iPad in the classroom for video games

[Anonymous]

It would not bother me at all.

[Anonymous]

That would totally bother me, and I'm someone who thinks there should be more play in kindergarten. But t should be interactive and involve exploring the world and social relationships. K students ave so little play/center time as is, it should be spent playing with blocks and dolls and art and other kids. I wouldnt be wild about even educational ipad games either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not a fan of the IPad in class. Our 3rd grade teacher uses a personal ipad as a "reward" for students. The first student receives the "reward" for some good behavior and then is allowed to pass it around to his/her friends. So really, it is a reward for the first child and then a reinforcement of social pecking order for the rest -- only the popular kids are in the chain of friends who pass the ipad around. Unpopular kids just look on with envy as 4-5 kids get the ipad solely because they are friends with the first one. This is very poor class room managment, IMO.

Wow, that sounds pretty horrible. What is that teacher thinking?

I'm not anti-technology - my 4 yo gets to play on our iPad, but I'm with you on this OP. I'm also all for 'play' at school, but at this age, kids should be playing wih each other or playing with actual 'things', not playing non-educational games on the iPad during school time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not a fan of the IPad in class. Our 3rd grade teacher uses a personal ipad as a "reward" for students. The first student receives the "reward" for some good behavior and then is allowed to pass it around to his/her friends. So really, it is a reward for the first child and then a reinforcement of social pecking order for the rest -- only the popular kids are in the chain of friends who pass the ipad around. Unpopular kids just look on with envy as 4-5 kids get the ipad solely because they are friends with the first one. This is very poor class room managment, IMO.

Wow, that sounds pretty horrible. What is that teacher thinking?

I'm not anti-technology - my 4 yo gets to play on our iPad, but I'm with you on this OP. I'm also all for 'play' at school, but at this age, kids should be playing wih each other or playing with actual 'things', not playing non-educational games on the iPad during school time.

clearly, he's not thinking. he is young and has only been teaching for a few years, so I think he's just clueless. I also think his desire to integrate technology into the classroom (good idea) is done with no real deep thinking. also think it helps him appear young and hip to kids. it's the modern equivalent of teachers who reward kids with candy in class. Plus, I sometimes wonder if, as a guy, he is just clueless about classroom social dynamics.(sorry to gender stereotype.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not a fan of the IPad in class. Our 3rd grade teacher uses a personal ipad as a "reward" for students. The first student receives the "reward" for some good behavior and then is allowed to pass it around to his/her friends. So really, it is a reward for the first child and then a reinforcement of social pecking order for the rest -- only the popular kids are in the chain of friends who pass the ipad around. Unpopular kids just look on with envy as 4-5 kids get the ipad solely because they are friends with the first one. This is very poor class room managment, IMO.

Wow, that sounds pretty horrible. What is that teacher thinking?

I'm not anti-technology - my 4 yo gets to play on our iPad, but I'm with you on this OP. I'm also all for 'play' at school, but at this age, kids should be playing wih each other or playing with actual 'things', not playing non-educational games on the iPad during school time.

clearly, he's not thinking. he is young and has only been teaching for a few years, so I think he's just clueless. I also think his desire to integrate technology into the classroom (good idea) is done with no real deep thinking. also think it helps him appear young and hip to kids. it's the modern equivalent of teachers who reward kids with candy in class. Plus, I sometimes wonder if, as a guy, he is just clueless about classroom social dynamics.(sorry to gender stereotype.)

I'd be okay with the reward of iPad time for good behavior. I'll confess that I do that with my kids. They get time to play a game if they clean up and get ready for bed without too much hassle. So, the idea of it being like rewarding kids with candy isn't too offensive to me.

What really bugs me is that he'd allow that student to choose which friends! If that is the case, it's not a reward for anything, other than being friends with the kid who was behaving. WTF? What lesson is that teaching the kids?

(sorry to go somewhat OT, OP, this particular post just seems so crazy!)

[Anonymous]

There's one iPad and like 20-25 kids. I think you're being a little uptight. Honestly, to me it sounds like the teacher didn't know the premise of Fruit Ninja at all and was trying to cover up for it by saying it was a math related game. It doesn't seem like a big deal.

[Anonymous]

If as PP says this teacher didn't know what the game was and then tried to "cover up" for it by saying it was math-related, that would be equally or more disturbing IMO. Shouldn't the teachers know what it is they are allowing kids to do on the ipad or computer?