Jamestown elementary school - they use iPads for 40 min a day at kindergarten classes.

[Anonymous]

My kid's k was like this. It is a bit depressing to walk into a K classroom and see all the children wearing headphones leaning over ipads, with no interaction with each other or the teacher. But it is very calm and quiet and you can see why they do it.

The negative, from my perspective, are that it's easy to get kids to play math games on ipads so I can do that at home without a problem. (Especially because some of the games are really just games--he's figured out the mode in which he can play them without doing the math!). It's really hard for me to get my K boy to write, draw, color, or cut with scissors, because he doesn't have a good grip or muscle strength, and it's a pity they do so little of that at school. In my experience, they aren't getting much of value from the ipads, and it's replacing high value activities. But it could be implemented differently in a different school.

[Anonymous]

This just in. Technology is not Satan. Used appropriately, exposure to online learning based programs can be a good thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid's k was like this. It is a bit depressing to walk into a K classroom and see all the children wearing headphones leaning over ipads, with no interaction with each other or the teacher. But it is very calm and quiet and you can see why they do it.

The negative, from my perspective, are that it's easy to get kids to play math games on ipads so I can do that at home without a problem. (Especially because some of the games are really just games--he's figured out the mode in which he can play them without doing the math!). It's really hard for me to get my K boy to write, draw, color, or cut with scissors, because he doesn't have a good grip or muscle strength, and it's a pity they do so little of that at school. In my experience, they aren't getting much of value from the ipads, and it's replacing high value activities. But it could be implemented differently in a different school.

Watch the games, especially Geometry Dash or something like that. Was talking to a neighbor this evening. Apparently once a player gets to a certain level or types .prn to the game link the player icons transform into stick figures doing a bump and grind. They found out when the youngest played the game on the older boy's chrome book that he got from school.

[Anonymous]

Jamestown is our assigned school and I think it's terrible and sad to have kindergartners on Ipads during school hours. They can do that at home. There are so many better uses of time at school in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

As a teacher maybe I can offer some existing rationale for our babies getting exposed to tech at school: ALL of the new state tests, including common core and next generation science standards either already do or will shortly require all of our students to be 'tech savvy'. The paper tests are being phased out entirely. I know in my upper grade classes we have discovered we cannot assume our kids really know how to use the tech to take the tests the way they are designed (clumsily, in MHO), and they need practice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid's k was like this. It is a bit depressing to walk into a K classroom and see all the children wearing headphones leaning over ipads, with no interaction with each other or the teacher. But it is very calm and quiet and you can see why they do it.

The negative, from my perspective, are that it's easy to get kids to play math games on ipads so I can do that at home without a problem. (Especially because some of the games are really just games--he's figured out the mode in which he can play them without doing the math!). It's really hard for me to get my K boy to write, draw, color, or cut with scissors, because he doesn't have a good grip or muscle strength, and it's a pity they do so little of that at school. In my experience, they aren't getting much of value from the ipads, and it's replacing high value activities. But it could be implemented differently in a different school.

+1

If we can get the same educational value from iPads anywhere we go, what's the point of teachers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher maybe I can offer some existing rationale for our babies getting exposed to tech at school: ALL of the new state tests, including common core and next generation science standards either already do or will shortly require all of our students to be 'tech savvy'. The paper tests are being phased out entirely. I know in my upper grade classes we have discovered we cannot assume our kids really know how to use the tech to take the tests the way they are designed (clumsily, in MHO), and they need practice.

LOL. iPads don't really teach "tech".

[Anonymous]

Instead of complaining here, complain to the school board. If they don't hear from you, they'll continue to buy iPads for the students and the kids will continue to learn nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Instead of complaining here, complain to the school board. If they don't hear from you, they'll continue to buy iPads for the students and the kids will continue to learn nothing.

They'll continue to do that no matter how much complaining a few informed parents do; this is increasingly standard practice throughout the country due to the privatization of public education.

I'm a preschool teacher. Our kids don't get iPads but they want us, the teachers, to use them to constantly assess the kids and take notes on them throughout the day. I refuse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Instead of complaining here, complain to the school board. If they don't hear from you, they'll continue to buy iPads for the students and the kids will continue to learn nothing.

They'll continue to do that no matter how much complaining a few informed parents do; this is increasingly standard practice throughout the country due to the privatization of public education.

I'm a preschool teacher. Our kids don't get iPads but they want us, the teachers, to use them to constantly assess the kids and take notes on them throughout the day. I refuse.

Agreed. Teachers and parents have been complaining that the chrome books given to middle school students with unlimited and unfettered download access is a problem. Good luck getting them to listen about little kids and iPads. The kids are downloading this crap at school. The school board and the school system administration are not listening. It is like they think they are playing a game of Chicken. I think nothing will happen until a couple of parents band together to start a class action suit. Then all of a sudden there will be a great rush of activity to solve the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Instead of complaining here, complain to the school board. If they don't hear from you, they'll continue to buy iPads for the students and the kids will continue to learn nothing.

They'll continue to do that no matter how much complaining a few informed parents do; this is increasingly standard practice throughout the country due to the privatization of public education.

I'm a preschool teacher. Our kids don't get iPads but they want us, the teachers, to use them to constantly assess the kids and take notes on them throughout the day. I refuse.

Agreed. Teachers and parents have been complaining that the chrome books given to middle school students with unlimited and unfettered download access is a problem. Good luck getting them to listen about little kids and iPads. The kids are downloading this crap at school. The school board and the school system administration are not listening. It is like they think they are playing a game of Chicken. I think nothing will happen until a couple of parents band together to start a class action suit. Then all of a sudden there will be a great rush of activity to solve the problem.

Maybe that's what we should do then. It's one thing for them to use the technology at school, but another to download all this inappropriate crap on them and have the schools not take responsibility for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Instead of complaining here, complain to the school board. If they don't hear from you, they'll continue to buy iPads for the students and the kids will continue to learn nothing.

They'll continue to do that no matter how much complaining a few informed parents do; this is increasingly standard practice throughout the country due to the privatization of public education.

I'm a preschool teacher. Our kids don't get iPads but they want us, the teachers, to use them to constantly assess the kids and take notes on them throughout the day. I refuse.

Agreed. Teachers and parents have been complaining that the chrome books given to middle school students with unlimited and unfettered download access is a problem. Good luck getting them to listen about little kids and iPads. The kids are downloading this crap at school. The school board and the school system administration are not listening. It is like they think they are playing a game of Chicken. I think nothing will happen until a couple of parents band together to start a class action suit. Then all of a sudden there will be a great rush of activity to solve the problem.

Maybe that's what we should do then. It's one thing for them to use the technology at school, but another to download all this inappropriate crap on them and have the schools not take responsibility for it.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jamestown is our assigned school and I think it's terrible and sad to have kindergartners on Ipads during school hours. They can do that at home. There are so many better uses of time at school in my opinion.

Unless you have some degree in educational pedagogy, your opinion isn't valid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid's k was like this. It is a bit depressing to walk into a K classroom and see all the children wearing headphones leaning over ipads, with no interaction with each other or the teacher. But it is very calm and quiet and you can see why they do it.

The negative, from my perspective, are that it's easy to get kids to play math games on ipads so I can do that at home without a problem. (Especially because some of the games are really just games--he's figured out the mode in which he can play them without doing the math!). It's really hard for me to get my K boy to write, draw, color, or cut with scissors, because he doesn't have a good grip or muscle strength, and it's a pity they do so little of that at school. In my experience, they aren't getting much of value from the ipads, and it's replacing high value activities. But it could be implemented differently in a different school.

+1

If we can get the same educational value from iPads anywhere we go, what's the point of teachers?

Maybe it's to help kids to not be binary thinkers like you are?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jamestown is our assigned school and I think it's terrible and sad to have kindergartners on Ipads during school hours. They can do that at home. There are so many better uses of time at school in my opinion.

Unless you have some degree in educational pedagogy, your opinion isn't valid.

Sorry, that's not how opinions work.