Middle School iPad Update
After CA’s 1:1 iPad Learning Initiative was introduced last spring and implemented this fall in grades five, six and nine, we surveyed the students to see how the change was impacting their schoolwork.
Out of 72 students in sixth grade, many report that the iPad is helping them to be organized, turn in homework, write and revise consistently, share work with their teachers and friends, and create. Others struggle with the change and the issues it creates.
Many students commented upon the benefits the iPads have brought to our program and to how they learn. Areas that were mentioned most often include:
- Student organization — Much of what a student needs to be a successful is in one place and accessible with a keystroke.
- Ease of note taking — Notability is simple and easy to use. All notes are in one place and easily accessible.
- Communication — Teacher and students can communicate more easily through iPads.
- Simplicity — It is easier to turn in homework (without misplacing it between home and school!) and receive feedback from the teacher.
- Reduced book bag weight — a number of our textbooks are now digital.
- Ease-of-use — Underlining and annotating are easy to do using e-books.The iPad encourages writing because many students notice that it is easier and faster to type than to hand write. iPads also encourage the creative presentation of ideas.
Among the positive outcomes, students note, “The iPad has helped a ton in my classes and at home. It replaces some of my heavy books allowing my backpack to not weigh as much. I like how you can do almost anything on it such as type a paper or take notes in class.” Other students say, “The positive side to having an iPad is that I can go to the Internet at any time and research whatever I need to learn in class. The iPad has helped me because I can go into apps that are based on what we are doing in school, so it is easy for me to learn.”
Among the more challenging aspects of iPad use, students point to:
- Distracting — when the wi-fi or Internet goes down, it is frustrating for students.
- Limiting — If the iPad is accidentally left at home, it is hard for students to do all of the work that they need to do in class like taking notes, working on projects, doing research, etc.
Among the negative aspects, students note, “I think the downside of the iPads is that they can have glitches and cause you not to be able to do homework, and that makes me stressed. I also think they can be a distraction.” Says another, “The downside is that if you forget your iPad you can’t do a lot of work, and that is very hard."
While we are still early in our evaluation of our 1:1 iPad program in the Middle School, we are pleased that so far student reception has been largely positive. Sir Peter Blake reminds us that, “New technology is common, new thinking is rare.” With this in mind, our efforts in the coming months will be to continue to push student thinking, developing their ability to problem solve, be creative, communicate, and collaborate using the iPad.
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