APS parents -- are you happy about the MacBooks and iPads? Unhappy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Csn someone clarify? After reading this thread, I am confused. The 1:1 plan is for every child in Arlington schools, with some gettting iPads, MacBooks, etc. Some schools have them for school only, others are allowing students to take them home for homework Do I have this correct? Or is it only some grade levels.

Any teachers out there from Arlimgton schools. How frequently are the principals expecting you to use the devices? I'm particularly interested in hearing from those who teach the younger grades. I don't want my second grader spending hours on a computer each day. 1/2 hour a day for skill development in math or reading is acceptable. Occasional projects too. I wouldn't want them doing more than that.

Ha ha ha ha ha. Like the teachers have been given a clear description of how to implement the program. Like there is a clear, thoughtfully developed program to implement.

Oh, I do love to laugh.

[Anonymous]

i don't understand why some of you want this to fail so badly? just so you could say "i told you so" and feel great about yourself?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i don't understand why some of you want this to fail so badly? just so you could say "i told you so" and feel great about yourself?

I don't "want this to fail." I see a half-baked, overpriced load of technology coming down the pike, and I want someone to stop it so there is time for interested parties to engage on finding a good way of doing this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i don't understand why some of you want this to fail so badly? just so you could say "i told you so" and feel great about yourself?

I don't "want this to fail." I see a half-baked, overpriced load of technology coming down the pike, and I want someone to stop it so there is time for interested parties to engage on finding a good way of doing this.

At least in the case of the 6th grade iPads, they piloted this last year in one class in every APS middle school. The results were obviously - from their perspective - good enough to justify giving every 6th grader an iPad. As the parent of one such 6th grader this year in an APS middle school, I think that this can be very useful - especially for kids whose families cannot afford such technology themselves. A lot of content supposedly is going to be pushed to the iPads for the kids to work on at home (WiFi won't be necessary). It also supposedly will help with differentiation. I was surprised myself to hear that this was moving forward but I'm really not upset -- it won't be perfect (we've heard rollout at our son's middle school may take a bit longer than planned) but kids today use technology and this has the potential to be helpful to student learning. The level of vitriol from some people over this seems a bit much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

At least in the case of the 6th grade iPads, they piloted this last year in one class in every APS middle school. The results were obviously - from their perspective

And the analysis of the data collected is available where?

- good enough to justify giving every 6th grader an iPad. As the parent of one such 6th grader this year in an APS middle school, I think that this can be very useful - especially for kids whose families cannot afford such technology themselves. A lot of content supposedly is going to be pushed to the iPads for the kids to work on at home (WiFi won't be necessary). It also supposedly will help with differentiation. I was surprised myself to hear that this was moving forward but I'm really not upset -- it won't be perfect (we've heard rollout at our son's middle school may take a bit longer than planned) but kids today use technology and this has the potential to be helpful to student learning. The level of vitriol from some people over this seems a bit much.

We can agree at least that we have different standards when it comes to rigor and cost-benefit analysis.

And transparency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

At least in the case of the 6th grade iPads, they piloted this last year in one class in every APS middle school. The results were obviously - from their perspective

And the analysis of the data collected is available where?

- good enough to justify giving every 6th grader an iPad. As the parent of one such 6th grader this year in an APS middle school, I think that this can be very useful - especially for kids whose families cannot afford such technology themselves. A lot of content supposedly is going to be pushed to the iPads for the kids to work on at home (WiFi won't be necessary). It also supposedly will help with differentiation. I was surprised myself to hear that this was moving forward but I'm really not upset -- it won't be perfect (we've heard rollout at our son's middle school may take a bit longer than planned) but kids today use technology and this has the potential to be helpful to student learning. The level of vitriol from some people over this seems a bit much.

We can agree at least that we have different standards when it comes to rigor and cost-benefit analysis.


And transparency.

The data comes from the classes in which they piloted classes last year. The data is probably experiential data, rather than a lot of numbers and figures. In the greater scheme of things, I don't think that this is worth a lot of parental energy. The complaints about this remind me of a story conveyed by neighbors about our neighborhood school's extended day program: Some parents one year were up in arms because the apples being served in Extended Day were not organic and the staff had not removed the stickers from them.

Maybe this is a boondoggle but unless you teach, have educational administration expertise, and/or want to run for school board, I think the negative reaction is overblown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

At least in the case of the 6th grade iPads, they piloted this last year in one class in every APS middle school. The results were obviously - from their perspective

And the analysis of the data collected is available where?

- good enough to justify giving every 6th grader an iPad. As the parent of one such 6th grader this year in an APS middle school, I think that this can be very useful - especially for kids whose families cannot afford such technology themselves. A lot of content supposedly is going to be pushed to the iPads for the kids to work on at home (WiFi won't be necessary). It also supposedly will help with differentiation. I was surprised myself to hear that this was moving forward but I'm really not upset -- it won't be perfect (we've heard rollout at our son's middle school may take a bit longer than planned) but kids today use technology and this has the potential to be helpful to student learning. The level of vitriol from some people over this seems a bit much.

We can agree at least that we have different standards when it comes to rigor and cost-benefit analysis.


And transparency.

The data comes from the classes in which they piloted classes last year. The data is probably experiential data, rather than a lot of numbers and figures. In the greater scheme of things, I don't think that this is worth a lot of parental energy. The complaints about this remind me of a story conveyed by neighbors about our neighborhood school's extended day program: Some parents one year were up in arms because the apples being served in Extended Day were not organic and the staff had not removed the stickers from them.

Maybe this is a boondoggle but unless you teach, have educational administration expertise, and/or want to run for school board, I think the negative reaction is overblown.

Agreed. I read all these hand-wringing comments and think, does this mean you are OK with every other thing in the schools, if this is the #1 issue for everyone to get worked up about? Because I can name about ten things that are actual problems with APS.

[Anonymous]

At least in the case of the 6th grade iPads, they piloted this last year in one class in every APS middle school.

Who on earth told you this? They certainly didn't do this at my child's middle school last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Agreed. I read all these hand-wringing comments and think, does this mean you are OK with every other thing in the schools, if this is the #1 issue for everyone to get worked up about? Because I can name about ten things that are actual problems with APS.

I am unhappy about this because I think it is a lot of money poorly spent, and I think that is emblematic of the Murphy way of doing things: someone with no classroom experience is following the trend of the month and pushing it onto teachers rather than working with them to find ways of improving education in ways that matter.

But I am (sincerely! Arlington-way-ly!) interested in what your 10 things are. Maybe that should be a spin-off, but as long as you're here . . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i don't understand why some of you want this to fail so badly? just so you could say "i told you so" and feel great about yourself?

Ditto! It seems like a great idea to me. I know lots of private schools going this route, and the parents have to pay out of pocket for the devices. I'm happy for my daughter to use technology, especially school-provided technology!

[Anonymous]

If you were a child free taxpayer, would you feel the same way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
i don't understand why some of you want this to fail so badly? just so you could say "i told you so" and feel great about yourself?

Ditto! It seems like a great idea to me. I know lots of private schools going this route, and the parents have to pay out of pocket for the devices. I'm happy for my daughter to use technology, especially school-provided technology!

Are you also happy to know that the devices are being paid for out of the school technology funds that help pay for Smartboards and other technology that teachers need to teach their classes? Because that's what just happened.

[Anonymous]

Ridiculous waste.

They'd have been better off buying a few hundred rugged ones to lend to the kids who truly can't afford what they need for regular day-to-day.

And why choose such an expensive and fragile product? Has Murphy met any ninth graders, or noticed that they can't fit anything more in their backpacks, let alone anything fragile?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
i don't understand why some of you want this to fail so badly? just so you could say "i told you so" and feel great about yourself?

Ditto! It seems like a great idea to me. I know lots of private schools going this route, and the parents have to pay out of pocket for the devices. I'm happy for my daughter to use technology, especially school-provided technology!

Are you also happy to know that the devices are being paid for out of the school technology funds that help pay for Smartboards and other technology that teachers need to teach their classes? Because that's what just happened.

For real. What an F-ing waste. Should have spent the money on actual science equipment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

At least in the case of the 6th grade iPads, they piloted this last year in one class in every APS middle school.

Who on earth told you this? They certainly didn't do this at my child's middle school last year.

Nor mine.