Replacing School books with Ipads??

Davekoolhill

Folks, I seen today that there is talk from a Mayo school that there are plans to replace schoolbooks with Ipads.


What do people think about it? I would imagine it would save costs for families in the long run.

http://www.newstalk.ie/2011/news/will-ipads-in-schools-be-the-death-of-the-book/

o1s1n

I think a laptop would be far more useful to be honest. Using Ipads just sounds like a gimmick.

JustAddWater

o1s1n wrote: »

I think a laptop would be far more useful to be honest. Using Ipads just sounds like a gimmick.

Plus the added bonus of a laptop being that little bit more rugged depending on the model of course

The iPad in the hands of a schoolchild, could easily get broken in a school bag

I also have no idea what mashed up bananas and ham sandwiches and schoolmilk would do to an iPad but it wouldn't be nice

Crow92

Is there not a problem of prolonged viewing of laptops and i-pads on your eyes too?

Manach

I'd agree it would cut costs and also that ebooks are easier to browse.
However my own experience is they do not provide the same study benefit as normal texts, as knowledge is not as easily absorbed from the screen. It could be that this is due to my own habits and that school pupils might not face this issue.

hidinginthebush

So now every parent has to shell out an extra €700 per child? Then there's most likely the issue of having to pay for the .pdf (or whatever format) of the schoolbooks/software that will be used. Ridiculous!

ei.sdraob

Bad idea, especially considering how locked down ipads and other apple crap is.

Give them a laptop at least they be able to download and open pdf documents/books without too much hassle and be able to use many of the flash based interactive children stuff out there (why oh why is there no flash on apple stuff :rolleyes:)

It would be cheaper too, if you want to save even more money and increase their chances of employment down the road then install linux on it there are distributions specifically designed for education.

JustAddWater

Plus the idea of kids with iPads makes them a massive target for criminals and other scum who could very easy end up with a couple of €€€k's worth with very little effort....

Bad idea

Nijmegen

iPad's, laptops, other kinds of tablets - who cares? The fact is that kids who learn in dynamic, computerised schools with engaged teachers have better learning outcomes.

See one example (an extract from BusinessWeek: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_22/b4230072816925.htm?chan=rss_topStories_ssi_5 )

Julian's classroom has windows on three sides and room for his desk as well as a separate lectern. Inside, 27 children sit in front of 27 laptops, all logged on to the Khan Academy. Used in the classroom, the Khan Academy flips the traditional curriculum; students listen to the lectures at home, on their own time, and do the homework in class, which allows the teacher time to address student issues individually. As the class progresses, Julian wanders through the desks with an iPad running Khan's dashboard, so he can see who's ahead and who's behind. He doesn't really need it: He already knows exactly how each student is progressing. And he isn't doing as much individual teaching as one might expect. Often, the lagging students are tutored by the students who are ahead. "The kids know whom to call on," says Julian. "It happened on its own. They just began to get out of their seats and work with each other. They've identified their trustworthy peer tutors. They know they can call on Sriram and Akhil and Albert, and that they know what they're talking about. Mainly, I've had to spend time teaching them how to teach."

Erin Green, principal of Covington, loves the Khan Academy and plans to expand it to more classrooms. "Many of the students are working at a level of mathematics that I have never seen in an elementary school before, maybe not even in a junior high school before," she says. "They're engaged and they're excited, and that's the most exciting part. It meets you at your level."

The Khan Academy has also been introduced in two seventh-grade classrooms for struggling learners in the Los Altos district, and the district is considering using it in all schools next year. "Their improvement has been dramatic," says Khan of the slow group, who notes that his studies are small, not peer-reviewed, and just intended for him to get a sense of whether Khan Academy methods are working or not. "We're seeing 70 percent on average improvement on the pre-algebra topics in those classrooms. It definitely tells us it's not derailing anything. All the indicators say that something profound looks like it's happening."

In Julian's class, Sriram, one of the standouts, is asked what he's working on.

"Chains," he responds. "It's like a calculus thingy. But it's really easy."
"Well, to him," says Julian.
Sriram moves aside. The question on his screen looks like this:

ƒ(x) = e cos(x)
ƒ'(x) = ?

Along the right side are five answers:

— e(cos(x)) - 1 • (tan(x))
— (e - (cos(x))) cos(x) (csc(x))
— (cos(x)) • e cos(x) + (sin(x))
— e cos(x) • (-sin(x))
— None of these.


Sriram explains in a halting, impossible-to-understand fashion how he arrives at the answer, plugs it in, and gets a "correct."

"I don't get some of this stuff either," says Julian. "They're like, can you help me? I'm like, I have to go back and watch Salman's videos."

Risteard

There's a school in Limerick that's doing this as well for incoming 4th years. I thought it was ridiculous when I first heard it. as said above, if you're going down the technology route, a laptop would be cheaper and probably better.

Also there's the fact that if you're doing all your work on a computer, what happens when it's time for the LC, specifically English or History, when you have to write a lot when you're not used to it? You also wouldn't have any spell checker that students may have been relying on in the previous three years.

Not sure if the students will be just using the iPad for homework as well but if not, why an iPad? I'm sure there are cheaper eBook readers out there.

Stupid idea IMO.

southsiderosie

Nijmegen wrote: »

iPad's, laptops, other kinds of tablets - who cares? The fact is that kids who learn in dynamic, computerised schools with engaged teachers have better learning outcomes.

See one example (an extract from BusinessWeek: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_22/b4230072816925.htm?chan=rss_topStories_ssi_5 )

I don't think that article is an endorsement for computerized schools, it's an endorsement for kids having access to people who can teach math well.

Actually I think that's the main reason I am skeptical of these school technology initiatives: there is too much focus on on the hardware and not enough on the basics. Plus the Khan institute makes these videos available for free - why are the learning software packages over 700 euros a student?

Ultimately kids benefit more from well trained motivated teachers than fancy electronics in the classroom.

Nijmegen

Risteard wrote: »

There's a school in Limerick that's doing this as well for incoming 4th years. I thought it was ridiculous when I first heard it. as said above, if you're going down the technology route, a laptop would be cheaper and probably better.

Also there's the fact that if you're doing all your work on a computer, what happens when it's time for the LC, specifically English or History, when you have to write a lot when you're not used to it? You also wouldn't have any spell checker that students may have been relying on in the previous three years.

Not sure if the students will be just using the iPad for homework as well but if not, why an iPad? I'm sure there are cheaper eBook readers out there.

Stupid idea IMO.

Leaving aside the issue of the iPad vs other platforms:

Why is it stupid that they do their leaving through the format they'll do most of their college and lead their working lives?

It's stupid in the context of maintaining the form of the leaving cert, which is rather out of date compared to the reality, where people use spell checkers and computers at their desks all through their professional lives.

The ability to effectively troubleshoot PC problems is now more important than the ability to handwrite perfectly.

jurahnimoh

If they take the books away then i ask, what will the children use to start fires to keep warm on cold days while mitching from school?

Nijmegen

southsiderosie wrote: »

I don't think that article is an endorsement for computerized schools, it's an endorsement for kids having access to people who can teach math well.

Actually I think that's the main reason I am skeptical of these school technology initiatives: there is too much focus on on the hardware and not enough on the basics. Plus the Khan institute makes these videos available for free - why are the learning software packages over 700 euros a student?

Ultimately kids benefit more from well trained motivated teachers than fancy electronics in the classroom.

I would argue that both are required.

I left school when I was 16, having hated it. Nowadays I love learning through interactive means. Kids do too - learning through games, through interactive programs, is more fun than work.

A great teacher is better than a computer, I agree. But a great teacher combined with great learning tools?

Don't tell me you truly believe that it's better to learn science from a rigid book vs an interactive program? Geography through Google Earth? Etc.

ronan keane

Ipad: Playing angry birds instead of history.

Norwayviking

Davekoolhill wrote: »

Folks, I seen today that there is talk from a Mayo school that there are plans to replace schoolbooks with Ipads.


What do people think about it? I would imagine it would save costs for families in the long run.

http://www.newstalk.ie/2011/news/will-ipads-in-schools-be-the-death-of-the-book/

Why not replace the teachers with Robots to while their at it.:D

coldwood92

o1s1n wrote: »

I think a laptop would be far more useful to be honest. Using Ipads just sounds like a gimmick.

yeah but ipads are like super computers:D

Shelflife

why not just have the option of getting the books in an electronic format, at the moment my 14yr has to bring a bag to school thats half his body weight. we live half a mile from the school and there are days that his bag is just too heavy to carry.

Id like the option where you can bring a memory stick or access a web site to get your books and leave the physical books in the school locker.

coldwood92

Norwayviking wrote: »

Why not replace the teachers with Robots to while their at it.:D

yeah that would take a while but i think humans are better more personally

astrofool

Crow92 wrote: »

Is there not a problem of prolonged viewing of laptops and i-pads on your eyes too?

No.

Is a bit gimmicky to go for an ipad, the android platform would be far more suitable for an education environment, nobody actually does any real work on Apple...

Risteard

Nijmegen wrote: »

Leaving aside the issue of the iPad vs other platforms:

Why is it stupid that they do their leaving through the format they'll do most of their college and lead their working lives?

It's stupid in the context of maintaining the form of the leaving cert, which is rather out of date compared to the reality, where people use spell checkers and computers at their desks all through their professional lives.

The ability to effectively troubleshoot PC problems is now more important than the ability to handwrite perfectly.

That's the leaving cert debate though. The Leaving cert does have its flaws no doubt about it. Focuses on memorising facts and figures instead of actually learning, for the most part. As such that's what the schools will do, try get the students the best grades possible, because that's what gets them into further education in University.

In its current form, the Leaving cert relies on students writing for long periods of time, doing all your work on a computer while definitely beneficial to future life, could affect grades which prevent you from gaining a university place.

Now I accept that the likelihood of this handwriting thing affecting college places significantly is small but still it could have an effect.

I think it would be great if the Leaving Cert incorporated new subjects on technology and computers that allowed all students get a decent education into computers and how they work. Whatever I know about computers, which isn't an awful lot from technical sides of things, I learned from looking things up and just messing around.

The point is that in its current form, rightly or wrongly, emphasis is placed an the ability to write for periods of tie which would be hampered by using and iPad full time.

Tora Bora

FFS! Kick up the donkey, and tell em to get their head into the books, and do a bit of learnin:P iPad my ...............:mad:

Fittle

Perhaps it's true what they say, and that I actually AM turning into my mother, but I think this is an appalling idea.

The very first thing that struck me was the many other things children learn by turning the pages of a book - patience being one of them! In this age of technology when everything is so accessible to them (children) so easily and so quickly, the very process of reading a paper book gives them much more than the knowledge of the story. What about their handwriting? My own handwriting was wonderful back in the day, and I remember winning 'neatest copy' almost every week! Now I can barely read my own scrawl after years of using pc's - but at least I still have the basics.

I sincerely hope this isn't rolled out across the whole education system - yes, I agree that we have to move with the times, and I am one of the many parents who complain about the costs of new books each September, but if this happens, we'll have raised a nation of 'text-speakers' who wouldn't know an apostrophe nor a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence, if it hit them in the eye:(

listermint

Fittle wrote: »

Perhaps it's true what they say, and that I actually AM turning into my mother, but I think this is an appalling idea.

The very first thing that struck me was the many other things children learn by turning the pages of a book - patience being one of them! In this age of technology when everything is so accessible to them (children) so easily and so quickly, the very process of reading a paper book gives them much more than the knowledge of the story. What about their handwriting? My own handwriting was wonderful back in the day, and I remember winning 'neatest copy' almost every week! Now I can barely read my own scrawl after years of using pc's - but at least I still have the basics.

I sincerely hope this isn't rolled out across the whole education system - yes, I agree that we have to move with the times, and I am one of the many parents who complain about the costs of new books each September, but if this happens, we'll have raised a nation of 'text-speakers' who wouldn't know an apostrophe nor a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence, if it hit them in the eye:(

Poor argument to make, Youe whole basis of not pursuing a computerised system is because you cant do handwriting as well as you did when you were 9.

It makes sense and studies have proven successful, which is a far cry from the results that are being achieved currently.

cavedave

Nijmegen

iPad's, laptops, other kinds of tablets - who cares? The fact is that kids who learn in dynamic, computerised schools with engaged teachers have better learning outcomes.

Is that a fact? Or at least a theory backed up by peer reviewed evidence?

There is some research that says computers do not help exam results

New research by economists Ofer Malamud and Cristian Pop-Eleches provides an answer: For many kids, computers are indeed more of a distraction than a learning opportunity. The two researchers surveyed households that applied to Euro 200, a voucher distribution program in Romania designed to help poor households defray the cost of buying a computer for their children. It turns out that kids in households lucky enough to get computer vouchers spent a lot less time watching TV—but that's where the good news ends. "Vouchered" kids also spent less time doing homework, got lower grades, and reported lower educational aspirations than the "unvouchered" kids.

hatrickpatrick

+1 for the laptop brigade, ipads are just too restricted. Also, I'm sure most people would agree that for things like typing, touch screen is a F*CKING nightmare.

I do agree study needs to become more hi tech, I just don't think irritating restricted touch screen devices are the way to go. The iPad doesn't even allow USB, it's the mother of all proprietary systems. It doesn't support Flash either, ironically because Steve Jobs says "Flash is a closed, proprietary system and we don't like that"

Liam Byrne

"The kids know whom to call on," says Julian.

"They're like, can you help me? I'm like, I have to go back and watch Salman's videos."

Tip for the school - lose the technology and get teachers who can speak English.

coldwood92

A teacher was telling me there a couple of years that dubs have all their books on laptops!
Laptops are have heavy if a school was thinking of bring in laptops i would say use netbooks on account of how they are light

http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/apple/the-school-that-gives-every-student-an-ipad-915539

Folans have online books for teacher

hatrickpatrick

Fittle wrote: »

but if this happens, we'll have raised a nation of 'text-speakers' who wouldn't know an apostrophe nor a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence, if it hit them in the eye:(

But would it matter, if we end up in a situation in which EVERYBODY communicates this way?
Opposing the evolution of language is pointless and petty in my view.

U MAD BRO? Me liekz0rz teh interwebz 1337 sp33k...

coldwood92

Shelflife wrote: »

why not just have the option of getting the books in an electronic format, at the moment my 14yr has to bring a bag to school thats half his body weight. we live half a mile from the school and there are days that his bag is just too heavy to carry.

Id like the option where you can bring a memory stick or access a web site to get your books and leave the physical books in the school locker.

physical books are heavy and memory sticks can get lost
access a web site get your books = Folans

Fittle

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

But would it matter, if we end up in a situation in which EVERYBODY communicates this way?
Opposing the evolution of language is pointless and petty in my view.

U MAD BRO? Me liekz0rz teh interwebz 1337 sp33k...

I wasn't aware that text-speak WAS the evolution of language

Davekoolhill

One thing that is for sure, the kids would not have an excuse for leaving their homework/books at home.. it could be well handy.

However, it's like news content online, most people I know prefer to pick up a newspaper than read the articles online.

Son Of A Vidic

Some day in the future kids probably won't be able to write. Disable their spell checks and they won't be able to spell. Kids laden with books is not a recent phenomena, it's not rocket science. We had lockers in school, so you left what you didn't need for homework that night in the locker and only carried what was necessary.

Of course kids are so precious nowadays, they can't even walk. You would rarely see anyone getting a lift to school from a parent, when I was in secondary school. Christ, today they seem to have lost the ability to walk or cycle. So install some lockers and teach them how to read and write properly, fúcking iPads my arse.:rolleyes:

Noreen1

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

Some day in the future kids probably won't be able to write. Disable their spell checks and they won't be able to spell. Kids laden with books is not a recent phenomena, it's not rocket science. We had lockers in school, so you left what you didn't need for homework that night in the locker and only carried what was necessary.

Of course kids are so precious nowadays, they can't even walk. You would rarely see anyone getting a lift to school from a parent, when I was in secondary school. Christ, today they seem to have lost the ability to walk or cycle. So install some lockers and teach them how to read and write properly, fúcking iPads my arse.:rolleyes:

Hmm. My son developed a sore back when he first started secondary school.
His schoolbag weighed 13 Kg - way too much for a 12 year old who is not considered too precious to walk to school.

I'd support the use of e-readers/laptops for textbooks. iPad is just too proprietary.

Actually, come to think of it - the buying power of the Dept. of Education could make this very cost-effective.........if we could trust them to make the right selection. (I wouldn't, personally)

ps. By the way, he did have a locker - and used it.
Many teachers insist on A4 Hardbacks instead of copybooks - it adds considerably to the weight of a schoolbag

Nijmegen

Was chatting to a nephew of mine, doing a business degree. He hasn't bought a single book, because all the coursework is available online. He is forbidden to turn in any assignments in hardcopy, always in office documents. When he graduates he will likely end up working through the medium of a computer.

And what's wrong with educating kids on them...?

Davekoolhill

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

Some day in the future kids probably won't be able to write. Disable their spell checks and they won't be able to spell. Kids laden with books is not a recent phenomena, it's not rocket science. We had lockers in school, so you left what you didn't need for homework that night in the locker and only carried what was necessary.

Of course kids are so precious nowadays, they can't even walk. You would rarely see anyone getting a lift to school from a parent, when I was in secondary school. Christ, today they seem to have lost the ability to walk or cycle. So install some lockers and teach them how to read and write properly, fúcking iPads my arse.:rolleyes:

Great post, eventually kids won't know what a book is!

Amhran Nua

Had a better idea years ago.

Combining all Irish educational works, books, and curriculums onto a single centralised information centre:

This project will be undertaken in association with recognised world leaders in the market, such as Google. Access to this database will be provided by induction powered (no cables) ruggedised electronic tablets, connected via wi-fi to central school repositories of the information covered. These tablets will be engineered to be long lasting and responsive, with e-ink screens (non luminous, like a sheet of paper behind an unreflective plastic screen), which has the added advantage of a much longer battery life.

This intiative will not only provide a boost to domestic Irish industry in creating and maintaining these resources, as well as giving us a system to potentially export to other countries, but will greatly expand and consolidate the material available to students, allowing them to study at their own pace. This also allows the "waterfall effect", which means students who don't understand a concept or term can select that term for a greater explanation, and so work back until they can reach a level they do understand, before building from there. An emphasis will be placed on the idea that "Education is your own responsibility", without reducing the role of the teacher. Another advantage is that the system isn't just limited to text, it can be used to transfer sounds to students, making language education, a key factor in future growth, much simpler.

Students will also be able to interact with one another and with qualified tutors on a national level (this system disconnected from the main internet), and hold discussions in forums, as well as building their own knowledgebase of ideas and solutions which will accumulate over time into an enormous volume of knowledge to help students at every level, all the way to postgraduate. It can also be used by for example businesses to interact with students to give them real life knowledge and understanding of the actual challenges they will face in the world, providing reference material and assisting with research on a one to one basis, which will persist for future students to read and understand.

bpb101

how you you type a 4 a4 page essay with a touch screen . good luck to ya

southsiderosie

Nijmegen wrote: »

I would argue that both are required.

I left school when I was 16, having hated it. Nowadays I love learning through interactive means. Kids do too - learning through games, through interactive programs, is more fun than work.

A great teacher is better than a computer, I agree. But a great teacher combined with great learning tools?

Don't tell me you truly believe that it's better to learn science from a rigid book vs an interactive program? Geography through Google Earth? Etc.

But there are interactive programs and games that do not require such expensive hardware and software. As the article points out, the Khan videos and learning programs are free. Kids also learn better in small groups with peer-to-peer interaction: again, this is free.

listermint wrote: »

Poor argument to make, Youe whole basis of not pursuing a computerised system is because you cant do handwriting as well as you did when you were 9.

It makes sense and studies have proven successful, which is a far cry from the results that are being achieved currently.

What studies? Most of what I have read about laptops in the classroom in the US suggests that it has been an expensive disaster.

Do we really think that there is something so special about kids today that they cannot learn math without using a computer? How has it been done for the last 1000+ years? If kids were better grounded in math when they were young, then they could move on to more advanced courses, programming, etc in secondary school. But based on Ireland's international test scores, I think schools would be better off focusing on getting the basics right rather than thinking that shiny new technology alone is enough to overcome pedagogical shortcomings.

ei.sdraob

southsiderosie wrote: »

But there are interactive programs and games that do not require such expensive hardware and software. As the article points out, the Khan videos and learning programs are free. Kids also learn better in small groups with peer-to-peer interaction: again, this is free.
.

Often made in Flash which is not available on Apple stuff due to being "proprietary" :P
Hence why a small cheap laptop be better idea.

Davekoolhill

Isn't handwriting still the quickest way to take notes?

maynooth_rules

As a teacher that moved over to london in January, it is scary how behind we are in our schools in regards to ICT in the classroom. Every single classroom I have been in has one here, in the 5 schools in I was in in Ireland, only 3 had them, and 2 had only one for use for the whole school. On top of this students in england don't have to bring books around with them in their schoolbags. Teachers using twitter has become a bit of a big thing over here, gives student interaction outside the classroom

cavedave

Davekoolhill

Isn't handwriting still the quickest way to take notes?

no typing is much quicker than writing. Photocopying is quicker than that. and copying files is quicker still

sink

Davekoolhill wrote: »

Isn't handwriting still the quickest way to take notes?

I can type 30-40 wpm, I can only handwrite 20-30. Plus if I want to revise what I have written it's much easier to do so in a word processor.

wildefalcon

But, if we switch to the superior format of computer, how on earth are the Irish School Book suppliers going to make money?

Who will bring the senior advisors of the Department of Education out for all-expenses paid dinners?

And what about all the people employed to change the curriculum whenever there are enough second hand books about?

Don't you all realise there is an entire eco-system surrounding the school books?

Who cares about the kids, it's the PROFITS that count!

listermint

southsiderosie wrote: »

But there are interactive programs and games that do not require such expensive hardware and software. As the article points out, the Khan videos and learning programs are free. Kids also learn better in small groups with peer-to-peer interaction: again, this is free.



What studies? Most of what I have read about laptops in the classroom in the US suggests that it has been an expensive disaster.

Do we really think that there is something so special about kids today that they cannot learn math without using a computer? How has it been done for the last 1000+ years? If kids were better grounded in math when they were young, then they could move on to more advanced courses, programming, etc in secondary school. But based on Ireland's international test scores, I think schools would be better off focusing on getting the basics right rather than thinking that shiny new technology alone is enough to overcome pedagogical shortcomings.

Its not about the basics, it is about introducing ICT into the classroom. Its obvious that we if we are seeking to push forward Ireland as an innovation hub with technology at the fore. We need to do this within the Schools. Its clear and obvious and for you to 'state' otherwise is obscene.

Its a disgrace that for alot of children the first sight they can get of actual computer linguistics would be (if they are lucky) a quick program in transition year, or wait until college until it is being touched on.

How are we ever going to further technology innovation here if we are paying lip service in nurturing it at an early learning stage. ??

bk

I've always found it shocking that we have subjects in secondary school for almost every subject under the sun, including, Latin, Ancient Greek, wood work, music, biology, chemistry, accountancy, etc.

Yet there is no ICT or Computer Science subject in either Junior Cert or Leaving Cert, despite the IT industry being one of the most important industries in Ireland and IT being used in almost every other industry.

spurious

bk wrote: »

Yet there is no ICT or Computer Science subject in either Junior Cert or Leaving Cert, despite the IT industry being one of the most important industries in Ireland and IT being used in almost every other industry.

There is an IT specialism in the LCA, but Irish people can't cope with a Leaving Certificate that might actually measure skills that the real world wants. Many schools don't offer the LCA and see it as something 'less than'.

Shelflife

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

Some day in the future kids probably won't be able to write. Disable their spell checks and they won't be able to spell. Kids laden with books is not a recent phenomena, it's not rocket science. We had lockers in school, so you left what you didn't need for homework that night in the locker and only carried what was necessary.

Of course kids are so precious nowadays, they can't even walk. You would rarely see anyone getting a lift to school from a parent, when I was in secondary school. Christ, today they seem to have lost the ability to walk or cycle. So install some lockers and teach them how to read and write properly, fúcking iPads my arse.:rolleyes:

CM i agree with youin the main here, there are a lot of precious kids out there, mine is not one of them, asking a child to carry over half their body weight is asking for problems later in life.

he uses his locker and does his homework in any free classes he has so that he can reduce the weight in his bag. he walks to school most mornings and only gets a lift when the bag is really heavy.

lily09

I attended a talk by a principal in Wexford who was part of a pilot project using ipod touch by all children in the classroom. Personally I think I.T is the way forward and all children should be computer literate but I thought the whole idea was gimmicky. There are the practical problems such as the charging of the ipods only a small amount could be charged at once. Also it reduces the amount of collabaration and group work and concentrates on the individual. If this was something to be rolled out I definatly agree that laptops would be more appropriate.

metrovelvet

When we were in middle school we had to learn basic and logo. Utterly pointless. I cant see where they lead in terms of building blocks. What kids learn today in terms of technology will probably be defunct by the time they hit their level.

School books weigh a ton. I can see the temptation in an IPAD. But they are costly and kids are very messy and clumsy.