I was recently interested to read about a group of parents in Auburn, Maine, in the US, who were objecting to a large scale iPad project being rolled out for many children in Kindergarten (Nursery / F2).
According to this blog post:
The committee that governs schools in the district voted to spend about $200,000 on the iPads, which also covers insurance, educational software aimed at the appropriate age level, training and other program costs. The program will eventually serve all six elementary schools in the small community.
And so nearly 300 iPad devices are set to be purchased and every Kindergarten pupil will have one. Apparently the parents opposing the use of the device were concerned about the amount of screen time the children would have as well as the detrimental effect it would have on concentration and social skills.
I have worked in a school where teachers were using iPads in the early years and from the ongoing discussion with them and from my experience of how these Foundation stage classrooms are structured I have a few reflections.
Firstly just because you have 25+ iPads in your classroom any teacher worth their salt is not going to be slinging everything out with the boxes the iPads came in. The curriculum that is being delivered in these formative years still needs such breadth that the iPad can only support a small part of that.
I think that the district are to be commended for attempting such an ambitious project, young children love using the iPads and I have seen it many times myself how they take to the device so naturally, testament to the intuitive interface. The bitesize apps are also aimed at narrow parts of the curriculum and so I think they have much to offer schools.
However in my experience I don’t think that it would be a good investment for every child to have a device. In terms of the amount of use you would likely plan in and the way the days are structured, a group of 6-8 devices would be ideal for the group phonic sessions. Perhaps colleagues in the US could explain a little more about how small group work is used in the Kindergarten classes as I have no experience of it.
From conversations with colleagues having up to 8 devices that could support teaching in those small groups would be just about the right balance – the management of 25+ devices even in the older age groups is an ongoing challenge.
When a prospective technology emerges as purporting to have some positive effects it seems that pushing all the way to 1:1 is the answer. But I dont’ agree. I have worked with netbooks and laptops in my classroom for the last 4-5 years and the ratios have always been about 1 device to 2 pupils. It has not hindered what we can do.
I was lucky enough to meet Sugata Mitra in Doha in 2009 and his research highlights that self organised learning can occur when children have the tools and the space to themselves, but I was always interested in the number of devices he used in these experiments and what can be achieved with nowhere near 1:1 devices.
I can see both sides to this one. I would have spent less money or certainly explored ways to use those funds in other ways such as app creation or training staff to create their own content (this may well be part of it, which would be good to find out). However it still offers the district a great opportunity and for the children involved to enjoy access to an engaging technology. It is now, as always, up to the teachers to make the most of that opportunity in the most appropriate ways.
Love the work of Mitra and agree if your ideas. Struggling with sharing iPads in some settings because they are designed to be a single user device, but going to remind teachers of the benefits of negotiated, collaborative use of digital tools. Many to one is a great model for real learning.
i would like to take that……………..
That’s a really good idea Fraser – thanks. I’ve been following what you’ve been doing in your school and gleaned a lot from your blog too.
I think within a few years, for schools that can afford it, pretty much all pupils will have their own device for learning that they can bring out and use as they need in class and at home. We’re in a very interesting period at the moment where lots of schools are trying out exciting new projects and sharing experiences.
Our 1:1 program in the senior school is giving students choice of what device they use; it’s provided by their family, so long as it meets a minimum spec. I think we’ll approach things differently in the primary school next year though…and I can’t help but think tablets will be the way forward, with labs for more specific needs.
That’s a really good idea Fraser – thanks. I’ve been following what you’ve been doing in your school and gleaned a lot from your blog too.
I think within a few years, for schools that can afford it, pretty much all pupils will have their own device for learning that they can bring out and use as they need in class and at home. We’re in a very interesting period at the moment where lots of schools are trying out exciting new projects and sharing experiences.
Our 1:1 program in the senior school is giving students choice of what device they use; it’s provided by their family, so long as it meets a minimum spec. I think we’ll approach things differently in the primary school next year though…and I can’t help but think tablets will be the way forward, with labs for more specific needs.
Thanks for the comment Wade, just like any technology in the classroom they will hold up as well as the routines that are established to use and look after them. There is a pretty good range of accessories to protect the devices these days.
Thanks for the comment Wade, just like any technology in the classroom they will hold up as well as the routines that are established to use and look after them. There is a pretty good range of accessories to protect the devices these days.
An interesting post. It always great to see students sharing devices; collaborative learning being so important. I haven’t been lucky enough to have access to iPads. I would love to try them out in my lessons. Just as a matter of interest, how are iPads holding up in kindergarten classes. I had a student drop a magnifying glass the other day and I felt guilty for the damage.
One approach that I’ve seen used with iPads in schools that are not 1:1 is to have enough for a class but rotate them on a long-term basis. Instead of “everyone gets an hour a week”, the approach is “Class X gets them 24×7 for 8 weeks”. That way the teacher can plan work around the frequent use of technology and the kids can deeply engage with the device. It also makes it easier to justify spending time reconfiguring the devices for personalised use.
You are right to identify choice as being key, we need to get to a position where we offer children the choice of the tools they need in order to best support their learning. They of course need to have time to fully understand what these are and how to use them. We should see technology as just another classroom tool or resource. It is in the understanding and justification of choosing that tool that we must focus our classes.
I agree a range of opportunities for young learners to be successful is important.
Thanks Tom. An interesting post. In my opinion, Primary Schools (or equivalent) should be providing students with a range of devices so as to introduce them to what each device can do as a tool to aid student learning. The students should be encouraged to decide, which tool will be best for them to complete each task… when we choose a new device for ourselves, we take many things into consideration. If students are exposed to this from an early age, they will be able to make the right decision as to which device is best for them when they reach in secondary… then all you need is a good network!
For young children school is also very much about socialisation, working together is a must! Plus it gives the child with little social, artistic or sports skills but good tech skills a chance to shine – for once everyone will want to be on his team.
As I say in the post it is a bold step for a district to invest so widely. Any institute making such an investment is certainly saying to parents and pupils alike that these tools are important whether iPad or not, and we need to allow our children the chance to use them to support their learning.
Thanks for sharing your iPad insights in the classroom – yes the informal use of them during continuous provision is an important part to build confidence and for them to explore the technology freely.
Yes the staff and people behind the implementation are the key. Without a clear understanding of the role of the technology to support learning it will go nowhere.
Indeed and each institute will see it differently and equally each age group will respond differently and will have nuances to take into account.
thanks for your iPad reflections, sounds like you have an open minded approach to deploying them in your school. It will be interesting to see what you conclude. I do think that there is some compromises to be had with using them at the moment, perhaps this will change in time.
Besides the laptop vs ipad vs smartboard is there possibly an emotional impact the 1-1 investment has for a child? Even in kindergarten the school is saying “we care so much we are making this huge investment in YOU”. Can that pay off?
Really interesting post Tom. We’re getting a couple of sets of iPads to use in our primary here in Manila next year – hopefully 44 or so – which will either be 2 class sets (yes – small class sizes!) or 3 or 4 smaller sets.
One of the main missions will be to see what works best and whether a 1:1 approach has merit, particularly in KS2 where children already have their own google apps accounts, plus other accounts for various web services we use.
The lack of multi-user logins on the iPad is a limitation which I doubt apple will address in any hurry. Yet without setting up an iPad with your email account and other personal details, you’re holding back quite a bit of functionality for older children and adults.
I carried out a small scale action research project in a reception class using iPads. I worked in groups of 3 for my work (however I feel a group of 5 could be managed once the children have got use to the iPad). I used the Pocket Phonics app with them and it really engaged them. I would not have 1:1 for a full class of young children. I do not feel a bigger group than 5 would be a good idea because they soon became distracted and I would find some if them trialling other apps rather than the one that I wanted them to use. Two or three iPads during continuous provision would be great too because the children can then explore the apps, similar to laptops or computers that are currently in place.
Interesting post. Like Dan, I would argue that secondary has a slightly different dynamic and 1:1 can be effective here (depending on the work set). Equally, there would be times when it would not really be useful to have a 1:1 approach. As your post seems to suggest, *context* is everything.
Been mulling over similar thoughts at a secondary school level http://www.mrstucke.com/2011/05/08/it-provision-in-secondary-schools-in-2011/
I think at a secondary level there are additional advantages to 1-2-1 in both the scope for personlisation of the device and the learning for individual pupils but also in the added benefits in the home of that device. At the same time I’ve experimented with some of Sugata’s techniques in my classroom with 1 laptop between groups of 4 to quite some success.
HOWEVER – whether those benefits are worth the great cost increases is something I’m trying to wrestle with.
But you’re right, it all comes back to the quality, training and confidence of the staff in each and every classroom.