Anita in NC Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Do you think this is a good idea? I just can't imagine that is going to end well. http://new.bangordailynews.com/2011/04/07/education/ipads-for-kindergarteners-idea-met-with-both-approval-and-cost-questions/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvasMom Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Wow, yeah, that's going to be disappointing when they end up dropped, colored on, at the bottom of the sandbox, etc. I get really worried about our future when I see public schools scrambling frantically all. the. time. to keep from "falling behind." It's just this never ending panic that costs a TON of money and never has good, long-term outcomes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Oh, they get to take the ipads home. Sheesh, let's just give one to each family. The schools in this state are in such a hideous financial place that this is just the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyinMD Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 I just ordered an I-Pad for my 3 yo ds. There are a lot of apps for autistic children I think he would like. I'm guessing in a classroom the I-Pads will probably only be used in a designated space. I doubt they would have the kids carry them around. I see I missed the part of them going home. I think that is a terrible idea and will likely result in a lot getting stolen. I plan to get ds's I-Pad an Otterbox cover as soon as they are available for I-Pad 2. He will also likely always be supervised while using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punchie Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 NO! Kid get too much screen time as is. The iPads are just another pacifier. That money could have been better spent elsewhere, especially when the technology is going to be obsolete in several years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jelbe5 Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 No, I don't think young children "need" gadgets. Perhaps access to a computer lab at school, but even that is not necessary at that age. My 11 yo niece (5th grade) was given a MacBook laptop from her well-to-do school district). Everyone in her class got one. It is interesting to see the discrepancies in districts. The district I live in is very poor and struggles to provide basic supplies to children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidiyaDawn Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 "After students, teachers and parents go through iPad orientations, students will be allowed to take the computers home, Morrill said." iPad orientation? The kids will have these things figured out in minutes. :laugh: I think they can be fabulous tools - and that's all I'm gonna say because I know that the majority opinion on THIS particular board is going to be against this. :p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad 4 Boys Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Will the school be able to access the Ipads remotely like that one out east did with the webcams on the school-supplied laptops? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimnc Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Yeah, that'll work. :glare: We have tried to drill math facts on the ipod. What usually happens is my son gets bored and starts opening other apps or playing games. I guess if you have a less distractible / more disciplined child it might work, but the thought that it will require less supervision is naive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Totally inappropriate for Kers, bit great in special needs classrooms. My son's class has several and they are excellent augmentive communication tools. But even there the schools didn't buy those, a non-profit did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoundAbout Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 (edited) Geez, how about buying those kids some unit blocks and playdoh. It would probably cost a few hundred dollars instead of $200,000 and it would lay a great foundation for math and writing. I was just reading that in some NYC schools the kids take Yoga and Mandarin in preschool but need OT for writing because they've hardly ever played with playdoh. This sounds like its pointing more kids in that direction. I'm not a technophobe: I have a computer science degree, we love Starfall, and I can't tell you how much I love iPhone apps when we are stuck in a waiting room, but there are far better uses for tax payer money. Traditional Kindergarten tools work fantastically well and cost very little. I'm a huge proponent of serious academics in upper elementary and beyond, but I love the idea of those forest Kindergartens where kids spend most of their day outdoors. I thought most people figured fresh air and lots of play was good for little kids, but reading articles this makes me wonder how far outside of the mainstream my beliefs are. :confused: Edited April 8, 2011 by RoundAbout Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Of course!! How else would they play angry birds? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Peach Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 My kids said they want to go back to K. In Maine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 that is giving iPads to the elementary students. I think it's a huge waste. I'm not against technology, but kids can play with their computers at home. More time and energy should be spent on real learning, not flashy toys. It's all done to impress the parents and make it seem like the school is on the cutting edge. High Schools need the latest and best in technology. That is where kids need to learn how it all works, and how to best use it. For the kids in K today, iPads, at least ones like we have now, will be a relic by the time they get to middle school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arghmatey Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Eyeroll. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jelbe5 Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 I think they can be fabulous tools - and that's all I'm gonna say because I know that the majority opinion on THIS particular board is going to be against this. :p :iagree: I totally agree with this comment. I am just concerned that providing them to such young children is a pretty expensive experiment. I think it would be better to have a couple in each classroom for classroom use only and see how effective they are in teaching children. Of course, that would require the teacher collecting and tracking data which would add to the teacher burden. And the district mentioned in the article did not seem interested in hiring additional help, which is too bad. They can be terrific tools for children with special needs. I have been using our iPad with my son who has autism. However, I discovered him surfing around on YouTube yesterday. :glare: So I had to set the controls so he can't do that. That is just one potential problem with any gadget. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 I think they can be fabulous tools - and that's all I'm gonna say because I know that the majority opinion on THIS particular board is going to be against this. :p I think they can be fabulous tools--in the classroom. I don't think they should be taken home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Schools can't afford teacher aids and computer paper, but let's give 5 and 6 year olds I-pads??? I didn't even trust my son with a Nook untill he was 13. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 It's not that the iPads are bad. It's that they are unnecessary. Right now, in this economy, you need to focus on the necessary. And unfortunately, the necessary often gets dropped while the unnecessary is focused on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Peach Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 It's not that the iPads are bad. It's that they are unnecessary. Right now, in this economy, you need to focus on the necessary. And unfortunately, the necessary often gets dropped while the unnecessary is focused on. Exactly. In our area, many teachers are getting pink slips. Are Ipads truly necessary? Nope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heatherwith4 Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Seriously? They are in K. How many books could be bought with that money? Craft supplies? Play Doh? Toys for play centers? That stuff, IMO, is what K should be made of. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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