It appears that this is what brought the subject up -
LAUSD launches its drive to equip every student with iPads Let's see how they're going about it.
For Broadacres, in Carson, the tablets were an exhilarating upgrade for a campus that had no wireless Internet and few working computers. Technology was only marginally better at Cimarron, in Hawthorne, where the computer lab couldn't accommodate an entire class.
Nice. It's a cost-effective way to bring the benefits of technology to a place that didn't have it. Given that the single largest repository of knowledge in human history is accessed via computer, this sounds like a solid win.
"This is going to level the playing field as far as what schools are doing throughout the district," said Principal Cynthia M. Williams of Cimarron, where 70% of students are from low-income families.
Ah, yes, the digital divide closes. Another win.
"If they have a burning question and I don't have an answer, now they can Google. It's literally going to bring the world into the classroom, but positively."
Absolutely.
DeCoursey had three days of training on both the iPad and the state's new learning standards, which she's supposed to teach with the devices.
Three days? On the device AND the state's new standards? So how much time was spent specifically on getting educational value from the iPad? This doesn't sound good.
"Having an iPad for personal use is not the same as using it to instruct students," Martinez said. "Before you put any kind of technology into the hands of students, the teachers have to be fully trained and capable of using it to teach."
Indeed.
The district is paying $678 per device — higher than tablets cost in stores — with pre-loaded educational software that has been only partially developed. The tablets come with tracking software, a sturdy case and a three-year warranty.
Wait... they're buying in bulk, and still paying more than retail?? The software is only partially developed??
This sounds like a future case study for how technology implementations go wrong. On the plus side, the district will have 25 years to regret it.
