An Apple for the teacher and every student?
My colleague Jim Galloway reports that the Legislature is considering an offer from Apple Computers to introduce iPads into middle school classrooms in Georgia as a substitute for books in a measure designed to both cut costs and modernize Georgia classrooms.
Any takers?
Or does a classroom full of kids dependent on computers simply create more headaches — lost, stolen, broken, forgotten — than it solves?
A friend worked in a district that gave every student a laptop and said it was a disaster because of the aforementioned problems.
Galloway reports that Senate President pro tem Tommie Williams, R-Lyon said: Last week we met with Apple Computers, and they have a really promising program where they come in and their recommending to middle schools – for $500 per child per year, they will furnish every child with an iPad, wi-fi the system, provide all the books on the system, all the upgrades, all the teacher training – and the results they’re getting from these kids is phenomenal.”
As Williams noted, the state is spending $40 million on textbooks. (And that is far from covering the full costs of the books, which are increasingly being picked up by local systems.)
In what can be dangerous, my AJC colleagues and I did some math. Figuring there are probably about half a million middle school students in Georgia, how are we saving any money spending $500 per student per year, which is what Williams said at the press conference today? (This morning, I received the actual numbers of middle schoolers: 377,478 middle schoolers reported enrolled this fall. At $500 apiece, that’s $188,739,000. Thanks, Quanalyst)
Are the academic outcomes so much better with iPads to justify the additional cost?
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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An Apple for the teacher and every student? | Get Schooled : : student
February 2nd, 2011
12:38 am
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Suzanne
February 2nd, 2011
2:04 am
Have you ever used one? The learning curve is about 3 minutes. My 9 yr old daughter is now getting A’s in spelling, playing educational games, writing reports incorporating video and photos, emailing with her teacher, creating shortcuts to and utilizing on-line learning web sites recommended by her teachers, ASKING to ‘map out a report’ with a great app for organizing with a bubble diagram…this happens daily – in down time between sports and friends. It’s ALL right there, mobile, accessible, customized by her. She’s reading books from B&N, Amazon, creating her own story books (an app) – you name it. She’s never been so excited about learning. Don’t mock it till ya try it! So much negativity…technology is here to stay, like it or not.
Suzanne
February 2nd, 2011
2:07 am
PS – she still does ‘old fashioned’ writing of reports and math and all the basics. Nothing lost…everything gained.
Kapoonka
February 2nd, 2011
5:34 am
Yeah right…..let’s see theft, sexting, porn surfing, dropped units, lost units, big brother took my unit, games, everything except education. While technology may be advancing, education isn’t. This is a terrible waste of time and a horrible idea. Back to the Ipad…er….drawing board please.
Dr. Craig Spinks/ Augusta
February 2nd, 2011
5:38 am
Maybe the GDOE should hire Apple’s marketing group to sell the public, particularly our youth, on the iDea that education is important.
ScienceTeacher671
February 2nd, 2011
6:09 am
@another comment, if I had evidence that my child was texting all day during school hours, I think I’d adjust her plan to remove texting, and consider blocking most numbers except mine. Or maybe taking the phone away during school hours. Why does your child need a phone at school to begin with?
Bryan in South GA
February 2nd, 2011
6:15 am
What happened to hands-on Science instruction? Any Science teachers out there who still use a laboratory classroom?
David
February 2nd, 2011
6:25 am
If Apple wants to indoctrinate the kids to their technology, let them donate the goods. Offering them at retail price is a joke.
Decent disposable androids can be had for $100 a piece .
teacher&mom
February 2nd, 2011
6:37 am
@Bryan in SGA….sure I still try to implement a laboratory classroom but the funds to replace supplies have been slashed to the bone….for several years. I’d love to have $500 to buy lab supplies, but lab supplies are just so…”last year.” They’re not as trendy and cool as an iPad.
*extreme sarcasm alert*
GrumpyOldMan
February 2nd, 2011
6:47 am
I see drug crazed parents stealing the iPads to sell for drug money!
special ed teacher 2
February 2nd, 2011
7:05 am
My daughter’s Spanish textbook is already online. The teacher has one class set that remains in the room, for home they have to access a website. I am an elementary teacher and our math, science, and social studies books are also available online. Students are not allowed to carry the books home, they can only take their workbooks. Having said this, about two days a week the so called smart board in my classroom doesn’t work, and we don’t utilize the laptops because it takes too long to log all them on and there are too many in a classroom for the wireless network to adequately run them. What isn’t being told is the older buildings have to be rewired to support the wi-fi networks which is a substantial cost.
catlady
February 2nd, 2011
7:09 am
Maybe apple could offer this deal to the parents to buy at the reduced cost of $500. then, perhaps, the students will take care of them. And then apple can also add on a $200 per year plan for repair, to the parents.
Keep tax money out of this boondoggle.
bigdealer
February 2nd, 2011
7:18 am
I dont see the fuss… why not let our kids get hands on training with today’s technology? Maybe this shouldn’t be forced, but perhaps an elective, with iPads remaining at the school. Saying that the “kids should only used text books becuase that’s all I had and I turned out great” is naive. The world is only moving forward, and the earlier a child learns how to use modern electronics, the more prepared they will be to function in the real world.
the ADD Generation
February 2nd, 2011
7:25 am
Good Grief NO … please NO … the kids will abuse the capability of these iPads to no end. I know this because if I were a 7th grader and received a shiny new computer as a replacement for my textbooks … the LAST thing I would try to use it for would be for learning. Also consider the security issues … iPad theft at schools would become the next category of ATL crime problems.
I could go on and on …. this is just a plain BAD IDEA
Double Zero Eight
February 2nd, 2011
7:30 am
This will end up costing the state money, I can assure you!
Remember the computer debacle in APS? The problem is
not technology. No wonder GA ranks near the bottom
in education.
Boris
February 2nd, 2011
7:41 am
How will Atlanta teachers be able to change test scores on an I-Pad? They are too dumb to program them, so the only recourse is to stage a fire or break-in and smash them all. Then the authorities can “deem” the students passed, the same as our U.S. Democratic Party congress “deems” legislation passes without a vote.
dave sandridge
February 2nd, 2011
7:48 am
Many class rooms already have the computers. It will come and problems will be solved. The schools already have websites with classroom materials on them. The momentum is there and the smaller pad makes more sense.
Rick
February 2nd, 2011
7:57 am
This could work just like my son’s itouch. He bought it and within 3 months he dropped it in a sink full of water. Stick with the books. Different books, but books all the same.
AJinCobb
February 2nd, 2011
8:07 am
It’s just depressing how many people posting here have such a negative, even hostile attitude toward the next generation. Never mind if future leaders in other countries are getting up-to-the-minute educations; our rising generation is worthless and only needs the good old-fashioned 3Rs. I guess America is not going to be a world leader in future (when the kids now in school are running this country) but plenty of us don’t care about that, to judge by the comments here.
About 30 year old science being plenty good enough for middle schoolers: I’m afraid these comments are coming from people who don’t know much about science. My high school junior did a gene-splicing experiment in 7th grade science class, four years ago at a Cobb County middle school. There was no such thing as gene splicing when I was in high school and college, back in the 70s. This year, I’ve been observing that AP Chemistry has a lot of content that wasn’t in my 1970s college freshman Chemistry course. I’m afraid this will be news to the scientifically uninformed, but scientific knowledge is continually being advanced and refined, and the most current information has impact even on what we teach in middle and high school.
Roswell Mom
February 2nd, 2011
8:11 am
my older daughter was required to have iTouch in her AP World History class. She brought her own at the beginning of the year only to have it stolen in March. With b’day money she purchased a new one and had that one stolen 3 weeks later – both were stolen out of her backpack which was in her classroom with her. Stolen when she was in a lab room for a class that did not require the iTouch. The school loans iTouches for this class but, if it’s stolen, you have to pay to replace it – not the school’s problem that it was stolen even though they REQUIRE it for this class. The teaching idea on this kind of technology is a good one but as long as these iTouches and iPads are in such demand and unaffordable to the masses, they will always be stolen. I say NO to this program until we can figure out a way to make them theft & damage proof. We don’t have the money to fund this kind of a program right now.
Tweets that mention An Apple for the teacher and every student? | Get Schooled -- Topsy.com
February 2nd, 2011
8:23 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Scott McDaniel, Scott McDaniel. Scott McDaniel said: RT @onboardlearning iPads for all middle school students. Public comments on this make my jaw drop. http://bit.ly/dLGBCA / So shortsighted! [...]
Roekest
February 2nd, 2011
8:35 am
While the program should not be mandated by the State, I think students/parents should be given that option: textbooks for all educational levels need to be digitized, all schools should have a wi-fi system students can access, and students should be allowed to bring an iPad or other tablet to school on which to do their work/read their textbooks. I’ll allow my taxes for the infrastructure upgrades, but I don’t trust every middle schooler to keep and maintain an expensive device.
da bear
February 2nd, 2011
8:40 am
I teach at a school that gives out laptops to all students. It is cheaper than textbooks and the students take good care of them, as a whole.
This school is a rural, low socioeconomic school, and theft/breakage has not been a serious problem. There are adjustments to make in teaching style, but we are learning.
I had many of the same reservations mentioned here. I was wrong.
Philosopher
February 2nd, 2011
8:42 am
Bishop Eddie Longs Red Panties: Amen-my 90 pound 8th grader caries 40-50 pounds in her bookbag daily and literally falls over from the weight of it. The technology could put our kids on a much more competetitive level, if we could find aworkable way to provide it to the kids…this way, though, will just not do it! Common sense, not dreams is required here. However, if we could at LEAST, put the books on CD or jump drive, they could be updated and replaced much faster and would certainly lower the scoliosis risk that is now a significant problem with young, growing backs.
Lastly, teachers calling children “little monsters” amd “crumb snatchers”, says a lot about why teachers continually fight for respect. It may be fun, but calling children names is very unprofessional and if you cannot be trusted to respect and speak professionally about your students, how can you be respected by the public, your peers…or even yourselves ?
Double Zero Eight
February 2nd, 2011
9:03 am
I don’t think the majority of the bloggers with
negative posts are against technology. They are
aware that if this is to be implemented in ALL schools,
not every child or parent can be held accoutable for
taking care of the equipment. This concept is not
feasible without an iron clad contract that caps the total
cost, and takes into consideration theft, maintenance,
etc.. It would be more feasible if this was considered
for students in high school.
I am curious as to what educators in urban schools think.
Middle Schooler Mom
February 2nd, 2011
9:07 am
I don’t understand this one. My kids have textbooks at school where they leave their text books. When my children come home they access ALL their textbooks on-line from the book company, which provides online access to our public school (I guess because the Forsyth Cty schools have purchase the texts.) Also, my children print out they’re homework workbook pages at home from the online book publishers site.
Although my middleschooler (and upcoming middleschooler) would LOVE to have an iPad, it wouldn’t help enhance their learning.
I think Apple is a very smart company to target the population that has been revealed over the past decade as the population who spends the most money…tweens and teens. Apple focuses on the teens/tween and next thing you know, their hooked and will be future Apple customers purchasing their own private iPads, etc.
GA needs to focus on the students instead of playing politics with Apple, at the huge expense of the taxpayers.
CSB
February 2nd, 2011
9:07 am
As a textbook coordinator at a middle school, please get rid of the textbooks. There are textbooks in the toilet, outside, on school buses, etc… Students want technology so this is a good thing. We can stop losing $20,000 a year in textbooks. We lost this without even distributing reading and language arts books.
Oh yes, I'm the great pretender......
February 2nd, 2011
9:17 am
News Flash: Apple has absolutely no interest in saving Georgia Public Schools money with this giveaway…….what they are interested in is a “revenue stream” in future years from people growing up with this technology and “getting used” to using it and therefore buying it when the freebies give out……make sense? Does to the person at Apple whose “light bulb came on”.
Come On Son
February 2nd, 2011
9:19 am
This is an idea that sounds like a slam dunk in theory but in reality, too many problems as mentioned in the opening of the article. I can see this working in a private school where the cost of the Ipad and warranty for breakage was intergrated in the tuition, but public schools; Come on Son!
I thought of this years ago and it would be great for college students because the cost of text books are outrageous. This will happen over time but is there any research on the effects of reading and looking at a computer screen all day, every day.
Gator
February 2nd, 2011
9:20 am
For 500 bucks, we could buy laptops for the students with the books loaded and more functionality. Sorry Apple.
iPuke
February 2nd, 2011
9:24 am
This is ridicules! First of all, since when do kids have to be entertained in order to learn? Second, unless its History, or Science, the books need never change. Math is math, English is English, and reading is reading. It’s been the same for eons! Third is like the article said, it will cause much more problems and money than it will be ever worth.
Philosopher
February 2nd, 2011
9:28 am
On the other hand, I’m wondering how many people are aware of the fact that there are still homes without computers…lots of kids who must do their homework in libraries, if they can get to them, or can only do it at school. Georgia even has children living in homes without running water…truthfully. I am not advocating not moving forward because of this poverty with resultant lack of available technology, rather, I am just saying that we should make decisions that include this information. The biggest problem lies in the transport of these ipads between school and home…and there will be no changing those problems. Teenage brains, bus rides, theft, improper use, all of that and more is a set-up for failure-so we must go back to the drawing board and rethink this one. I don’t think we should give up…but we absolutely MUST rethink.
TE
February 2nd, 2011
9:36 am
I would love to have this technology in my classroom, and think in the long run it would pay for itself, but our county technology department is so short staffed there is not way they could keep up with the repair of these IPads. Heck my technology department can’t even get a page on the web to load properly so I can use it in class, what would they ever do with a IPad app that is run by a totally different system than they are accustomed to using.
Marie
February 2nd, 2011
9:39 am
Why doesn’t the state of GA (or the individual school systems) get the electronic (pdf) versions of these textbooks instead of the actual books. They can then purchase a copy license for each of the students. There is no doubt in my mind that this is cheaper then what is currently being used and this nonesense they are proposing.
The student (or teachers) will then only print the chapters of the book they will actually use since it is rare for a teacher to get through an entire textbook during a semester. Or the student can read the text on the laptop, desktop, smartphone, tablet or whatever device PURCHASED BY THEIR PARENT(S) and not by taxpayers. I teach part-time for a major university and this is what they are currently doing — hard copy textbooks are so yesterday.
seen this movie before
February 2nd, 2011
9:44 am
This sounds like an excellent idea until something happens.
My daughter’s public school was in the apple program, where all the students were issued laptops, software, and all that technology stuff for one year. The outside expenses, including repair and insurance for accidents ($150 per year with a $250 deductible) doubled the cost of the laptops – with the insurance put on the parents. Several children broke their laptops and were not able to do homework for several weeks waiting for the repairs, if the parents paid or returned the machines for repair – no spares were provided.
That, and several of the kids were using the laptops to chat and video chat with some names that can’t be repeated in a family newspaper.
alphadog
February 2nd, 2011
9:59 am
I was a technology consultant for the education industry several years ago. While working in a big city school district I asked teachers why they did not allow the students to take their science books home. They replied that they’d never see them again. More books were collected off the school bus and from the McDonalds across the street than they could count. No way these kids will keep up with laptops or iPads.
By the way, these technology projects usually come with insurance. Doesn’t take the kids, or parents, long to figure out they can pay the $50 deductible for a “lost” computer and get a new one.
Technology in the hands of students, with professionally trained teachers, can be a powerful force in education. But middle school kids can not be entrusted to maintain the equipment. Heck, my 7th grade basketball players can’t remember to bring their jersey to practice!
Industry Standard
February 2nd, 2011
10:06 am
15-20-% not working on any given day. Most Cobb schools do not have a tech person on campus. A MS of 1200 students = 180 students each day (on the low end) with an issue. Even with one techie on site, what will the repair time be?
Problems like this need to be worked out first. No doubt, the technology is coming to the classroom but we must be prepared for the baggage.
jw
February 2nd, 2011
10:07 am
I am a teacher and would volunteer my school in Northwest Georgia to be a pilot middle school. If a legislator is reading – I think it’s a great idea! Our 1500 students would love it and it would be a tremendous educational tool for all of us! We’re in!
Double Zero Eight
February 2nd, 2011
10:16 am
I would be willing to bet that Apple has a lobbyist of some
sort that promised this legislator a ” rose garden”. If it sounds
too good to be true, it probably is. Apple’s agenda is geared to
increasing profits.
What if
February 2nd, 2011
10:21 am
Hit a button with folks on this one, Maureen. 138 as I write this. As noted above by several, this would be a superb idea to try with a few systems to figure out what the realized benefits and the problems are. The unwanted access issues are moot; the software can be configured to prevent access to unwanted web addresses, and the machines can be configured so that only the most adept of thieves and ne’er-do-wells could hack them to make them resalable. Apple has always been expert at positioning its products, and has been very loyal to the K-12 market. Let several willing rural, urban and suburban districts work with the tool for several years, put the bucks in to honestly and judiciously study what happens, and if it works better than the current textbook system (or as well but cheaper), spin it up.
Random Thought
February 2nd, 2011
10:22 am
4 Questions to Ask
1. What is the total cost per student after taxes, fees, etc or the total cost of this program for the school system?
2. Will Apple continue to provide the textbooks needed for each classroom for the duration of the program?
Electronic textbooks cost just as much as printed textbooks…sometimes more if it is the newest/latest edition. You may not receive a discount on e-textbooks as you would on printed textbooks because e-textbooks are downloaded directly to the device whereas the printed textbooks are shipped to the school.
3. Who will cover the cost of the device if lost or stolen…especially if it is stolen during school? What if the iPads are stolen before they are issued to students, who will cover the cost?
Just last year a few schools were broken into and large amounts of electronics (laptops, projectors, etc) were stolen. With the iPads being stored in school prior to the start of school, they can be stolen earlier than the first day of classes before being issued to students.
4. If parents know that they will not be able to cover the cost of an iPad if it is lost or stolen (Price x 3 because student can spend 6th-8th grades in middle school), can the parent opt out of the program? If so, what will this mean for the student? What other accommodations can be made for this student? Or will waivers be provided for parents that can prove their financial situation?
If each of these questions can be answered logically (without political grandstanding or kickbacks thrown to individuals) and shows that it is possible to implement these devices with savings to the school system and state; then lets do it. If not, take more time to research the possibility for a later time.
With that said, Apple’s iPads are excellent for learning. An app can be created to allow science labs to dissect animals, plants, etc on the iPad. Another app can be created to allow teachers to test students on any particular subject matter and for the test to be graded upon completion of the test and/or end of time allowed for the exam. iPads can benefit the student, parent, and teacher, by having all required resources in one easily accessible location, significantly decrease the amount of weight the student carries around from printed material as well as the need for pencil and paper.
Kew
February 2nd, 2011
10:23 am
I have four boys in school – and these little jokers forgets to turn off there playstation 3, the TV, the lights… they forget to lock the doors at night, forgets their house key, to take the trash out, they even forget to comb their hair, brush their teeth, wash their face, take a bath, clean their room, and take their text books to class the next morning…and you think they are responsible to take care of an Ipad….ooooh no…not my boys. But I will say they do remember to do somethings like EAT, SLEEP, AND DO NOTHING.
Oh by the way, they will do all those other things that I mentioned they don’t do…but I have to bring the wood to get it done…So again, an $500 Ipad? Not!!!!!
But I do love them to death becuase they this old man young.
What if
February 2nd, 2011
10:24 am
@Industry Standard: These are Macs, not PCs! (Yes, I’m kidding – They’re relatively bulletproof little things but not impervious.) Point well taken.
Donald
February 2nd, 2011
10:29 am
No, and for a number of reasons. Think virus/malware – just because Apple has not had much, think what one, just one, would do to the class, or even the school……Time lost, and no backup….There is not enough safety built in and the proprietary software limits programming. Overall, this would be a horrible move.
If you want to save on text book expenditures, why not look at e-readers? Something like Kindle or Nook…..(there are others). One book can work on all, and they are retail at $90 or so……
An e-reader I can see great possibilities, but not a pad computer.
Think about it...
February 2nd, 2011
10:31 am
The savings in buying textbooks is only a (small) part of the cost savings here. A well implemented 1:1 tablet program will eliminate the need to buy/install computer labs, and it will all but eliminate the need for laptops & desktops all together. The savings on running data cables alone would be massive. Wireless networks aren’t free, but the offset in saving would more than cover that cost.
All of you people saying this is a bad idea: do you really think it is smart for school district to continue to buy desktop computers? They are an obsolete technology that is necessarily limited to how far you can run a data cable from a hole in the wall (the network jack). Technology and information is mobile, and we must find a way to leverage that fact when teaching our students.
As for the issue of breaking/losing the devices – that should be in the forefront of the discussion on how to implement these devices. District must have enforceable policies for every foreseeable situation that might arise from the use or misuse of this device. If they can’t (or won’t) hold students and parents accountable for the loss/destruction of district property, then why issue any equipment at all to students? Shouldn’t they then stop issuing textbooks, lab equipment, and athletic equipment to students, too??
Warrior Woman
February 2nd, 2011
10:37 am
Most of my oldest’s and over half of my youngest’s textbooks are already online. They leave the printed books at school and use the online version at home. Why buy iPads?
BigB
February 2nd, 2011
10:39 am
Scrap the iPad idea for the overall school system and let Theme, Charter and/or private schools try this concept if they so choose. However, I think to save costs, the school systems should work with the publishing companies, to put the textbooks on flash-drives, as a less expensive alternative to the traditional textbooks. The teachers can keep 25 class copies of the textbooks or the teacher can use the lcd projector or whiteboard to show the text while in class. For the few students left in the world without computers, they can still have the option of co-purchasing a regular textbook to lug around – everyone else can simply have their flash-drive.
This cuts down on the printing costs, it cuts down on students throwing their backs out carrying 30lbs of books, it helps with security because the need for book-bags will be reduced (so the kids have to carry their drugs & weapons on their person), the flash-drives are easier to replace and updates for course material will come swifter.
Warrior Woman
February 2nd, 2011
10:41 am
@Think about it . .. iPads would not eliminate the need for laptops, desktops, or computers labs because iPads don’t have the necessary software capabilities to complete the assignments. iPads would just be one more expense. Wireless can replace cabling without an unnecessary iPad project.
CaribouRancher
February 2nd, 2011
10:42 am
If the school systems are spending around 9K-a-year per student, $500.00 per unit sounds like a bargain. The Government Schools would not spend the money as wisely. Maybe they would prefer to give McGraw-Hill $1000.00-a-year per student for books?
pn
February 2nd, 2011
10:42 am
Apple wants to rule the world–like Microsoft a decade ago, only Apple has become even more monolithic and charges not only for their hardware, their operating system, and for their content too.
Apple will be raking in fees for maintenance, iPad crash repairs (more common than Apple would ever admit), for textbook content, for apps, for software/firmware upgrades, etc.
Kids are rough on books, which take a beating that no iPad could withstand.
If they sold for $150 each it might be worth a trial. Wait a couple more years.
I’m also wondering why Williams has suddenly taken such an interest in education possibilities.
For the past 8 years the Georgia legislature has worked tirelessly to undercut, gut, and de-fund public education; laying off teachers, shortening the school year, private school vouchers, “privatized” charter schools for the benefit of for-profit interstate charter school companies, etc.