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Whenever I see stories like this, it makes me think of how far schools have dropped in terms of really educating students in the more fundamental subjects:L.A. Unified School District takes back iPads
A week ago, district administrators were scrambling to respond when they learned that students skirted security measures that were intended to block free browsing of the Internet. In interviews, students said they had been disappointed at their inability to get to social networking and music streaming sites. Their work-around involved a couple of clicks — and soon hundreds of students were reaching any website they wanted.
We all know how well the state of California is handling its own finances. The program above is part of a larger $1 billion program to get each student in the L.A. district an iPad. The ones bought so far came at a price tag of $700 each.This is wrong on so many levels. What kind of negotiating was being done to get iPads at $700 each? I bought a refurbished one less than two years ago for half that price, and it works very well. One would think that even buying new iPads in bulk would reduce their price to well under $700, but according to the story that is not the case. Hopefully, the article had it wrong.Also, because of the rapid rate of technological obsolescence, how could iPads possibly be a good investment? Are they going to be in good use after four years? If not, that means they're spending about $175 per year per student...a hefty chunk of change, it seems.But that's not even the main issue: why does every student in the district need to have an iPad? When I think of the curricula of students from the past - from the nineteenth century, or perhaps even the early twentieth century, I think of how much more the students of yesteryear must have learned in school. Go back even further in time, and we have intellectual giants who learned while having the most primitive tools at their disposal by today's standards. History should be proof enough that technology alone doesn't make people learn more. It may be fun and it is "cool" and it can help with efficiency in learning, but I can't say that it make a person learn anything any better. The fact that students were concerned with using their iPads to get on social media sites and listen to music is evidence that the devices are probably a distraction from learning. Oh, and what kind of school district invests $1 billion into iPads for learning and neglects to put in proper restrictions on how students can use them?Our educational system continues to go downhill.
Oh, and what kind of school district invests $1 billion into iPads for learning and neglects to put in proper restrictions on how students can use them?
The kind of school district that thinks if you just throw enough money at schools the kids will start to learn.
I envision a room where education administrators are gathered together, discussing the idea of getting iPads for all students in the district. “It will help them be more competitive in the future workforce!” blah. “It will allow them to be more efficient with their homework!” blah. “It will….” “It will…..” I have to wonder whether the idea that “it will cost much more than any benefit received” is mentioned in said room.
I taught in LAUSD from 1967-87 at Fairfax HS on the corner of Fairfax and Melrose, and I was SS Dept Chairman for fifteen of those years. I saw a decline in both the quality of teachers at the high school and preparation of most students by the Elementary and Middle Schools during that time with the exception of motivated AP students. Underachievers and slackers replaced overachievers. I do not have the time and space to tell you all that is and has been wrong with the district in general beginning in the early 1970s.
