I know it is a mixed metaphor, but rolling out iPads this year has been a mixed experience. In some cases it has transformed learning, in other cases it hasn't. In many cases trying to make the iPad fit the curriculum has been like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Yes, I'm over doing it with the cliches on this post, but when the shoe fits...
Using iPads in my 7th grade English class has lead to some really interesting projects, and some great ways to make the classroom interactive. But at other times the iPad just isn't the right tool for what we want to accomplish. The bottom line is that the "what" has to drive the "how." Educators need to ask themselves, "What do I want students to know?" before they ask, "How will we get there?" Sometimes the "how" involves an iPad, sometimes it doesn't.
Where does this leave our iPad pilot? That is a good question. I wish we could find one tool to do it all, or that we could afford for students to have multiple devices. Perhaps there is a way to find that happy medium, but along the way I have to remind myself to ask the right questions.
6 comments:
Thanks for your concise yet very clear review!
Rightly Said,Well written (y)
I wouldnt stop only at iPads..but other tablets too. You must admit though that gadgetsare becoming more useful and educational, some studies show that about 70% of people use computer alternatives.
TechSmurf - They are definitely useful, but the gadget shouldn't drive the pedagogy. The teaching should come first and then it is a question of the best tool for the job.
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Do you not think that instead of iPads, purchasing a cheaper tablet solution , for example the LearnPad (which was made for education) would allow more tablets to be bought?
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