Mlearning Article #7 iPad

“Schools Abandon Textbooks to Go All iPad”

This article is about schools that are giving each of their students an iPad. More than 600 school districts have bought iPads for all of their students, and it is not just in wealthy areas. One school in the Boston area paid $500,000 for the new iPads, and did it within its existing budget. They paid for the iPads by getting rid of computer labs, putting other construction projects on hold, and deciding not to buy new textbooks. They are not even buying e-textbooks, since they end up costing more in the long run. Some teachers were initially skeptical about the change-- they were afraid that students would spend all their time playing games and texting. However, they found that it was not too hard to keep them focused, and if they became too much of a distraction they made sure they were turned off (as simple as turning them over). The program is in its first year, but so far kids seem to be doing as well or better than before. The school is not committed to iPads forever, but are willing to explore new technologies as they become available.

I found this article really interesting, particularly the students' reactions to the iPads. Students seemed to like the iPads, and were excited about constant internet access, having everything in a centralized location, musical capabilities, applications in literature, better organization, note taking, and more. It seems like the students are taking full advantage of all the possibilities of an iPad, and not just using them as instructed by teachers in the classroom. My question is, what does the school do if a student loses or breaks an iPad? Also, do they keep the same iPad from year to year? Through the summer and school breaks? Having everything in a centralized location is wonderful, but I can also see there being some issues. Files may be lost if an iPad is damaged, and if students are not allowed to keep them over the holidays they may not have access to everything they need. Also, some parents may not want their child to have access to the internet 24/7, and this may cause some problems at home. If a child is not allowed to use the internet in their bedroom (only in the common area), they may have to do homework in the common area, which may affect their concentration. Giving iPads to every student sounds like a wonderful idea, but I would be interested in hearing how some of the more practical issues are resolved.