iPad Report, Part 1
iPad Report, Part 1
We are more than two years into our 1:1 iPad initiative and now every student in the Upper School either owns or is leasing his or her own iPad. Over the next two blog posts, I will take the opportunity to reflect on what has surprised me in both a positive way (aspects of iPad use that have exceeded my expectations) and less positive (have not met my expectations). In both situations, I need to acknowledge that the intersection of education and technology always moves in unexpected directions because of the nature of the enterprise. Educators are not in full control of what advances will be made in technology and therefore are often in a position of reacting to what is happening in the world at large, which leads to less certainty. While we can make our best educated guesses about what will be available in technology and how students and teachers will harness those tools, we remain somewhat at the mercy of the Microsofts and the Apples of the world. Thus, the element of surprise is an inevitable part of the equation!
- In general, I have been pleased and even impressed with the way the iPad has been integrated into our learning practice. As I observe classes and hear anecdotes from teachers, students and parents, I am convinced that students are regularly using their iPads in class for notetaking, word processing, text book or document reading, not to mention using particular apps for particular classes. Yes, we have provided many training opportunities for faculty to ensure this integration, but in the end I have relied on the entrepreneurial nature of our highly creative and adaptive faculty. To the extent that we have incorporated iPads into our classrooms is really a product of their enthusiasm for the device and their willingness to try new approaches. We have been able to add the iPad to the mix of amazing teaching tools we use, which includes the SmartBoard, the laptop computer, the SmartPhone, the graphing calculator, as well as low-tech tools like the sticky note, whiteboard and pencil! The iPad is yet another powerful tool in the teacher-student toolkit.
- The iPad really has helped level the playing field for students. One of the reasons to establish a 1:1 program is to ensure that all students have access to a baseline level of technology, and the iPad provides a lot of “bang for the buck” in this regard. It has been wonderful to see what we can do programmatically when we know every student has access to the same technology. At the same time, the reality is that all students have access to a SmartPhone as well, which also has many of the capabilities of a computer. The iPad and SmartPhone combination guarantees a world of access at every student’s fingertips.
- The organizational capabilities of the iPad have been tremendous. Combined with a stronger, more capable website, we have truly been able to make technology be our friend when it comes to helping students stay organized. The iPad allows them to have their class materials in one place. (We offer training in this regard too; we don’t just assume they will come to it naturally.) Again, that is not to say every student benefits from the iPad’s organizational tools, but a substantial group has, and these are exactly the students who would have struggled mightily with time management and executive functioning skills in years past.
In all these ways, the 1:1 iPad program has outpaced my expectations for what would happen when we started this in 2013.
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