Sunday, July 28, 2013
Are iPads needed?
I recently took an iPad class. Our school (a high school) just received an iPad cart for our social studies teachers. Being the new technology coach, I am now wondering and questioning as to whether or not spending so much money to purchase iPads was the right financial decision for our high school students. Don't get me wrong - I know that they have so many great potentials. But are they really the best option for high school students or even in schools as a whole? Or are they more the "hype" an because of that other options aren't always looked into?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Congratulations on getting an iPad cart.
ReplyDeleteNow you have a ton of work to do on helping the teachers integrate them into their teaching.
Good Luck.
Thankfully we are only starting out with 1 department and it is the department that I use to be a part of. I think integrating for them will go relatively smoothly. But I agree...it will be work!
DeleteWhat a difficult question to answer! The tool isn't nearly as important as to the "why" or "how" it will be used. Knowing what teachers and students want to do and which objectives they are looking to address is often the best way to approach any technology purchases or implementation.
ReplyDeleteNow that you've got them, I am sure that you and your colleagues will find many wonderful ways to integrate iPads effectively. Best of luck!
I agree. I guess the question could have been phrased a little better, but it is hard to pinpoint the root of it in so few words!
DeleteI'm not sure that 'needed' is the right question to be asking. Teachers have taught successfully for centuries without tablets, and students have gone on to lead productive lives based on what they've been taught in that environment. I guess you could argue that today's students are different, but that's a much more complex topic. I think it's better to ask whether tablets enhance the learning experience in a meaningful way, and whether that enhancement is worth the cost. There was teaching before there were books, but we've tacitly agreed that books enhance the learning experience and are worth their costs. Do we feel the same about tablets?
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a great point, and what I was trying to get at. With iPads, we need to think of what the ultimate goal is and weigh out the costs of it. In some cases, the answer might be that they aren't needed in a specific classroom setting.
DeleteInteresting result on the poll. I thought everyone would say that tablets are needed. Maybe I voted yes because I want them, but they are not necessary to learn. However, I think they would be a great enhancement!
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see that you understand the difference between a want and a need in education!
DeleteI struggled trying to come up with a yes or no answer. Tablets have a lot of potential in the classroom but are they the be all to end all answer. I have to say no. If used periodically but not depended on for everything, I believe they do have their place. I recently applied for a grant to purchase iPads and was turned down. In a sense I was somewhat relieved, which surprised me. I know I can do wonderful things with the technology we currently have. Great thought provoking question!
ReplyDeleteExactly the point. It seems that sometimes stakeholders think that they are and there is outside pressure to add them to the classrooms without really stepping back and thinking about other options that might be available.
Delete