What's Next for the iPad Project?
Friday, November 12, 2010 at 9:10PM It's been a while since I wrote here. We had a holiday, then I was in the US visiting with schools and educators who are interested in or already using the iPad.
I wonder what to write about next. The project has mostly settled down into a steady state of daily operations now. The iPad has become far more embedded in our school day than I ever thought it would become.
I like to take photos and photographers are every bit as nerdy as computer people when it comes to equipment. A wise man once wrote:
Assume you have the sharpest lens ever created. Assume your sensor has resolution better than the human eye can distinguish. Now, what are you going to take pictures of?
I feel a bit like that now. I've been given all I wanted in technology terms. I've fulfilled a decade's ambition to deploy a 1:1 technology program at Cedars and now we are all staring at the question of "what now?".
I will continue sharing the knowledge we are gaining as it starts to crystallize. However, I want to write more than "Ten ways the iPad can revolutionise your classroom". Let's face it, the internet is already a greasy buffet table bending under the weight of that kind of content.
I've also accepted a number of speaking engagements to share our experiences. I'll post a list when I've got the details worked out. If you would like to have me speak to your organisation, please get in touch via email.
I suppose my question for all of you reading is: what do you want to know about? What haven't I covered that you need to know? Comments are open.
Reader Comments (9)
Hi Fraser, thanks for this so far.
I wonder about things like homework - how to engage kids. I wonder if there's a possibility of moving STEM online and making it so that teacher and parent can track progress. I wish there was someone doing a game-based learning tool which provided that sort of overview.
So, no, not a top 10 of great edu software which seems to start and stop with Pages. But maybe a year by year examination of the tools and quality of work? I hesitate to show off the work done *because* of the iPad because the technology should be enabling and empowering and not causative.
How to get that message across, however.
Maybe I missed this answer in one of your earlier posts: are you still teaching the kids to touch-type on physical keyboards? Watching my college friends "hunt-and-peck" their way through 10-page papers was incredibly painful.
Also, when I use an iPad for an extended time, I get a sore back if I'm not careful with posture. Have you done anything to encourage ergonomics? Or are kids fidgety and resilient enough not to be bothered by hunching over a horizontal screen?
It would be nice if you could combine the iPod Project posts chronologically together add a little polish to make it more a report or type of study to be available as a PDF. I have made several friends and acquaintances here in Germany after a part time stint offering a typography course at a vocational school and we meet from time to time. Your project has come up in conversation and people are intrigued but the blog format is not quite reader friendly when viewing entries that cover a large span of time (30 entries from Aug 6. to Nov 12.). I feel your experiences are quite informative and will attract attention.
In any case thanks for your notes and observations and all the best for your school's undertaking.
Ian
Forgive me if I've missed it elsewhere. But having struggled with a set of iPod touches on the school network, I'm wondering how you've got on with proxy settings and apps? We've found that many apps are completely neutered by the fact they don't pick up the proxy settings, including big name apps such as Google Earth. Have you found this much of a problem?
I have followed your entire series of iPad posts and was curious to know a few things:
- What kind of training did you offer to your teaching staff prior to deployment?
- Do your teachers have any feedback on how having the iPad available to all students has effected learning outcomes?
Thanks.
I can only speak for myself, but I would love to continue to hear how it is effecting the children and the way they are learning.
I've been thinking and wondering about the way iPads might change the way students learn (not just how well they learn, but the learning process itself).
Do you think iPads will allow learning/instruction to be individualized in ways that can't happen otherwise?
Or, going even further, do you think iPads will give students more control over their own education?
Thank you for the great articles!I like it very much!And Your viewpoint is very good, I approve of your viewpoint!replica Britt Gucci Handbags
I would like to see a realistic "day in the life of a pupil" with and without iPad, both for primary and secondary age - say year 4 and year 8. (Sorry about the English terminology!)