Great Teaching is about the Process, not the Product

Great teaching is about the process, not the product

iPads fit perfectly into teaching thinking, creativity, and problem solving because they 

allow for a unique and thought-filled process.  Teachers who give assignments and 

expect products will create one type of student - 

the type who knows he/she just needs to figure out what the teacher wants.

Teachers who send students on 
journeys where they 

get to demonstrate understanding, 

think flexibly / creatively, see things 
from differing viewpoints, make 
connections, teach others, 
practice persistence, experience struggle, 
and articulate 

their thinking create one type of student - 

the type who knows that it is the thinking itself 

that is valued.

 
What happens when something goes wrong?  An iPad is a piece of technology after all, 

so something will go wrong sooner or later.  When a student loses a project 
or an app crashes it's important to remember that just the project was lost.  
The student still has his knowledge, his creativity, his thinking. He has still 
been on a journey of learning.  

It's just the product that was lost - not the process. 

iPads are not the answer to every educational challenge or opportunity.  

Just because a device is great doesn't mean it's worth giving to a child for educational 

purposes (Mike Muir, 2011).  This is true of any tool we use in our classrooms.  However, 

iPads do allow for varied, individual, and creative thinking opportunities for a wide range 

of students. It's not about whether this is the right tool, it's about when is 

this the right tool, and how can teachers use it effectively.  In other words, educators need 

to remember that the iPad can be a tool to teach thinking.  It should be used to help 

students think and learn and not to provide just another way to deliver a product.

http://sfsipads.blogspot.com/2012/11/great-teaching-is-about-process-not.html