ipads in school

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# 497341 24-Jul-2011 13:47

cyril7:
I think your mistaken that netbooks or tablets at school will have full internet access. They will be following strictly education system curriculae and clearly will not be there for kids to access what they want, both for distraction and inappropriate content issues

This is correct, in most instances internet traffic is dragged through a proxy the controls what and where they go.

Cyril

That's laughable, I know a number of LARGE schools who use opendns as their only means of web filtering. Besides ipad 3g and you've bypassed all of the schools security measures and are on net within 2 seconds.

If schools were serious about this the devices would be coming from the school locked down with no admin rights and no 3g

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gzt

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# 497348 24-Jul-2011 14:23

And the iPad focused backlash continues in the Herald. I have to say, based on that article it does seem Orewa College is myopically focused on the iPad, and if that is the case, this kind of criticism is justified.

I am a bit concerned it reflects badly on other classroom computing integration efforts which are far more comprehensive than just 'buy an iPad'.

It also seems bizarre the school is referring to one particular retailer.

freitasm

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# 497358 24-Jul-2011 15:29

From today's Herald:

Objections have been raised on the grounds that the iPad 2's $800 cost may be beyond many of the school's nearly 2000 pupils. But read to the end and you'll learn that "we have enclosed information on purchasing options from Cyclone Computers" at $10 a week. There's even a helpful email link to marym@cyclone.co.nz.The college presumably has parent groups that take an interest in the school. They are in a position to get together and refuse this ridiculous instruction.

The iPad itself doesn't do much - for anything useful you have to buy and download numerous apps. It's not even an ebook reader for most formats, you need another app for that.

With an awkward keyboard, it is hopeless for writing on at any length. When working outside areas with free wi-fi, which students will often be doing, it runs the risk of incurring high download fees. Like all Apple products it won't have anything to do with the widely used Flash format. Most absurdly, it will not connect to anything. It doesn't even have a USB port, although, of course, you can buy an adapter for that.

Orewa College parents - and their children - should reject this move not because it will divide the pupils into haves and have nots, but because the iPad2 is a lousy educational tool.

Incidentally, any school that uses the phrase "one to one computing device" instead of "computer" should be brought to the attention of the Education Review Office.

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tdgeek

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# 497376 24-Jul-2011 17:39

More drivel from the headline seeking media

DonGould

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# 497394 24-Jul-2011 19:30

Opinion & Commentary, from Mike Usmar, CEO of Computer Clubhouse, NZ & Pacific

Mike Usmar
Computer Clubhouse
www.computerclubhouse.org.nz

To me, Mike highlights a number of reasons why it's so important that every child in New Zealand as a modern 1 to 1 computing device in the classroom as soon as possible.

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timslim

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# 497944 26-Jul-2011 11:29

tdgeek: Agree. I never really got an answer to my question, how will they be used. To me, a very, very nice extension to hard copy textbooks, but at the end of the day thats all it can be.

I think this is one of the mistakes of looking at ipads/tablets/digital devices in schools.

If all they are is a digital equivalent of what we've already got - to save space and to save printing paper - then we're being rather short sighted about how we use technology to reach our students.

You gave the example of Google's 3D body project - there's no way the engagement of that site is possible in a book format.

We cannot be doing the same things (textbooks) on digital devices - that's backward IMO. We might as just email all our students PDF files.

Checkout these sites for some examples of ways in which content can be delivered and used digitally:

http://wikieducator.org/Main_Page

http://www.oercommons.org/

Yes - there are textbooks available - but many are available to remix/share and recreate. There are also many, many resources.

All of these require care, caution and active guidance by a teacher/school/learning community to make them relevant and useful for a student.

timslim

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# 497949 26-Jul-2011 11:41

Beccara:
cyril7:
I think your mistaken that netbooks or tablets at school will have full internet access. They will be following strictly education system curriculae and clearly will not be there for kids to access what they want, both for distraction and inappropriate content issues

This is correct, in most instances internet traffic is dragged through a proxy the controls what and where they go.

Cyril

That's laughable, I know a number of LARGE schools who use opendns as their only means of web filtering. Besides ipad 3g and you've bypassed all of the schools security measures and are on net within 2 seconds.

If schools were serious about this the devices would be coming from the school locked down with no admin rights and no 3g

See - if you see it all about control - you miss the point and the potential.

The more you lockdown and control a system - the more students are going to try and figure out ways around it. Locking down a system is an excellent way to encourage the development of problem-solving.

Most schools don't have the time to be police. But they can teach and model citizenship, personal responsibility, discretion and to some degree - what's appropriate and inappropriate.

In the public education sector we do that with eating, personal hygiene, girl/boy relationships, sunsafe, water safety, stranger danger, bullying, drugs and puberty. We do all that in the analog world - why should we not be doing that in the digital world.

And if your local school isn't - then as part of that school community - you should be asking why.

If schools are serious about digital devices - then they are or should be discussing the rights, responsibilities of using and having such devices. They should be making digital learning at the core of what they do, and how they do what they do - not just a shiny new fad.

Again - it's not about the device - it's about all the thinking and meaning that goes into wanting to have and use the device.

timslim

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# 497954 26-Jul-2011 11:48

I think these two posts, admittedly from the US, show how an era of digital devices will make an impact on teaching and learning. And not just classroom learning - but how the whole community connects with a school.

How would I prepare to teach with a BYOD class.

BYOD = Bring your own device.

Social media finds place in classroom

Key point from this article:

The other big misconception: that schools with open Web access are simply letting kids "play freely as if there's no structure," says Lisa Highfill, a 5th-grade teacher in Pleasanton, Calif. A longtime devotee of YouTube — she used it recently to show her Oakland-area students videos of tornadoes and mudslides — Highfill says she chooses videos in advance.
"I don't just search in front of the kids," says Highfill, who also uses a YouTube add-on that strips "related videos" off the right-hand side of the page.

She admits that even with careful planning, learning online carries risks. But the risks shouldn't be overstated. "When we go on a field trip, when we go anywhere," she says, "we warn (students) of the dangers of where we're going."

Digital doesn't mean you get rid of teachers - you just demand that they work effectively in a new medium.

And my own blurt about this case: Where are the computers?

DonGould

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# 497957 26-Jul-2011 11:53

Interesting that no one has talked about the benefits of having a device that you choose not to use.

Having a device is as much about learning when not to use it as learning when to use it.

Students need to have a device accessible and at hand for every task, all day, so they can grow their learning of when a device is simply not useful.

"12 * 7?".... When I was in school I'd reach for my calculator as I hated tables! Someone who was prepared to put in the effort had long since blurted the answer by the time I even found the on button.

Some information is not even on the net yet. Having a device at hand, students can very quickly discover that fact and address it. They learn what is there and is not there. What's more, they can add value to the network by researching and publishing information that's not on the net already.

Students today, need to learn how to integrate technology into everyday life. They need to have these devices at hand in the class room so teachers can educate them about when, and when not, to use them, though the process of discovery.

Someone who has been taught with only penciled, is not useful in my work place as they'll either never reach for a computer or over reach because they haven't been taught any balance.

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webwat

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# 498709 27-Jul-2011 21:33

Well it does seem that teachers and principals are as easily taken in by the fashion aspect of ipads as the rest of us. But I really can't believe that anybody thinks students can develop computer skills on ipads, unless schools will have classes in programming for them. My chance to learn some BASIC programming at school was something I wish I had done more of, but also for lots of other things that we now do on computers. Not much of that can be done on a tablet, and I hope Orewa students don't graduate without keyboard skills!

Netbooks seem to have the computing functionality along with the battery life, but also allow students to use for homework if mum and dad can't fork out for another homework comupter. Bit of a worry for schools to be recommending 3G-capable devices to be used during class time. Guess the issue with teachers banning students from using mobiles in class has come full circle. I was very impressed with some of the editorial articles written by students in a newspaper a while ago, and I would like to see students that can't afford the trendy "device" not to feel pressured into getting a tablet despite having insufficient home computer access.

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tdgeek

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# 498714 27-Jul-2011 21:50

webwat: Well it does seem that teachers and principals are as easily taken in by the fashion aspect of ipads as the rest of us. But I really can't believe that anybody thinks students can develop computer skills on ipads, unless schools will have classes in programming for them. My chance to learn some BASIC programming at school was something I wish I had done more of, but also for lots of other things that we now do on computers. Not much of that can be done on a tablet, and I hope Orewa students don't graduate without keyboard skills!

Netbooks seem to have the computing functionality along with the battery life, but also allow students to use for homework if mum and dad can't fork out for another homework comupter. Bit of a worry for schools to be recommending 3G-capable devices to be used during class time. Guess the issue with teachers banning students from using mobiles in class has come full circle. I was very impressed with some of the editorial articles written by students in a newspaper a while ago, and I would like to see students that can't afford the trendy "device" not to feel pressured into getting a tablet despite having insufficient home computer access.

You need to read the threads. The issue is not about iPads, it is about parents being told to get the kids a one to one device. Can be any tablet or any netbook. The iPad was just recommended solely due to battery life. If a laptop can give 10 hours then clearly that will have been the recommendation.

I dont recall the 3G aspect being required.

And furthermore, it is disrespectful to the schools if you take it that they chose the iPad for fashion reasons (rolling eyes)

gzt

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# 498730 27-Jul-2011 22:36

As much as imho it is the wrong device for a number of reasons, there are also a number of good reasons to choose it. For instance, it is near impossible for a user or appstore app to render the device unusable and in need of reinstall/tech support.

Compare that situation to other devices - which require far more infrastructure and technical knowledge to support the device and user.

Still expensive, but it does look better when you include that.

tdgeek

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# 498732 27-Jul-2011 22:43

gzt: As much as imho it is the wrong device for a number of reasons, there are also a number of good reasons to choose it. For instance, it is near impossible for a user or appstore app to render the device unusable and in need of reinstall/tech support.

Compare that situation to other devices - which require far more infrastructure and technical knowledge to support the device and user.

Still expensive, but it does look better when you include that.

Very good points, and as long as it was beneficial to access educational info and not to be used for typing essays. Be great for educational info on websites. I just see it as a never ending textbook

gzt

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# 498740 27-Jul-2011 23:04

Very good points, and as long as it was beneficial to access educational info and not to be used for typing essays. Be great for educational info on websites. I just see it as a never ending textbook

I did not expect to see these devices to be in a position to replace conventional textbooks in NZ for a while yet. Are there many NZ high school textbooks available in electronic form from the NZ iTunes store? And what kind of price and licence do they offer, rental & ownership options?

timslim

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# 498741 27-Jul-2011 23:06

Very good points, and as long as it was beneficial to access educational info and not to be used for typing essays. Be great for educational info on websites. I just see it as a never ending textbook

Here's several examples of teachers and school leaders working to make the iPad (in particular) more than just a textbook.

http://ipadeducators.ning.com/

I particularly liked this section: http://ipadeducators.ning.com/profiles/blogs/preparing-your-school-for-an

As it covers technical and network deployment issues, but also questions to consider in terms of pedagogy - and how the schools teaching and learning will change and evolve as a result of having these devices.

http://www.appannie.com/top/ipad/united-states/education/

http://www.iear.org/

http://www.appsineducation.blogspot.com/

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