I've been letting my kindergarteners use my iPad for practice writing, and it's been really eye-opening to see the different ways they learn with it. It's not just a fancy way of doing the same old thing.

The iPad is great for mimetic learning. We use a tracing app togteher with the pencil where they have to follow the lines to form their letters. It's all about repetition and imitation, just like practicing handwriting. They're learning the shape and form of each letter by simply copying it. It’s a very direct, teacher-led approach, but it works for building that foundational muscle memory.

We’ve started using a simple app that lets them create their own music by dragging and dropping different sounds like a drum beat, a piano melody, or an animal noise and combining them in their own unique way. This activity is a great way for them to practice problem-solving and see their own unique creations come to life.

For me, the iPad supports reflexive learning. There is a logic app where a character is trying to get from one side of a maze to the other. There's no single "right" way to do it. When they hit a wall, they have to stop, look at their last move, and figure out a new path.There will be a moment of reflection because they have to figure out what went wrong and correct their own mistakes. They take ownership of the puzzle and get excited about solving it themselves.

Using the iPad isn't just a gimmick. It's a tool that allows me to move my students through different stages of learning, from simple imitation to complex creation and self-correction. It's changing my role from just teaching them letters to guiding them in how to think and learn.