Reflections from iPad training Session #3

Be sure and review the PDF in the post below that specifies all of the content covered in the 3rd training session.

These training sessions are getting more and more exciting because we're getting more and more into uses of the iPad that are meaningful to each of the participants. We started this weekend's session with a discussion of how the iPads have been used since our last training. About half of the participants actually spent time exploring their iPads and playing on their new apps that they learned about last week, while the other half did not touch them at all. Those who did explore came back with stories about how they shot video footage, made new collages in Pic Collage, took pictures, and improved their score in the bowling app. They asked great questions like, "Why couldn't I get onto the internet?", "How do I find an app about wrestling?", and "How do I send an email?"  I was thrilled with their questions and their enthusiasm!

My predominant model for the training this week was small group stations. Last week I had the volunteers be the ones to move at the transitions but this week I chose to have the participants shift so they had frequent  opportunities to get up and move their bodies, which alerted them and refocused their attention. The small group model of 2-4 participants per volunteer focused on one task lasting for 5-10 minutes was perfect for this crew. Each volunteer was assigned a task (ex. demonstrate and teach use of Photo Booth) and they taught this same station for all 5 rotations. By doing this, the volunteers were able to identify the common challenges across all of the participants they worked with.

Here are some of the challenges that we discovered with some of our individuals:

• difficulty with the fine motor aspect of touching and quickly releasing small targets on the touch screen (one volunteer recommended we try to use styluses for selection in the future)
• discomfort with the process of taking pictures of themselves and immediately looking at them. 
• understanding how to lock the orientation of the screen (portrait vs landscape).
• knowing what to do when a prompt box appeared asking to "allow" or "not to allow" access.
• dealing with the anxiety of learning something new and not feeling confident enough to initiate and explore on their own.  

Here were some of my favorite moments of the day... the little moments to be celebrated:

• ...when one of our guys found a video of his favorite techno artist on the YouTube app... he immediately stood up and started dancing and giggling with glee!
• ...when one of the women took a picture of me and added bright red lips, a mustache, and a silly hat using the Doodle Buddy app and she cracked herself up!
• ...when a couple of our women searched the App Store with the term "wrestling" and found free apps highlighting their favorite wrestlers.
• ...when one of the ladies figured out on her own how to find an app that gave options for backgrounds and she chose the picture and set it on her iPad all on her own.
• ...witnessing one of the women, who typically keeps to herself, take a leadership role in the small groups and share her knowledge of the iPad with her friends!

We've hit an important milestone now that we're to the point of shopping on the App Store for free apps, customizing the look of our iPads, collecting our own photos, and accessing our own music, because all of these tasks are ones that make each iPad more individualized and also more engaging for each participant.