iPad use at Dorothy Hamm Middle School -- does it get better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is in the 6th grade at DHMS. After helping her study for two tests this weekend, and realizing the only materials are in game-like apps, I looked at her APS iPad usage, and she's on it during almost all of the day. I thought maybe they were using it just to upload materials to Canvas, or while the teacher was working with small groups, but this looks like it's all on the iPad, unless she's in PE or at lunch. Math looks almost entirely on the iPad, she has a few pieces of paper in her binder but not much. For the two tests she had, the studying seemed unhelpful in that it was one question a screen at a time, and then the question disappeared and you could never go back to the answer to actually learn the material. They were cute games, but not helpful. Is this the nature of the beast in middle school in 2023? Or will it get better as the year goes on? I don't even need text books, but there has to be some kind of lecture, take some notes or complete a study guide, review the materials handed out, something other than what is on Canvas, right? Her grades are ultimately fine right now, because a lot seems to be content they had in the 4th and 5th grades, but I imagine at some point there has to be more, please tell me this happens? Please?

By game-like apps, do you mean IXL and Delta math? Yes, that's what my DHMS student uses to study.

I really hate the online assessments because there's no partial credit and kids don't ever review questions they got wrong unless their score is low enough to qualify for a retake. I'm sure a dedicated student could go back and try to figure out their mistake, but these are 6th graders and they really don't do this independently.

The same thing was posted on the thread about the APS math scores, but several parents denied the falling scores and others shouted that their kids do math and quizzes on paper. But my DHMS student works almost exclusively on the iPad, especially in math, so that isn't my experience.