Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think they need them. Mine uses it for Itrace and zearn. Maybe Zearn, but Itrace should be replaced with actual writing practice.

Why TF do kids need to do zearn anyway? Put it on paper! Then the information will actually stick! It's lazy, stupid, and the result of some schmo who is friends with a higher up at the public school system who managed to sell them on their stupid ineffective software.

Because it is easier to stick kids in front of computers than to provide actual instruction from a human being. And yep, "Edtech" is a huge business...follow the money. Always.

Agree. In a perfect world, kids would not be on computers until middle school. And even then, they should be used for typing essays, learning digital imaging, computer science/programming, learning to research, etc. Not for learning math on Zearn and all the other dumb educational games that have taken the place of teachers teaching. It is such a shame

Our school limits K use as i still hate it. Its Chromebooks tho. With classes of 25 kids, screens are a bribe for kids to do their work or a distraction for smart kids who did their work already and are bored.

Never. I hate the use of iPads and computers in school generally

The computer is good for things like Schoology and managing assignments. Not for teaching. Not for doing assignments. Not for doing math.

Just for positing assignments and turning them in.

Screen use in public elementary school is atrocious. Teachers don’t teach any more. They throw up YouTube videos teaching fractions, the water cycle, US geography. You name it. The teachers are just there to press play and keep the peace.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think they need them. Mine uses it for Itrace and zearn. Maybe Zearn, but Itrace should be replaced with actual writing practice.

Why TF do kids need to do zearn anyway? Put it on paper! Then the information will actually stick! It's lazy, stupid, and the result of some schmo who is friends with a higher up at the public school system who managed to sell them on their stupid ineffective software.

Because it is easier to stick kids in front of computers than to provide actual instruction from a human being. And yep, "Edtech" is a huge business...follow the money. Always.

Yep and this is also a natural and necessary consequence of continually increasing class sizes and no differentiation. Teachers are struggling and this is an easy shortcut.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think they need them. Mine uses it for Itrace and zearn. Maybe Zearn, but Itrace should be replaced with actual writing practice.

Why TF do kids need to do zearn anyway? Put it on paper! Then the information will actually stick! It's lazy, stupid, and the result of some schmo who is friends with a higher up at the public school system who managed to sell them on their stupid ineffective software.

Because it is easier to stick kids in front of computers than to provide actual instruction from a human being. And yep, "Edtech" is a huge business...follow the money. Always.

I really hope there is some serious investigative reporting on this soon. I can't believe how obviously corrupt all of this is.

No iPads at all. Laptops in Middle School.

I was just recently having this conversation with a friend. My child is in a private school and they introduce minimal iPad use at some point during kindergarten but it picks up by first or second grade. I had no idea.

My friends child is in public school and is doing a lot of games on her iPad every day in kindergarten as well as homework. I was so appalled that schools have leaned into screen time, and apparently I live under a rock that this is so pervasive, including at my own kids school. I don’t think there is any good age for kids to be on iPads and as an adult wish I was less addicted to technology.

I agree kindergarteners don't need iPads. Read Amanda Ripley's "The Smartest Kids in the World" and you will feel vindicated.

The US is enamoured of technology in classrooms but we are kidding ourselves about it being an improvement on no technology in most cases.

It does help mitigate the workload of grading if auto-graded assessments are used.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think they need them. Mine uses it for Itrace and zearn. Maybe Zearn, but Itrace should be replaced with actual writing practice.

Why TF do kids need to do zearn anyway? Put it on paper! Then the information will actually stick! It's lazy, stupid, and the result of some schmo who is friends with a higher up at the public school system who managed to sell them on their stupid ineffective software.

Because it is easier to stick kids in front of computers than to provide actual instruction from a human being. And yep, "Edtech" is a huge business...follow the money. Always.

I'll go one further than your title, OP.

iPads are actively detrimental to the kindergarten experience.

Anonymous wrote:I don't think they need them. Mine uses it for Itrace and zearn. Maybe Zearn, but Itrace should be replaced with actual writing practice.

Why TF do kids need to do zearn anyway? Put it on paper! Then the information will actually stick! It's lazy, stupid, and the result of some schmo who is friends with a higher up at the public school system who managed to sell them on their stupid ineffective software.

I think that no child in elementary school should use screens at all. There is zero evidence to support the argument that children need to start early to be computer literate or typing is important at this age or any other stupid arguments people make. In fact, there is a mountain of evidence that typing your work, using screens to learn, playing video "learning" games does any good to your kid and it simply burns out their dopamine receptors. I feel awful what we are doing to the younger generations.

I don't think they need them. Mine uses it for Itrace and zearn. Maybe Zearn, but Itrace should be replaced with actual writing practice.

I thought the opinion in the title would be pretty much agreed upon by most parents, but I'm finding that to be untrue.
So, when (age or grade) do you think kids should be using the iPad daily at school?

Maybe I am old fashioned, but I'd be thrilled if our top public got rid of iPads and went back to just computers. And those I think can be introduced in upper elementary. Maybe 3rd at the earliest. I think it's better for kids to first learn to think and write on paper.