The Ipad changed the digital device landscape. The device was released in 2010. Since then, over 200 million devices have been sold, many of those to school districts (over 8 million directly to school districts) hoping to capitalize on the devices multiple capabilities. Speaking of capabilities, there are dual cameras taking video and still shots, a speedy processor and at least 16 gigabytes of storage. The real capacity happens in the app store with millions of apps that drive the device. From presentation, word processing, music production, video and everything in between, the app store has it all.
All this makes the iPad a great tool. However, is it the best tool for early learners (K-12)? I'm not convinced. I use my iPad a lot, but I still find myself lugging around my laptop to do any kind of creation. (Lesson, assignments, even email). The troubling aspect (for the millions of schools buying them) of the iPad is that it is a media consuming device, not a creating device. For creating, individuals still use their laptops. The iPad and tablets are a distant second in content creating devices.
As is the case too often in public education especially, schools have jumped on the latest trend in technology without fully considering the consequences. Its easy to think, "Oh, tablets are the future so if I want my school and students to be ahead of the game lets get iPads," harder to consider deeper trends in digital learning and Web 2.0 trends.
This post might come across cynical but it isn't intended to be. I believe every student in the world should be in a 1 to 1 environment. (In the USA its more like 5 students to 1 device on average) I am grateful that I get to work in a 1 to 1 school but I also know that things cost money and choices have consequences. I just hope its in the best interest of our students to put a $500.00+ iPad in their hands above all other devices available.
Hey Nathan-
ReplyDeleteWow a 1 to 1 in high school? Is everyone prepared. I think about one of our class sets that was in a fourth grade classroom and got 'taken' home aka stolen and it came back a month later after the police got involved. The iPad was filled with family photos, the mom's Facebook account and the sisters emails all over the device. I am not sure why they wouldn't have know to delete everything, but it was a learning experience. I am actually teaching down the street from you at an elementary near Lincoln so I know we have a similar population. What are you plans for a safe implementation?
We do share similar populations. Someone stole a whole cart!!!! holy crap. How many Ipads does one need!
DeleteNathan -
ReplyDeleteI could talk all day about tablets in education. Your post reminds me of a big "debate" that is taking place in education right now when people are discussing iPads vs. Chromebooks. The problem that I see with those debates is that the two things are not really designed for the same thing. It's almost like comparing a pager to a cell phone. Each has a purpose and does it well.
I would agree with you that computers do tend to make working on them much more productive and sometimes easier to use. The problem with them, is that they are designed just to do that. I have a class set of Chromebooks in my room, and I don't think I would trade them out for iPads, but I do encourage (or beg) students to bring in their own devices for projects that Chromebooks just can't handle. Most of these come down to shooting videos and taking pictures.
I love tablets because they are just that much more portable and accessible than a laptop computer. They are easier to record quick videos and take pictures so that a multimedia project is now interactive. Holding a Chromebook so that the webcam is facing the subject of your picture just doesn't work. In this sense, I would disagree that an iPad can't be a creation device. I think it comes down to how a teacher can harness the abilities in a way that is beneficial to the student and to the learning. It's not about the device, it's about the learning that happens.
And for fun: http://www.schooltechnology.org/blog/2014/05/01/ipad-band-performance-of-hit-me-with-your-best-shot
I am quickly coming around to the potential of creating with the iPad. Thanks for the link.
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