Sometimes they use calligraphy pens, markers, sharpies, etc, if they have reason to. Some of our youngest children still find it challenging to form their letters, so they use the Movable Alphabet (cut out plastic letters) for their writing and then write it on paper.

[jilytibrme]

Tom Bihn Inc,

What do you say??

[Darcy]

Tom is already working on something like this. Maybe you'll see it in 2012? We don't have a date yet. I'll share more news when I have it!