Similar to the plan to bring iPads to West St. Paul’s school district, Farmington hopes to do the same. However, according to a recent Letter to the Editor in the Farmington Independent penned by two current school board members, the board plans to take the time to ensure the teachers and the district really are ready to go about putting iPads in the classroom and this may mean a slower rollout than the staff desires.
From the Letter to the Editor:
The Farmington School District is working on a plan to provide customized learning for every one of our students. A key part of that plan is putting a personal learning device is every student’s hands.
[...]
We fully back this initiative. From our discussions, it appears that all of the other Farmington School Board members do as well.
There’s almost no question that iPads will start showing up in students’ hands this fall.
But some board members, both of us included, have questions about how fast we go. For instance, will every student have an iPad by the end of the next school year, or is it a better idea to phase in the iPads over two or three school years.
[...]
The iPads are an exciting and necessary step forward for our schools. Sharp questioning of our staff by school board members about how we do this is an important part of making sure that the board and our community can move ahead with confidence.
While there are plenty members of the public clamoring for iPads in the classrooms, many others may definitely agree with the direction laid out here by two members of the Farmington School Board. There is only some doubt that technology in the classroom is important and can definitely be beneficial but it really all depends on how it is used and how the teachers/staff implement their use. It would appear that a staggered approach to rolling out the iPads to entire district would be a relatively conservative one and being that school budgets are down and classroom costs continue to rise, it may make the most sense to approach any new classroom technology in this manner–especially one which teachers may simply not understand all that well.
What do you think about the guidance offered by Tim Burke and Julie McKnight regarding iPads in ISD192′s classrooms next year? Do you think that a more conservative approach, as they seem to best support is the way to go or do you believe that every student must have one in their hands in order to get this done quickly and effectively? Are you concerned that they will simply be large paperweights or causes for distraction/theft? Do you believe teachers are properly equipped to roll these out to their students and use them more effectively than more traditional methods? Whatever you have to say about the Farmington School Board’s possible plans for iPads in the classroom go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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May 7th, 2012 at 8:08 am
I’d like to see how many of the iPads get pinched during the school year and then out of that total how many are still functional. I could see a lot people trying to plug in the charger ass backwards and destroying the connector for one. Also dropping them on a hard surface would most likely be fatal. I hope they’re buying Applecare with them.
Is there a lot of software out there that is suitable for a classroom setting? Or will they be used as an adjunct to existing classroom activities?
Does Apple subsidize this at all?
While I’m all for new ways to learn, one has to wonder if we are being oversold on technology.
Phasing them in over 2-3 years would mean that the school would likely have 3 different versions of the iPad floating around, so there could be issues with software along the line.
Do the schools factor in a refresh every 3 years (meaning replacing the older iPads all together to keep obsolescence in check).
Are there any studies that show that having an iPad/laptop in the classroom improves students learning?
May 7th, 2012 at 8:29 am
How come the school didn’t pay when I had to purchase a $100 calculator for my kids to be able to do well in calculus?
How come the school didn’t pay for a compass, or a ruler?
I say the school should go ahead and require the use of an iPad, but the parents should be responsible for providing them. It is not like they cost that much, especially used ($200-$300). Then, if they don’t want them anymore, they could sell them to a younger student.
Problem. Solved.
May 7th, 2012 at 9:03 am
Unfortunately I’m going to be “on the one hand … on the other hand” on this question. I think the use of the iPad shows a lot of promise, and they can do a lot of good for some people. But I’m not confident that schools will use them properly. After all, radio, video, and TV were all going to “revolutionize” education. Without any other changes to the approach to public schooling, I’m not sure iPads will bring widespread improvements.
May 7th, 2012 at 11:30 am
http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/realpedagogical-problem.jpg
I think this sums it up…no technology is a replacement for good teaching! Good teachers will use any and all means to engage all students, and iPADS sure help, but it still begins with good teachers.
May 7th, 2012 at 12:12 pm
I personally see this is a sign of the apocalypse that not only do Burke and McKnight actually agree on an something but they went as far as to pen a letter together.
As the parent of a child in District 192 I say it will hit the ground running and include all classrooms at one time. I don’t care if they delay it a year or two, just introduce it district wide. I think trying a limited roll out will just cause headaches for everyone. Parents trying to transfer kids in or out of an iPad classroom, into an iPad school, etc. There are going to be complications regardless so take a deep breath, treat the educators like the capable adults that they are and take the leap.
While I am not a big fan of the entire the iPad in the classroom concept the iPad Kool-aid has been consumed by the entire board so it’s not a matter of if, but when.
May 7th, 2012 at 3:34 pm
The thing with technology in education is that at this point in time, it’s absolutely necessary. The tricky part is ensuring that the technology being added is meaningful and purposeful, and not just technology so a district can say “Look how cool we are! We have iPads!”
To answer Nurd’s software question, I’m not certain about software, but there are innumerable numbers of apps useful in the classroom, many specifically designed to climb right up Bloom’s taxonomy ensuring that when used right, the apps and programs not only enhance student learning but accelerate it.
As to Lefty’s suggestion that schools require students to provide their own iPads, I merely shake my head, and thank the universe that he’s gone back to posting things I can’t agree with.
May 8th, 2012 at 9:36 am
It’s hard to be a fat old liberal when morons like this are giving us a bad name. Seriously, this should just above studying the mating habits of possums on the list of our schools funding priorites.
iPads, computers, technolgoy, apps etc.. it’s all much easier when you have a good foundation in math and science. Which you can get with a 30 year computer just as easiliy as an iPad, not as sexy mind you.
It can also be accomplished with graph paper and a set of sharpened pencils.
Since we’ve lost our minds and lost sight of our priorities allow me-
1) Learn math.
2) Learn more math.
3) Do science.
Skip art and music and all the other crap until you’ve graduated and have completed objective 1- Learn Math. You can enjoy your hobbies on your own time. Unless you have the chops to make a living on the viola, have a back up plan. And that plan will undoubtedly involve.. Math.
My daughter can color up a map like no ones business. $5000 in math tutoring she can now be compentent in advnaced mathematics. The 30 minutes a day in school didn’t do it for her.
Meanwhile in China 50million kids her age can not color a map well, or sing happy songs, or participate in neat enrichment programs. They can however do math, do science, do language, score perfect ACT scores and will kick her ass one day in the technology market.
THey also spend a shitload more time in the class rooms than we do. We get summers off. Happy times to be kids and grow. And develop self esteem.
When the Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Russians and Germans buy ipads for there kids, we can talk.
Their self esteem will come later. After they’ve actually accomplished something. Hers has to come now when she hasn’t done shit.
OK I’m done. Thank you for listening.
May 8th, 2012 at 3:29 pm
Sank, maybe if you’d had a spelling and grammar app on an iPad you would have used the correct form of “their” :)
May 8th, 2012 at 3:50 pm
It is because I update this shit on my iPhone that am prone to typos.
I fuc up my own blog too. Which is one reason it pales in comparison to Bills.
*sigh*
May 12th, 2012 at 9:27 pm
Here’s one Farmington resident’s response to this plan: http://www.farmingtonindependent.com/event/article/id/20093/
May 17th, 2012 at 5:36 pm
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Thisweeklivecom/~3/FdWTpcO8ZOA/
May 17th, 2012 at 8:57 pm
That’s around $482.00 per iPad. Not a bad deal since they go for around $500.00 for the 16GB model.
I didn’t know leasing was even an option. I suppose for large orders it would be though.
May 18th, 2012 at 9:05 am
I wonder if they are using the “Best Buy Trade In” program?????
February 25th, 2013 at 1:55 pm
A little late to the party, but…
A lot of valid concerns raised in the comments, most of which were addressed in policy development before the iPads were distributed.
As of today, all ISD 192 students have an iPad or an iPad Mini. The decision to substitute minis for full-sized iPads in some grades was made on the go as they weren’t out when the process started. It will save some money.
The iPads are leased for three years so new technology will work in over time. They are insured by a third party (parents pay). They have heavy duty protective cases that should protect them from most accidental drops.
It is projected that a substantial cost of the program will be recouped through savings on hard copy textbooks and paper/printing/copying. I’m waiting to see those numbers in the next year.
Will iPads make an impact on achievement? We’ll see. One concept that is appealing and being tried by several teachers is called the Flipped Classroom. Lectures that normally are presented in the classroom are delivered outside of class digitally (the iPad is the delivery platform). The classroom time is used for “homework” with the teacher there to assist individually as needed. There are many variations on this theme that apply to various grade levels and subject matter.
My greatest concern, not being a fan of Apple’s ultra-proprietary business model, is getting locked into Apple products. No question Apple makes pretty neat stuff, caters to the education market and knows how to sell crack to educators. They are still ahead of the curve and having all Apple equipment make integration relatively simple. And that’s where most of the software development is happening.
There just needs to be a recognition that the Android and Microsoft Windows platforms will soon be competitive, if not leaders in this field.
That’s one benefit of the lease model and that the whole district went iPad in one school year. It could make it possible to switch out platforms and not have to support multiple platforms at the same time.
There is high hopes and tempered expectations for the iPad program and not all of it has to happen immediately to make it worthwhile, either from a cost or achievement perspective.
Is it a gamble? Yes, but not a high stakes budget gamble as some might suggest.
Tim Burke
ex-ISD192 school board member
February 25th, 2013 at 3:27 pm
OK, let’s start the clock:
How long until a 6 year-old walking home from school gets mugged for their iPad?
My guess is within a month.