Also, they have technology workshops for the teachers to learn how to use the apps. I have been to one.

iPads are great educational aids. Who is providing them though? They are not cheap. Is it BYOD? I know they have some really great apps to use collaboratively, but if it's BYOD, every parent would need to buy the apps which can get expensive. If done right, iPads could be a great thing to use in the classrooms. I love this idea!

Unless the teachers really know how to use them, it's just a lot of playing on apps.

Anonymous wrote:It is the technology that children have to learn and get comfortable with. I wouldn't want it to the exclusion of pens and paper but it has to be included in the curriculum. This is the age we live in.

They are comfortable with the technology.

Technology unto itself isn't good or bad, but you don't need iPads to teach.

We are in Falls Church City schools where the superintendent is totally going for it. Too much in my opinion, there is no need, and I feel it is in detriment of other things.
They have lots of iPads in K and 1st grade, and we have been told that they use even more technology in 2nd grade.
I am kind of against it because I feel that having iPads or even laptops at this age does not really teach kids about technology, they just use technology to learn things that I feel are better learnt in other ways.

Especially in younger grades, they need to manipulate objects in space (ex: blocks), develop manual dexterity (ex: using a writing implement, learning cursive), and so on.

https://www.playosmo.com/

It's iPad.

The Amish will welcome you.

Sometimes, I forget that wifi is evil, but then I read the Recent Topics list and OP has helpfully started a new thread to remind me.

Especially in younger grades, they need to manipulate objects in space (ex: blocks), develop manual dexterity (ex: using a writing implement, learning cursive), and so on.

They have their whole school careers to learn technology. It absolutely does not need to be done in elementary school, at the very least.

Wi-fi!

Evil evil wi-fi.

Thanks for reminding us OP.

Can you expand on why you think it is a mistake? I think it *could* be a mistake, if the iPads were used to the exclusion of other tools and learning methods, such as paper & pencil, hands on experiments/labs, projects, class discussions, etc, but I don't think adding use of iPads and other technologies to classrooms as one of many available tools is harmful and in fact I think it's probably a good idea in some ways.

It is the technology that children have to learn and get comfortable with. I wouldn't want it to the exclusion of pens and paper but it has to be included in the curriculum. This is the age we live in.

Because they use wifi and everyone KNOWS wifi is bad, bad, evil, bad.

I think it is a huge mistake.