> She said although there have been challenges in carrying out “a large-scale implementation of new technologies ... we stand by the quality of our performance.”
New? What's new about it? It's a computer with stuff on it.
L.A. school district ditches iPad curriculum
31–40 of 97 posts
Re: L.A. school district ditches iPad curriculum
#32I'm currently working at a school district in Lancaster, PA.
We have gone with Linux laptops for all of our students. Even more, we've given them root access.
We chose this because of exactly the points that many people are bringing up in these comments.
What does the iPad offer to the pedagogical process? Not really that much outside of the sanitary iOS enviroment. Are they teaching kids about programming or computer skills? Probably not.
However, with a laptop (and root access), students are able to, and encouraged to play around and experiment.
Yes, we have some students that don't care about it at all, but there are others that have created some genuinely interesting projects. We've actually modified and used one of their projects to help support the linux laptop deployment.
More info: http://www.pennmanor.net/techblog/?cat=69
My boss did an amazing TEDx talk regarding the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8Co37GO2Fc
Re: L.A. school district ditches iPad curriculum
#33>The district selected Pearson based only on samples of curriculum — nothing more was available.
So they bought hardware to run software that didn't exist.
Re: L.A. school district ditches iPad curriculum
#34Public discussion of education is always hampered by the fact that people not professionals in it have no sense of how complicated it is. Some students are genuises, some are cognitively low. Some students have personality disorders. Some students will soak up everything they see. Others don't care. Some students need to be a medical treatments at various times during the week. Some pray five times a day. Some are so…
Are you an education professional? I'm not, but I wonder why we don't go back to the model of segregating students by ability/need. It seems like the trend today is to "mainstream" everyone into a common classroom, so you have high achievers, low ability, as well as genuinely abnormal (mentally retarded, severe behavorial problems, etc.) all together. I see no way that can be effective for any of them because you will not be able to provide the style of instruction that each of these constituencies need.
Re: L.A. school district ditches iPad curriculum
#35I'm currently working at a school district in Lancaster, PA. We have gone with Linux laptops for all of our students. Even more, we've given them root access. We chose this because of exactly the points that many people are bringing up in these comments. What does the iPad offer to the pedagogical process? Not really that much outside of the sanitary iOS enviroment. Are they teaching kids about programming or compute…
Excellent project. I especially liked slide 5 of your presentation...
http://www.pennmanor.net/techblog/1to1devices/#/5
I'm wondering what materials the students are working with. I'm hoping it isn't some kind of holistic purchased package as per the OA.
Re: L.A. school district ditches iPad curriculum
#36Public discussion of education is always hampered by the fact that people not professionals in it have no sense of how complicated it is. Some students are genuises, some are cognitively low. Some students have personality disorders. Some students will soak up everything they see. Others don't care. Some students need to be a medical treatments at various times during the week. Some pray five times a day. Some are so…
Are you an education professional? I'm not, but I wonder why we don't go back to the model of segregating students by ability/need. It seems like the trend today is to "mainstream" everyone into a common classroom, so you have high achievers, low ability, as well as genuinely abnormal (mentally retarded, severe behavorial problems, etc.) all together. I see no way that can be effective for any of them because you wil…
They currently do, to a point.
Lower functioning students are provided with much more 'hands on' teaching situations.
I don't know how effective separating student more would be- one could argue that at a certain point it might harm the students because of the lack of socialization. A selection bias of social awkwardness, if you will.
Re: L.A. school district ditches iPad curriculum
#37Aside from how Pearson performed, I'm rather surprised that they choose to buy so many iPads. What does the iPad offer to the pedagogical process? Are they teaching kids about programming or computer skills? Probably not. Did they expect Pearson to produce an entire curriculum just for the iPad? Why not a website instead, which is so much more easily accessed and maintained? Did these schools want to be "technologica…
I think "technological for the sake of it" is exactly it. Our school district had similar results. A big announcement, the goal being "an iPad for every student." Strangely quiet about the results thereafter. A number of the iPads went missing and turned up in local pawn shops. Others were damaged beyond repair. All in all a waste of millions of dollars and bonds that will now have to be repaid all for naught.
Re: L.A. school district ditches iPad curriculum
#38Aside from how Pearson performed, I'm rather surprised that they choose to buy so many iPads. What does the iPad offer to the pedagogical process? Are they teaching kids about programming or computer skills? Probably not. Did they expect Pearson to produce an entire curriculum just for the iPad? Why not a website instead, which is so much more easily accessed and maintained? Did these schools want to be "technologica…
> Did they expect Pearson to produce an entire curriculum just for the iPad? More or less, yes: "Under the contract, Pearson was to provide English and math curriculum." > Why not a website instead The article says "Deasy had said the technology effort was a civil rights imperative designed to provide low-income students with devices available to their wealthier peers." It's easy for you and me to assume that every m…
Having everyone use books seems like a level playing field to me.
Re: L.A. school district ditches iPad curriculum
#39I'm currently working at a school district in Lancaster, PA. We have gone with Linux laptops for all of our students. Even more, we've given them root access. We chose this because of exactly the points that many people are bringing up in these comments. What does the iPad offer to the pedagogical process? Not really that much outside of the sanitary iOS enviroment. Are they teaching kids about programming or compute…
Excellent project. I especially liked slide 5 of your presentation... http://www.pennmanor.net/techblog/1to1devices/#/5 I'm wondering what materials the students are working with. I'm hoping it isn't some kind of holistic purchased package as per the OA.
Thanks!
The project launched last year with the High School, and this coming school year we will be expanding to the Middle Schools.
It was genuinely exciting to see the students helping their peers.
It's almost all stock Ubuntu, Google Apps for Education, and a few other tools thrown in. We aim for Open Source where we can.
Re: L.A. school district ditches iPad curriculum
#40Public discussion of education is always hampered by the fact that people not professionals in it have no sense of how complicated it is. Some students are genuises, some are cognitively low. Some students have personality disorders. Some students will soak up everything they see. Others don't care. Some students need to be a medical treatments at various times during the week. Some pray five times a day. Some are so…
Are you an education professional? I'm not, but I wonder why we don't go back to the model of segregating students by ability/need. It seems like the trend today is to "mainstream" everyone into a common classroom, so you have high achievers, low ability, as well as genuinely abnormal (mentally retarded, severe behavorial problems, etc.) all together. I see no way that can be effective for any of them because you wil…
I am a teacher.
Ability/need isn't a scalar quantity and real students don't distribute themselves in a way that can be described by a couple of parameters.
I don't know what the answers are either but I think we need to be very explicit about any assumptions underpinning proposed models. I also agree with the 'bottom up' part of the gf comment.
Now, what discrete 'styles of instruction' are there do you think?