IPads for schools - The next step

[mthomas08]

It was bound to happen, sooner or later - is this an insane or brilliant idea?

 

1,400 school kids to be given iPads | The Sun |News

 

A school is sorting out an IPad for each and every student (parents are paying). Now I have always guessed this is the route we are going to go down sooner or later? The future always predicted this kind of thing so now it is actually happening in a school.

 

Is this a good idea of doing it, parents can pay or pay monthly? What of those who do not get one?

 

Would any other schools consider doing this. I must admit I am very anti IPads for schools at the moment but then the more I think about it the more it is a little useful device to have "Handy". Similar to a mobile you can live without it but it is very useful having one.

[broc]

The cynic in me says at least there aren't many bits to pull off or ports to break on an iPad, unlike the laptops at my school which are being systematically destroyed.

 

Perhaps the parental 'contribution' might mean the kit gets a bit more respect too.

 

Giving one device to every student gets round the issues of multi-user use when you only have a few iPads in use; I would like to see how they manage to licence apps though.

 

I would like to see their plan for how this is intended to work in reality, rather than a tabloid headline.

[MK-2]

Perhaps the parental 'contribution' might mean the kit gets a bit more respect too.

probably not, it just means that the parents have a part in it, so kids might not bring it in as dad is at home playing on it (well he IS paying for it), or dad decided to sell it down the pub for £200 as he needs the cash

 

i'll be honest, depends on the school. my last place they got in 500 pda's for kids (parents to pay £5 a week up to £100 for them). within a week most were damaged, lost or the parents had just refused to pay.

[p858snake]

The cynic in me says at least there aren't many bits to pull off or ports to break on an iPad, unlike the laptops at my school which are being systematically destroyed.

 

Perhaps the parental 'contribution' might mean the kit gets a bit more respect too.

 

Giving one device to every student gets round the issues of multi-user use when you only have a few iPads in use; I would like to see how they manage to licence apps though.

 

I would like to see their plan for how this is intended to work in reality, rather than a tabloid headline.

 

A couple of the schools in AUS have done this, and basically the parents pay a lump amount for the ipad plus a itunes gift card (can't remember if it was 20.- or 50.- worth) and that covered all the apps they needed (and a bit extra) and the students got given a list and they could do it themselves or help could be obtained via the schools techs.

[user17]

Its not worth it 1) you cant have two accounts on so it would be set up by the school or the students personal computer 2) the apps and music students would download (we dont want another Rucka Rucka Ali insident) 3) jailbreaking... need i say more?

[Haptic]

I'd like to know what lucky company is supplying 1400 iPads at £576 a pop.

 

Stock issues aside, some company is about to make the Times’ Rich List

 

Joe

[firefox_2006]

Just seen this myself......can't see how overall it will dramatically improve results for the money being spent. You could have a couple of really nice IT Rooms for this with kit that would last a lot longer than these will, as well as the hacking issue (jailbreaking). The techs there will be busy doing nothing but filing insurance claims and not fixing the other IT kit around the school because "daisys dog decided it was its new toy". I presume this has been carefully thought out......then again!

 

Almost like the scenario 10 years ago when schools jumped on the Interactive Whiteboard wagon "lets get one, we NEED it!" only for most not to see actual use other than a surface to project onto. Is kind of annoying when you here about all the school closures on the news and "academies" are wasting money on gimmick devices.

[Jamo]

I love these iPad in schools idea! I wish that we could see a documentary on their use in a couple of years!!

 

Don't get me wrong a touch screen device (iPad or whatever) would be great fun for the students, not something that they would be using every day. But a device with no user replaceable parts? A device which can not be effectively centrally managed (that iPhone thing doesn't count!!)? A device which isn't capable of running flash, which almost all VLE's use and certainly isn't going to be dropped by the educational software manufacturers any time soon!?

 

Who will pay when they break? The parents pay twice for the iPad? Or was is little Johnny's fault not Steve's so his parents should pay? If the parents cannot afford are these students left out? Then they have to use... books? Surely not!

 

The personal devices idea in schools has already failed dismally with laptops, why on Earth are people still fighting for this! Its an administrative nightmare.

 

Schools are educational environments not play grounds for new technical equipment.

 

Phew.

 

 

 

 

Saying that I did like the iPad when I used one. I am almost annoyed at myself lol

[Heebeejeebee]

... not to mention the mental amount of wireless access required!

 

HBJB

[Butuz]

Top 10 ways to waste massive amounts of money whilst not improving teaching and learning one bit:

 

And at number 1 we have: Buy every pupil an iPad!!!!!

 

Butuz

[RTFM]

I think i would prefer to go down the new thing from Apple where parents take our a credit agreement to buy the ipad over 2 - 3 years. Nothing to do with the school other than passing on confirmation a student does come to the school. Everything else is done by the parents. I think when we looked into it, if 50 parents took up the option it would be £15 a month for 3 years for an ipad2 (wifi, 64gb).

 

The finance is between the parent and apple so if the parent doesnt pay, it doesnt come back on the school.

 

I think thats an option we may be looking into.

[Max_Power]

Were testing the water with Ipads this coming year - were buying a class set to see how well teachers manage to intergrate them into the curriculum etc.

[mthomas08]

I am so glad to see everyone feel the same how I felt when I saw this. I too would like a documentary in 2-3 years time to see exactly how they were all used.

 

Would be an interesting thing to watch, to see the actual truth behind all this. I can understand that one day all schools will have some thing along the line of an IPad for everyone but in todays world I don't think we are at all ready. Goes back to the old "Its a new toy" lets get it?

 

I can understand though why people are getting it, it "could" work for them, perhaps they have really good students. It simply wouldnt work here, we have tried three sets of laptops over 8 Years and they all got wrecked/ruined/mis-used and the recent ones although more looked after the students/staff failed to listen to instructions on how to use them.

 

I really would love for anyone who is doing this to produce a report and get back to us

[HarryMonkey]

Some stuff here on their website. Seems like they will still be owned by the school despite the £16/m "contribution". Still an expensive option. ...

 

Longfield Academy

 

I would be interested to know how they plan to use them or will they, as with a lot of new devices, buy them and then see how they can shoehorn them into the curriculum?

[jamesfed]

Were testing the water with Ipads this coming year - were buying a class set to see how well teachers manage to intergrate them into the curriculum etc.

 

Nice to see I'm not the only ones who likes dunking iPads in water

[Sean-OC04]

Its a highly expensive mistake that will not be justified in the students results.

 

 

Here's a school that's has already done a 1:1 with iPod Touch, the resulting success stories in the video speak for themselves...These devices are making a significant impact everywhere

 

Learning Without Frontiers - Our Blog - Abdul Chohan, Essa Academy, LWF Talk, London*2011

 

 

 

Other

[russdev]

As said lots of schools around world have gone down a touch screen device (be that Ipad or whatever) per student and they have been very successful. Sadly people look at this as one or the other instead of desktops, laptops and yes even Ipads all having there place. Again lots of good examples of where Ipad can improve teaching and learning..

 

So first we have what of waste of tax payers money so then schools get parents to pay hmm and people still not happy.. Then I do remember same conversation about laptops. Sadly people look for ways not to use equipment instead of looking for ways of using them.

 

Russ

Edited July 16, 2011 by russdev

[GrumbleDook]

Abdul and co won the TES Schools award for ICT Innovation / Partnership last week as well (beating Northants BLT and Saltash.net in the process) and whilst all projects have their issues when they are starting up (for things like this usually around wireless, etc) it was well planned into the curriculum and made a difference.

 

To be honest, it is not so much an 'iPads are the solution' thing ... if you are thinking about this then try substituting the word tablet for iPad. The concepts involved are generally the same within their educational use ... and yes ... I do know there is a massive difference when it comes to the technical delivery and support ... but that is like any other technology ... there will always be problems to overcome.

[SYNACK]

To be honest, it is not so much an 'iPads are the solution' thing ... if you are thinking about this then try substituting the word tablet for iPad. The concepts involved are generally the same within their educational use ... and yes ... I do know there is a massive difference when it comes to the technical delivery and support ... but that is like any other technology ... there will always be problems to overcome.

 

Good advice there, you will get a lot less people trying to deprogram you (rightly or wrongly) if you use generic terms rather than the brand heavy versions and it will also allow you to pick the best solution rather than getting hung up on a specific course of action from the start and not being able to consider all the alternatives.

[sparkeh]

As with all stories of this type it depends on whether the conversations was:

 

a) "We would like to be able to do X, Y and Z, iPads will acheive this"

b) "Let's get iPads! Right what are we going to use them for?"

 

Unless we know that, criticism of the school based on that article isn't really fair.

[AyatollahPies]

Here's a school that's has already done a 1:1 with iPod Touch, the resulting success stories in the video speak for themselves...These devices are making a significant impact everywhere

 

Learning Without Frontiers - Our Blog - Abdul Chohan, Essa Academy, LWF Talk, London*2011

 

 

 

Other

 

Your signature suggests you have a vested interest.

[farmerste]

When the devices are new, and the man hours have been put in configuring them etc, they look really good. However if you have a look 6 or 12 months down the line it is a different story....

 

I have seen and heard the resulting chaos in schools that have won 'AWARDS' for their 'innovation'....

[Gibbo]

I've known schools which have gone down the "one netbook per child" route in the past. It caused them no end of hassles - no payment from the parents, loss, damage, theft, forgotten to charge them, broken chargers, issues with warranties not fixing malicious damage, arguments over who will foot the bill, and extra man hours needed to process all this.

 

Yes, they're a great idea but British schoolchildren aren't mature or responsible enough to look after them.

[russdev]

I've known schools which have gone down the "one netbook per child" route in the past. It caused them no end of hassles - no payment from the parents, loss, damage, theft, forgotten to charge them, broken chargers, issues with warranties not fixing malicious damage, arguments over who will foot the bill, and extra man hours needed to process all this.

 

Yes, they're a great idea but British schoolchildren aren't mature or responsible enough to look after them.

 

Wow a sweeping statement but based on thestudents in 10+ years that I have come across that is a very incorrect statement.

 

Maybe your students but not the whole population of the British schools. Many schools have one device per child and has worked in UK. The key to me is bring your own device where student owns the device like OP said with his project..

 

Russ

Edited July 18, 2011 by russdev
spelling error

[JonWPS]

I do find it frustrating that so few people are able to look beyond the iPad for these sort of things. We're introducing tablet devices for our sixth formers next year and after trialling and considering many options, we've gone for the Asus eee Pad Transformer. There are a mass of options out there now.