I just signed up for a workshop on using iPads in the classroom....

....for learning support and special education (information here). I'm really excited about it. It will be great to have up to date information on good apps when I take the next round of OT students back into the school. It's looking like I will be returning to the same school as last time, which is good too. Now that I've done the hard yards getting to know the teachers, it will (hopefully) be much easier to get into the classrooms and work with them. I'd really love for us to be able to do lots more performance analysis in situ this time, looking at the kids doing a task in class and doing some joint problem solving to address difficulties in a more "on the spot" way, rather than withdrawing the kids to work at the side of the room, or in the library like we did last time. It would be great to think we could leave the teachers with some skills so that they feel like they can take some steps to address kids' difficulties themselves, rather than relying on the therapists for a quick fix (and it's very rarely a quick fix, by the way....sadly, we don't possess any magic bullets here).

So now we just need to buy the iPad and I'll be all set to go.

One of my kids won an iPod Touch!

From the Summer Reading Club he participated in with our local library. I'm claiming part ownership since I'm the one who encouraged* the kids to fill in their reading logs and I took them to the library every few weeks to hand them in. He was very excited to win. It was lovely to see the look of amazement and excitement on face when they read out his name. Especially since I'd worded them up before we went to the little party this afternoon for the prize drawing that not everyone can be the winner, and that it was just great that they'd participated and had a go.

As it turned out, it was one of those "every child wins a prize" events where they could choose what they wanted from a large table of smaller items so even the non-iPod recipients left happily.

I'm happy too. I said in here a few months ago that the only way we'd end up with an iPad or iPod here was if somebody won one. Sadly our little WiFi thingy that's supposed to connect everything to the internet all over our house isn't working though so we'll need to head off to the Apple Shop over the weekend to sort that all out so we can get other things besides the camera to work on the new toy.

Unfortunately, my happy winner is the same child who has already managed to lose his school folder (quite a large item, I still can't work out how he's lost that) and a library book in the past month. We have had strong words tonight about making sure the iPod returns to the same place every.single.day.

*or harrassed....

Win an iPad

Sorry folks, that title doesn't actually mean I am giving away an iPad.

But I have to say, I'm seeing the "win an iPad" slogan quite a lot lately. And it sucks me in every single time. I'm doing stuff I normally wouldn't be bothered about, but it suddenly seems worth doing if there's an iPad to be won.

I just updated my personal details for one of my super funds online because they're giving away 100 iPads for people who register. I was contemplating going to an information evening at our local high school (even though it's still a couple of years before any of our kids are ready to go there) because the school sign said you could go into a draw to win an iPad just by turning up. I ended up being unwell that night so I didn't get there, but I think the odds would have been good on a win there.

I can nominate my husband in an "I love my Physio" competition for World Physiotherapy Day (the 8th September, if anyone's interested) and win an iPad that way. Quote from the website that made me giggle: "Everyone should love a physiotherapist." Well, yes, I do actually. But I suspect my reasons for loving this one might not be the ones they're looking for in the competition.

We've decided that an iPad is a luxury item so we're highly unlikely to be able to justify buying ourselves one. So entering competitions is my only hope at the moment. And I'm hoping that in a few months, I'll be sharing news of a win with you all.