An iPod for each pupil

[Hollie1985]

An iPod for each pupil at Essa Academy will help school to stay in touch - Times Online

 

Interesting reading for you all

[ahuxham]

Public or Private?

 

If public, I think I'm a bit outraged that my tax money is being spent on a situation like that. It makes communication so inter-personal.

 

What ever happened to the library, the canteen, tutor rooms, common rooms and communication along those lines.

 

What if they're lost, stolen (sold on eBay), smashed and devoid of warranty due to ill happenings, I'd have no problem if this was in the Private sector, using their own money, but why public funds.

 

£1500 for 10 Students.

£15000 for 100 Students.

£135000 for all Students.

 

Absolutely appaling. In my own opinion

[DAckroyd]

I find it scary they are using 130 access points... is this a big site or are they trying to cook the students?

[sidewinder]

Essentially, any students reaction is going to be "FREE IPOD?!" They're going to be loving it, for personal reasons, not caring one bit about the educational reasons.

 

And they may not be allowed to use them in the street (a big LOL...try policing that) but they'll still have them on their person to and from school. Great target for muggers

[ahuxham]

How do you monitor communications between the devices, or stop grooming should anyone infiltrate the ipod syndicate.

 

How do you monitor image transfers and the likes, too many question, and a totally uncontrollable solution.

 

Very cleverly thought out, more a boast than anything else.

[plexer]

If teachers are pleased with a piece of work, they can ask a child to e-mail it to them and, using laptops and a projector, display it on a wall or screen to show the class.

 

Bit old school isn't it emailing files to the teacher?

 

Ben

[plexer]

Pupils, who carry their iPods in a reinforced pocket inside their blazers.

 

So they had to pay for blazer upgrades as well

 

Ben

[sidewinder]

Nothing to do with the ipods but LOL @ this too...bet the teachers are loving this

 

"To help to create a culture of democracy, teachers will also have to drink their coffee and catch up on administration in spaces shared with children."

[Jamman960]

I found that bit funny... drinking coffee with students etc - like thats going to last long! lol

 

I really don't see why they had to go down the iPod route, surely a windows mobile device would be more suitable? and not tied into the apple monopoly... atleast hardware wise anyway

[sandeep2504]

is it just me or is anyone else surprised at how cheap the insurance is?

 

£12.50 a device for something used by kids that can be sold on ebay, smashed quite easily etc.

 

It would be interesting to see how they manage the devices.

 

I agree about 130 wireless access points; a bit overkill.

 

Apple must be rubbing their hands with glee!

 

Imagine what you could do with £500,000 to be spent on technology..

[EduTech]

Think they should of looked at Ruckus for Wireless would of only needed 50 AP's!

 

Good idea's i just dont think the students are going to be thinking what they are, they will have App's, Music etc on there after the weekend! lol

 

James.

[bossman]

I see this for what it is "Another PR stunt for both School and BSF" it is not the first to achieve this as Sunderland 360 Academy already has this but with a different student ethos and is failing miserably at the moment due to IT failures on both sides.

 

It will all end in tears as it is not sustainable in the long run. Just putting large chunks of taxpayers money into certain peoples pockets.

[Hollie1985]

good idea to tie it into the Windows monopoly then?

[Guest richard_s]

I need a new iPod so I will have to keep an eye on Ebay

[GrumbleDook]

I know I seem in a grumpy mood today but it is amazing how things like this seem to spark fear and dread into some people ... they will label it PR or a waste of money without asking questions like how will it change the way kids learn? how will is change the staff approach to communication? how will the changes be measured to see if it makes a difference? These are the questions I want answering ... not if it will cost £x more to deal with this sort of solution. Think back to all those years when you had Heads and Librarians saying that there would be no point in having a network of computers for information ... after all, you had the library!

 

If it costs a bit of money but changes things enough so that the kids get a better chance in life is that a bad thing? Discuss!

[bossman]

If it costs a bit of money but changes things enough so that the kids get a better chance in life is that a bad thing? Discuss!

 

Hi Tony,

It is not the new technology which I find threatening it is the way in which it is percieved to be the answer to everything and each schools inovation is anothers downfall as people become more disillusioned with technology and the way in which our children have become more and more dependant on it. Students these day's really don't think for themselves without being given the answers all the time and this is even the simplest of tasks.

 

Yes the students love this as it puts them in touch with everybody in the school but what about outside the school in society where they have to communicate with spoken words, will they all have the use of the technology then.

 

I find young people facinating in the way they adapt to technological changes but i do feel that commercial gain is at the forefront and profit always comes at a loss.

 

I am not a half empty glass just the opposite but the answer will out in a couple of years time when these BSF contracts have ran out, what then, will the schools be able to maintain all this new technology as well as purchase new.

 

And will the kids get a better chance in life, just like in India where all the graduates are stuck behind call desks, I don't suppose they thought for one moment that they would end up there but they do with no future.

 

I too have seen a lot of changes in my life not always for the best but we are losing to commercialism in a big way as business has found a new route to profit via the educational path (easy money) yours and mine.

Edited November 13, 2009 by bossman

[broc]

I think it's a great idea to give kids technology, in principle. I just want to see how staff will keep students on task when they all have iPods to play with. How many schools today have to invest time, effort and money in software to monitor & control students activities using PCs? How much more diificult will this be with iPods?

 

On a daily basis, I monitor students logging onto our network. The first thing they do is open up a browser, navigate to Google (or similar search engine) and start looking for games, music videos, proms dresses...... then you see them minimise their browser windows & open up word/powerpoint/publisher excel or open a tab and navigate to the site the teacher has told them to go to.... then you watch them all lesson as they toggle between windows when the teachers back is turned. Some of our staff now routinely disable internet access in their lessons unless absolutely necessary because of the distraction it presents.

 

Imagine a class of 30 kids huddled over their iPods.... how do staff check what they are doing?

 

On a slightly different note, how long do you think an iPod battery will last in a school? What happens when the battery goes flat... or worse when it dies totally. They are not customer replaceable....

[GrumbleDook]

So, you want a device which could be mobile, long battery life, has an internet connection that can be run through a filter and controlled / monitored, which has enough ease so that it doesn't take a rocket scientist to get up and running and use.

 

As for kids needing spoon feeding, is that the fault of the kit or the teachers? On a few mailing lists the following item sparked much more heated discussion between noted education technologists ... quite funny to watch. Learn 4 Life What happens when you give a class of 8 year old children an iPod touch each?

 

If anyone followed any of the handheld learning conference you can find lots of examples of learning that goes on with stuff like this, but it all relies on quite big changes to how education works. Usually it is the teachers that are a big blockage as it means more work, having to learn a heap more stuff ... but if it is going to work then IT staff have to accept change too, but not on our terms!

 

After that then we can sit down, look at old ways of doing things, new ways, and see if we can sort out what is affordable, what makes a difference and whether it is worth it. You never know ... there might be the glowing satisfaction that you are all right to say it is not worth it. So far a fair chunk of stuff done on a small scale say you aren't but you never know.

 

I do understand you positions though ... and often fight that corner myself.

[broc]

As for kids needing spoon feeding, is that the fault of the kit or the teachers?

 

This is a very interesting question.

 

My feeling is that the blame lies with the overburdened curriculum our schools have to deliver, coupled with an education system that is so obsessed with measurements that many students don't have time to 'learn' & have to rely upon being spoon fed; the result is students become bored, staff are bored & large numbers of students become disaffected & badly behaved.

 

Many subjects have been dumbed down & kids aren't allowed to do anything that may carry risk. We in ICT are guilty too, with all our filtering & blocking....

 

How many people can remember 'playing' with beads of mercury on the bench? Nowadays it is a major chemical alert needing the fire brigade & breathing apparatus if any gets spilled.... kids can only do 'safe' experiments in science now.

 

When I did 'technology', I learned how to weld, braze, work at a forge, operate milling machines & lathes, cast molten aluminium........ now all they do is butcher MDF....

 

Sorry... wandered off the point. iPods would be a great idea in schools if only you could persuade the students to use them in a way which enhanced their learning experience....... I doubt this would work in my 'bog standard' state secondary school.

[flyinghaggis]

Public or Private?

 

If public, I think I'm a bit outraged that my tax money is being spent on a situation like that. It makes communication so inter-personal.

 

Looks like it's a public/state school so the money's coming out of the UK tax pot. Disgraceful that it's being squandered on something so useless IMO. If you're going to buy a £200 quid device for each pupil at least get them a laptop which would offer some flexibility and educational benefit. Buying them Ipod's is just a pathetic attempt to try any look 'trendy'

Edited November 13, 2009 by flyinghaggis

[webman]

So, you want a device which could be mobile, long battery life, has an internet connection that can be run through a filter and controlled / monitored, which has enough ease so that it doesn't take a rocket scientist to get up and running and use.

 

Who says we want them at all? As previously suggested by some, I'm of the general persuasion that it's a gimmick - for PR or other reasons.

 

I'd love to hear of a story (good or bad) where this technology has been in use for a number of years already - how it was implemented, at what total cost, what real educational benefits have been realised (if any), how many devices have been replaced and so on. Like BSF, a potentially good idea conjured up with heads in clouds, but realistically it's just a huge mess that hasn't been thought through properly.

[fayfrancis]

Public or Private?

 

If public, I think I'm a bit outraged that my tax money is being spent on a situation like that. It makes communication so inter-personal.

 

What ever happened to the library, the canteen, tutor rooms, common rooms and communication along those lines.

 

What if they're lost, stolen (sold on eBay), smashed and devoid of warranty due to ill happenings, I'd have no problem if this was in the Private sector, using their own money, but why public funds.

 

£1500 for 10 Students.

£15000 for 100 Students.

£135000 for all Students.

 

Absolutely appaling. In my own opinion

 

 

The funding was from Sponsors I believe, the devices are insured also I believe. What I would like to point out is that this is engaging the pupils interest in learing through pod-casts, homework allocation and more interactive learning, the devices are much less cost than a full laptop which under directives soon to be deadline each student must have a device, this is nothing but an innovative learing solution.

[tmcd35]

Got to say I'm a little surprised at the negativity running throught this thread. I read the article and my first thought was - wow, what a great idea. Then again I'd had similar thoughts before with the Palm - would make a great replacement to the old homework diary.

 

Part of me questions if the iPod Touch is the right device - but I suppose the number of apps and iTunesU answer that really. Both certainly can outway the fact that it's an MP3 player.

 

I do share others sentaments on cost. Not because it's coming out of the tax payers purse, but because initially I think of other things (network upgrades, servers, new suites, software, etc) to do with the money.

 

As an idea though - first class!

 

(Seriously, 130 AP's?)

[fayfrancis]

After fully reading all of the posts, I definately think that there is a full misunderstanding of how this technology is used, it is used for learning - it is used purely for planners, pod-casts and other learning apps. It was a carefully planned project of which i was involved with personally myself. I think it is as i mentioned before cheaper than a laptop and the school did not want to endanger their children and make them a target, iTouches were much less cost than a laptop and not as easily seen. This if you see the full picture is a fantastic way of engaging the childrens interest, as they are for learning in controlled circumstances I understand how it could be seen as a gimmick but clearly school put a lot of thought into the best solution for their students. If over all their grades are improving I fail to see how this can be seen as a negative.

 

This is not a view of my employer or the school themselves,

[fayfrancis]

Got to say I'm a little surprised at the negativity running throught this thread. I read the article and my first thought was - wow, what a great idea. Then again I'd had similar thoughts before with the Palm - would make a great replacement to the old homework diary.

 

Part of me questions if the iPod Touch is the right device - but I suppose the number of apps and iTunesU answer that really. Both certainly can outway the fact that it's an MP3 player.

 

I do share others sentaments on cost. Not because it's coming out of the tax payers purse, but because initially I think of other things (network upgrades, servers, new suites, software, etc) to do with the money.

 

As an idea though - first class!

 

(Seriously, 130 AP's?)

 

sorry I didnt answer this - yes 130 aps, it is a full n deployment which is in the 5ghz band so the propogation is smaller there are appoximately 10 buildings for the school so that obviously was unfortunate that they were not in one building. There are secondarys with a similar solution but much less on aps they also covered the external areas ie picnic areas and playing fields. This was to allow the children flexible collaborative learning, they may not use the iTouches for certain studies but ie a revision class can sit in the picnic areas and use collaborative learning to revise. Also the high bandwidth system will allow for online exams in the hall eventually when the exam system is capable.

 

(again my views from working on the project)