Those in this thread recommending Chromebooks are missing a big part of the equation. You don't need to be able to read to use an iOS device. Chromebooks are much more reliant on the user knowing the written word to interact with the device (unless their is some elementary school mode that I am unaware of). As long as you can recognize icons, you can interact with an iOS device and switch between apps.
A Kindergartener’s Best Computer Is About to Die
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Re: A Kindergartener’s Best Computer Is About to Die
#22This is a real shame. Our family has really enjoyed our iPad Minis. They have lasted so long that it makes more sense for the kids to get MacBooks next ( in addition to needing iPhones anyway ). But otherwise I would have happily refreshed them by purchasing the latest model. The form factor is ideal for kids.
Re: A Kindergartener’s Best Computer Is About to Die
#23I'm not totally certain that K-2 spending less time in front of a screen while at school would be a bad thing. I'm sure they get plenty of touchscreen time at home.
It depends on the training of the teacher. You can do some amazing things with iPad in the classroom — assuming teachers use it for more than a YouTube player.
Re: A Kindergartener’s Best Computer Is About to Die
#24I'm not totally certain that K-2 spending less time in front of a screen while at school would be a bad thing. I'm sure they get plenty of touchscreen time at home.
I cover this a bit in my reply to Eli. https://www.kickscondor.com/2018/08/28/caution-chromebooks/ I agree that there should be a limit (and have practiced this in my classes) but there are some incredible uses of touchscreens that I can't ignore.
I'm not sure if you already have a blog post about it, but would you mind describing some of those uses? It's probably obvious to you, but I've never taught young children, so it's unclear to me what kind of techniques you are using.
I taught English as a foreign language for 5 years at high school level and since I'm a computer programmer by training, my colleagues were very keen for me to introduce technology to the class. I started from that perspective, but gradually reduced the technology until at 5 years I was using a blackboard, paper and pencils only.
For me, (and especially for teaching language, I suspect) it was much more important to keep students engaged and keep their comprehension levels high. I spent a lot of time testing those comprehension levels, modelling responses and encouraging interaction amongst the students. I found that technology moved the focus of the students from the subject to the technology. Instead engaging in the subject, they would become passive and be focused on the device, or presentation. We even had a big wall of dictionaries in the classroom and I asked the students to use it as a resource of last resort. Instead, I wanted them to find people in the room who knew the answer to their question -- teaching language is about communication after all ;-)
From that perspective, it's interesting to hear from someone who seems to take a different approach. I'd love to know what kinds of things you are aiming towards and how the use of technology provides it.
Re: A Kindergartener’s Best Computer Is About to Die
#25What about plugging a mouse into the Chromebooks? I distinctly remember being in kindergarten and using a mouse as my pointer input. I played Treasure Mountain! and some other educational games. Kids are pretty capable and adept at picking up new things. We should be pushing forward with tech literacy while they're still young and not afraid of breaking technology. Touch screens are great because they provided a very…
Seriously. I was using a mouse at 3. This is a no brainer.
It's one more thing to lug around. No one is saying that a mouse is hard to use, the point is that touch screens are even more intuitive. I have heard anecdotal evidence of very young babies, like 9 months - 1 year, using ABC apps. They just "get it" and for them, "it just works".
Re: A Kindergartener’s Best Computer Is About to Die
#26[Chromebooks are the new fashion in elementary school. They are cheap; they are everywhere. And they are unusable by kids in kindergarten through, in some case, third grade.] iPad's are consumer devices and will not prepare our kids to be producers. I am surprised every time I see iPad's being used in schools. Chromebooks at least put kids in path of being producers rather than mere consumers of content.
Honest question: why should kids in kidnergarten use computer-like devices? What are the benefits? Are there any benefits?
Re: A Kindergartener’s Best Computer Is About to Die
#27[Chromebooks are the new fashion in elementary school. They are cheap; they are everywhere. And they are unusable by kids in kindergarten through, in some case, third grade.] iPad's are consumer devices and will not prepare our kids to be producers. I am surprised every time I see iPad's being used in schools. Chromebooks at least put kids in path of being producers rather than mere consumers of content.
Chromebooke are more consumer than iPads. Can you run iMovie on a Chromebook? GarageBand or similar? How about all of the adobe design software for iPad? Or Concepts for drawing? How about Pages, Numbers Keynote? (Sure there are Google equivalents, but the argument is that iPad is for consumption and not creation.) It’s 2013 thinking to suggest iPads are for content consumption and it’s ridiculous to assert that a Ch…
A Chromebook has a great advantage for creation when used for things like Google Docs. Many kids become prolific writers, especially since they are teaching typing in 3rd grade. It's amazing to see your kid bang out a story for fun.
Re: A Kindergartener’s Best Computer Is About to Die
#28[Chromebooks are the new fashion in elementary school. They are cheap; they are everywhere. And they are unusable by kids in kindergarten through, in some case, third grade.] iPad's are consumer devices and will not prepare our kids to be producers. I am surprised every time I see iPad's being used in schools. Chromebooks at least put kids in path of being producers rather than mere consumers of content.
I am getting tired of hearing that the iPad is 'not for producers.'
I was way up there with you right up until I wrote the majority of my upcoming solo hip-hop record in Garageband with Audio Units on my iPad mini, with an AKAI MDP32 as my external MIDI device and an Apogee sound card for insane-quality audio.
Then, due to the amazing workflow, I was able to take those tracks into Logic Pro and refine the hell of out them. Nothing else even comes close to that workflow, as an audio producer of 14+ years.
I make skits, constantly, in iMovie, and even rough drafts of music video ideas on my Mini. Kids can do the same. It's so easy to use.
I wrote the 32-page business plan for my music label almost entirely on Pages with a bluetooth keyboard. Kids can do the same for schoolwork.
I use Pixelmator almost every day to develop high-quality images. The full photoshop is on it's way. There are no such plans for Android.[1]
Kids can even learn rudimentary code with Playgrounds. Not to mention the litany of great educational apps available.
I mean, I could see claiming an Android tablet as a 'non-producer' device, as it certainly lacks software of a quality anywhere close to GarageBand or iMovie, but the iPad?
It's like you haven't even used it, or actually have no use case to use it for creation.
[1]https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-13/adobe-is-...
Re: A Kindergartener’s Best Computer Is About to Die
#29[Chromebooks are the new fashion in elementary school. They are cheap; they are everywhere. And they are unusable by kids in kindergarten through, in some case, third grade.] iPad's are consumer devices and will not prepare our kids to be producers. I am surprised every time I see iPad's being used in schools. Chromebooks at least put kids in path of being producers rather than mere consumers of content.
I agree with the mentality that touch = consume and type = produce. The efficiency and imtimacy of user interaction of keyboards is simply unmatched with other competing input devices. Open-ness of platforms is secondary.
Bluetooth keyboard works great for me.
Re: A Kindergartener’s Best Computer Is About to Die
#30Tablets aren't going away? Just one product is getting end of lifed and you liked that product and are miffy about it? ok, fine.... but the aritcle seems to try to paint a picture that it was the one and only true device and now kindergarenters are doomed :)