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Federal Review Blames Lack of Resources and Planning for L.A. Schools' Failed iPad Initiative
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...and, as long as top-notch wifi is available and content is developed and supported, you might have a chance at making a go of it. Unfortunately, wifi in most public schools is spotty at best, and do we really think these students all have Internet access at home? Probably not; so we're back to the "computer lab" vision.
Content is king (and I'm certainly not the first to write that). Once proper iOS management tools are available (and these will have to come from Apple or a company Apple buys) and the textbook publishers actually start using iBooks Author, Apple may have a real possibility of success. But as much as I would wish these things to happen, they probably won't. Apple has had a history of half-baked initiatives in the education market for many years. Why? They haven't had good management tools and they haven't delivered content (relying, instead, upon 3rd parties who still believe in the 19th century model).
Please read the actual contract and complaint
The blame here is with Pearson. Their software is de-facto for the education, the LA school district massaged the contract bid so the Pearson package (which was the most expensive) was the only one that could be chosen.
Other choices being less costly up front would have been less risky.
Looked at long term (10 years), this might have worked out, removing the need for any paper textbooks (which need replacing every year) in classrooms.
The goal was to eventually save money, but the process was tainted. I don't think Apple themselves has dirt on their hands other than agreeing to whatever Pearson's volume hardware discount would be.
The blame here is with Pearson. Their software is de-facto for the education, the LA school district massaged the contract bid so the Pearson package (which was the most expensive) was the only one that could be chosen.
Other choices being less costly up front would have been less risky.
Looked at long term (10 years), this might have worked out, removing the need for any paper textbooks (which need replacing every year) in classrooms.
The goal was to eventually save money, but the process was tainted. I don't think Apple themselves has dirt on their hands other than agreeing to whatever Pearson's volume hardware discount would be.
Nothing will ever beat pen and paper, even in college. I got an ipad yet I take all my notes on a notepad. I find you learn the most when you actually write it and not type it down. My ipad is basically just a viewing device of the script while taking notes with a pen.
I don't know why but I cannot for the life of me study of an ipad or even a laptop. It must be the display or simply cuz u got nothing to hold and flip through in your hands. I always end up printing everything out to study even though I got it on my ipad already
I don't know why but I cannot for the life of me study of an ipad or even a laptop. It must be the display or simply cuz u got nothing to hold and flip through in your hands. I always end up printing everything out to study even though I got it on my ipad already
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Before: It's Apple's (and probably George Bush's) fault...
Apple has a group to help businesses use Apple products. Why don't they have one for schools? Or do they? If they do, what do they actually do? There are lot's of glossy web pages, but beyond that I don't know.
Apple has a group to help businesses use Apple products. Why don't they have one for schools? Or do they? If they do, what do they actually do? There are lot's of glossy web pages, but beyond that I don't know.
Exactly why I think technology needs to be naturally integrated into education rather than haphazardly shoved into kids' hands. The overwhelming majority of kids have access to computers or tablets outside of school, some of them with unrestricted access to do whatever they want. Kids no longer "ooh" and "ahh" when you give them something that you and I would be amazed at just five short years ago. So then the question is, what is the educational value of giving each student a tablet or laptop? The potential is limitless, but how many schools use these devices to their maximum extent? I just wonder if administrators are placing as much thought to what happens after students get the devices as they do with getting them in the first place.
I thought there were tablets in the market already like that? Except for the lack of branding- there is zero financial incentive for doing something like that, as I don't think school administrators care about whether a device has a brand or not.
If you are going to have a tablet, you should have an iPad .... they are more expensive, but they are best quality .... no one ever regretted buying quality.
However, people should buy their own god damned gear. Most tax-payers cannot afford an iPad of their own ... why should they buy them for the less motivated?
Maybe the cost could be offset (somewhat) by dropping books and use a more on-line process of studying.
Either way, using a iPad or any kind of tablet/Laptop is the way schools should be leaning for the future.
So do I, to a point. I don't think we should be doing everything digitally these days, and still think there's a lot to be said about doing some assignments and writing notes with good old fashioned pencil and paper.
But I do see iPads, Chromebooks, and the like as being great replacements for textbooks. There are so many advantages to them, so many new ways you can teach kids through them, that they shouldn't be ignored entirely simply because we're used to the time tested standard.
There is a new generation coming up behind us that do most if not all there communication/learning on some device. They are not as 'stuck' with paper as us old geezers.
...The same kids who will take care of your old ass when you'll hit 80 and pay for your social security. You were a kid too once in the past.
I dont know, I have to agree with this guy. Maybe not the case for MacOS, but iOS has way too many artificial limitations set in place to maximize profits. In the end it encourages hackers to jailbreak and then no security or group policies would ever work, kids can just bypass it.
iPads are toys, not really designed to be productive. IMO, stay with the netbooks running Windows. This has been shown to work, its much cheaper, 1000 times more versatile, much easier to implement software and kids really need to learn to type anyway - the standard keyboard will likely never go away. There is a reason Macs are not popular in work environments and it comes down to versatility. I have a Mac for entertainment purposes, not getting stuff done.
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Absolutely, are you kidding me?
:shakes cane:
Why back in my day, we didn't have these fancy smancy tablamoputerblets all playing moving pictures and throwing sound at you like some kinda high tech magic box! We watched educational crap on SLIDES, DAMNIT! You'd see a picture projected on a wall, some guy would talk about slaughtering cows on a cassette tape, then you'd hear a ding, and the teacher would press a button to change the picture. If it was good enough for me, it's damn well good enough for the rest of you bastards!
ELMO PROJECTORS 4 LYFE!
This would be easy to do with Android as anyone can build and customize an educational version. iOS's mission is to deny you the ability to modify or escape its confines, so I doubt they would be on board. I agree, a custom piece of hardware is needed, but you don't need an Apple or a Samsung for this. An Acer, Asus, Lenovo, etc could do it and probably more effectively.
It doesn't surprise me that Apple would do a back door deal to get their product into the school system (again). However from a financial and educational standpoint - this introduction of the iPad would have been an epic fail.
1) unless the iPad is put in a housing that protects it from typical drops and banging, the cost of repair/replacement could be cost prohibitive.
2) iPads are not as flexible as other tablets for certain types of security and control thus forcing those implementing to accomodate IOS rather than assimilate it as a teaching tool.
3) As related to item 1, there are less costly tablets that for educational purposes are as suited as the iPad and possibly far more potential to custom the way the tablet performs for both application and security.
The list goes on. While I do have an iPad I just find after reading the story this was an exercise in greed and stupidity. Can an iPad be a useful tool - absolutely but then again, so can a good teacher, a good environment and at least getting students to be successful with the 3 R's associated with traditional learning.
1) unless the iPad is put in a housing that protects it from typical drops and banging, the cost of repair/replacement could be cost prohibitive.
2) iPads are not as flexible as other tablets for certain types of security and control thus forcing those implementing to accomodate IOS rather than assimilate it as a teaching tool.
3) As related to item 1, there are less costly tablets that for educational purposes are as suited as the iPad and possibly far more potential to custom the way the tablet performs for both application and security.
The list goes on. While I do have an iPad I just find after reading the story this was an exercise in greed and stupidity. Can an iPad be a useful tool - absolutely but then again, so can a good teacher, a good environment and at least getting students to be successful with the 3 R's associated with traditional learning.
This is not true at all. With Apple administering tools, you can easily mass configure iOS devices to your specific requirements. You can restrict and remove features as you see fit. You could take away the ability to install games or any unwanted apps entirely. My father's iPhone is given to him by the Irish Health Service and he can't use it for mobile data or Facetime. Many options are missing from the settings app and it has non-changeable profiles installed to keep is secure on the hospital network.
This is the software I assume they use:
https://itunes.apple.com/ie/app/apple-configurator/id434433123?mt=12
I think this large failure of the ipad in education initiative is partially apples's fault. A fleet of ipads are just too hard for a teacher to manage. Sure the IT people can probably manage them okay, but an everyday teacher is going to struggle to keep them all updated, send out the right apps to all the devices, and then monitor how the students are actually using the devices.
Apple should spend some of it's billions of dollars in the bank to do a bit more classroom based R&D and find out what teachers actually need to succeed with this technology in a classroom setting and build that into these devices.
Apple's support for education has really dropped in the Tim Cook era, and has been declining before that.
Why can't a teacher have a way to view what's on every student's ipad screen in realtime, like what used to be possible with mac remote desktop.
Why can't a teacher push a button and turn off the screens of all there ipads in their classroom, when they want the students attention.
Why can't there be a better API for sending reports back to the teacher about what students have accomplished on their ipads that day. automatic feedback info about who read the assignment, there scores on a quiz, whether or not they actually played the educational game they were supposed to. There should be an easy way to have a log of a students daily activity on their ipad presented easily to the teacher.
Apple needs to not just make devices for education, but a similar ecosystem that supports the teachers.
Otherwise I see ipad programs will continue to fail across the country.
Apple should spend some of it's billions of dollars in the bank to do a bit more classroom based R&D and find out what teachers actually need to succeed with this technology in a classroom setting and build that into these devices.
Apple's support for education has really dropped in the Tim Cook era, and has been declining before that.
Why can't a teacher have a way to view what's on every student's ipad screen in realtime, like what used to be possible with mac remote desktop.
Why can't a teacher push a button and turn off the screens of all there ipads in their classroom, when they want the students attention.
Why can't there be a better API for sending reports back to the teacher about what students have accomplished on their ipads that day. automatic feedback info about who read the assignment, there scores on a quiz, whether or not they actually played the educational game they were supposed to. There should be an easy way to have a log of a students daily activity on their ipad presented easily to the teacher.
Apple needs to not just make devices for education, but a similar ecosystem that supports the teachers.
Otherwise I see ipad programs will continue to fail across the country.
When technology last
The idea to use iPad is flawed since the beginning: You can't write with a pen. (Don't even bother me with those pseudo bluetooth pens..).
The day we'll have Apple rethink that people still want to use a pen may take a while due to their stubbornness. The utopia that people will fingerprint happily or use the keyboard of the iPad is just so wrong.
But it was a great marketing idea which is what drives Apple.
The problem with the LA schools is that they keep making poor choices since many years. If it's not the food it's the technology. They should have waited a little more. This year at CES there is a new tablet from Toshiba that seems to answer more the problem of writing. If only Apple could do that with their software and hardware, then it would be great.
I think tablets will be ready in 2 years. Cheap, affordable, strong and some real writing capabilities Wacom style.
But for now, paper and pencil is still better. And for those who think that technologies has to be in the classrooms as early as possible, maybe they should rethink the entire problem. We need kids to develop their brain rather than their IT skills. Computer and technology is already everywhere.
The idea to use iPad is flawed since the beginning: You can't write with a pen. (Don't even bother me with those pseudo bluetooth pens..).
The day we'll have Apple rethink that people still want to use a pen may take a while due to their stubbornness. The utopia that people will fingerprint happily or use the keyboard of the iPad is just so wrong.
But it was a great marketing idea which is what drives Apple.
The problem with the LA schools is that they keep making poor choices since many years. If it's not the food it's the technology. They should have waited a little more. This year at CES there is a new tablet from Toshiba that seems to answer more the problem of writing. If only Apple could do that with their software and hardware, then it would be great.
I think tablets will be ready in 2 years. Cheap, affordable, strong and some real writing capabilities Wacom style.
But for now, paper and pencil is still better. And for those who think that technologies has to be in the classrooms as early as possible, maybe they should rethink the entire problem. We need kids to develop their brain rather than their IT skills. Computer and technology is already everywhere.
Obviously this is primarily a management problem in any case.
They purchased the components and implemented the plan. The fact the leaders of the plan were more concerned with their "turf" than the plan or the students or the teacher or even the consultants in this case is telling of why the education system is generally failed as compared to any non-"public" educational systems (religious, private, home school) which are no more expensive net especially considering they have to pay for both public and private but only receive private, with no offset or voucher for the public system they do not use.
Almost nobody keys on the fact a major issue was internet access. How many of you would downgrade to a wifi iPad running on 802.11a/b/g in a room of 30-40 devices, running essentially the same app at the same time?
Management.
Rocketman
cite:
http://www.xirrus.com/Solutions/Industry/Enterprise
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press...-opening-fiscal-responsibility-summit-2-23-09
They purchased the components and implemented the plan. The fact the leaders of the plan were more concerned with their "turf" than the plan or the students or the teacher or even the consultants in this case is telling of why the education system is generally failed as compared to any non-"public" educational systems (religious, private, home school) which are no more expensive net especially considering they have to pay for both public and private but only receive private, with no offset or voucher for the public system they do not use.
Almost nobody keys on the fact a major issue was internet access. How many of you would downgrade to a wifi iPad running on 802.11a/b/g in a room of 30-40 devices, running essentially the same app at the same time?
Management.
Rocketman
cite:
http://www.xirrus.com/Solutions/Industry/Enterprise
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press...-opening-fiscal-responsibility-summit-2-23-09
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