Academy to give all staff iPhones ....

[broc]

An Academy in Sunderland is to give all staff iPhones & each student a free iPod Touch

 

 

School to hand free Apple iPod Touch to every pupil - Sunderland Echo

 

An interesting idea, but one that might have a few support & sustainability issues I fear?

[elsiegee40]

Lovely idea about the iPhones. I presume they will be for school use only; or are the staff prepared to declare them as a taxable benefit?

[StewartKnight]

are there any vacancies at the school?

 

No, wait.....

I already have an iPhone....

and they SUCK!

[localzuk]

Sounds like an interesting idea, from a unified communications point of view. Push email to them will remove the 'I haven't checked my email' thing, and if they have integrated their PBX with them, calls could easily be transferred to them etc...

 

However, the choice of phone may be an issue - the iPhone is all well and good, but it isn't exactly the most rugged phone, or the best for usage over long periods of time - battery life will soon annoy people.

 

Maybe an android based phone would've been a better choice, or a Windows Mobile based one - at least with WinMo they'd be able to lock em down to prevent them being filled with junk apps and the like...

[sidewinder]

Is there any way to lock them down or mass configure them? If not, I wouldnt like to be in the IT department in that school

[SYNACK]

Is there any way to lock them down or mass configure them? If not, I wouldnt like to be in the IT department in that school

 

Nope there is no central configuration tool yet, there are rumers that they may be looking at this for the next software release though however I fully agree, nightmare.

 

It was not mentioned in the article but I do wonder if they are all being issued with apple standard uniform turtlenecks as well.

[gaz350]

i do believe there is a enterprise config tool. was released when 2.0 came out.

 

he we go. never used it though as we only have iphones for our SLT

http://www.apple.com/support/iphone/enterprise/ (forgot link)

Edited June 10, 2009 by gaz350

[IanT]

Crazy Idea

[DMcCoy]

"Teachers are being encouraged to explore the tools it offers them and put forward suggestions of how it could be included in the curriculum."

 

Don't you do this bit first?

 

Oh, I have an ipod touch, and after a year battery life is going to be pretty crappy unless it's *just* playing music with the screen off. Pity it's a non removable battery too.

[powdarrmonkey]

Hmm... I can see their thinking, and it makes some sense, but couldn't they have found a less wasteful way of doing it? or are Apple getting them in dirt cheap? (good way to build loyalty in a future generation, I suppose....)

[broc]

It would be interesting to find out if the Apple 'solution' is in addition to the more traditional ICT solution based upon desktop/laptop/thin client setup, or their only ICT solution?

 

I am also not sure how involved they are with the Sunderland BSF managed service either. This is being outsourced to RM but has not yet kicked in.

 

Of course, as an Academy they will have more freedom of choice (and money) than a normal secondary school.

[russdev]

"Teachers are being encouraged to explore the tools it offers them and put forward suggestions of how it could be included in the curriculum."

 

Don't you do this bit first?

 

Oh, I have an ipod touch, and after a year battery life is going to be pretty crappy unless it's *just* playing music with the screen off. Pity it's a non removable battery too.

 

One ideas behind the whole academy scheme is that they can try things like this out...

 

To be honest I do think this good idea and will be watching this closley now off to see who I know up there to see if I can get to talk to them about the idea.

 

 

Russ

[webman]

What a stupid idea.

 

It does kind of back-up bossman's radical theory that education is heading in the direction where teachers will be a thing of the past.

 

... youngsters today are perfectly at home with mobile phones, Nintendo Wiis, and PlayStations and many of them spend hours a day chatting on social networking sites.

 

Academy 360 is working with the University of Hull to instruct teachers in the technology young people use.

 

Kids don't need instruction on how to use them. What good to students are teachers who haven't got a clue?

 

... teachers are constantly refreshing their skills to ensure that they are in touch with their students.

 

Playing catch-up, again.

 

... delivering a teaching approach that is centred around them [kids].

 

... pupils so they can listen to lectures at their own leisure.

 

He demonstrated ... how the iPhone could be used to convert kilometres into miles and English language into French.

 

Personalised learning. Great! Just download the necessary lectures and get the latest iTeach app from the Apple app store - job done!

Edited June 11, 2009 by webman

[bossman]

As you cannot change the battery in the device I wonder after a year how many of these devices are still working.

 

Absolute logistical nightmare :(

 

Have you ever tried to engage a 14 year old while they are using their mobile phone.

 

:(

[broc]

I can see the idea has enourmous potential, but also many pitfalls.

 

Those students motivated to learn could really benefit, those content to listen to music & play games & 'network' with their peers while they are supposed to be learning will gain little.

 

As far as teachers are concerned, giving them a school iPhone may mean they will always be 'online' as far as the school is concerned, & you can imagine them getting emails etc from colleagues & SMT at all times of the day/night!

 

These are issues that the Academy must deal with & it will be down to individual classroom teachers supported by the SMT to manage.

 

My biggest fear is based upon the fact that any handheld technology has a number of disadvantages that are physically difficult to overcome; things like screen size, keyboard size, battery life, durability are all issues, and I cannot see any handheld technology lasting for long in such a hostile environment as a school. The attrition rate of existing equipment such as notebooks is high already, I think it will soar with handheld equipment.

 

The ICT budget will need to have a lot of money dedicated for replacements.