iPads distributed to every Chelsea High School student, teacher
Zeeland West High School 9th grade students Josh Noorman, 15, left, and Brett Visser, 14, access an online program on an iPad to help with their fetal pig dissection in a biology lab class. Photo taken May 31, 2012.
Mark Copier | Mlive.com
Every teacher at the school has their own iPad as well. The devices were funded by the district's 2009 bond issue that raised about $19 million, and families were given the option to purchase $30 insurance.
Students are expected to bring the iPads to school fully charged and in like-new condition every day, the Chelsea Standard reported.
Specific iPad-free zones have been designated in the high school. District tech staff have to approve app downloads to the students' iPads, according to the report.
Amy Biolchini is the K-12 education reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.
Comments
SemperFi
Tue, Sep 10, 2013 : 7:47 p.m.
It's absolutely worth it, if they replace heavy, expensive textbooks. All school books should be E-books. Those 80 lb backpacks are killing these kids.
Plubius
Tue, Sep 10, 2013 : 2:30 p.m.
Brilliant plan - provide them a piece of hardware that is a totally closed platform, owned and controlled by a single company. Huge mistake. They should immediately switch to Android - an open platform - to that competitive products can be used.
Jeff Frank
Wed, Sep 11, 2013 : 1:52 a.m.
The more open the system, the more prone it is to abuse by the students. Most apps are available in both ecosystems so it doesn't make any difference which they're on.
cmayhew
Tue, Sep 10, 2013 : 11:37 a.m.
Scarlett Middle School here in AA had Apple laptops for ~5 years through a NASA grant. I had 2 children who benefitted from this program. Both got a lot of experience with word processing for writing and editing papers, and PowerPoint presentations for projects. One child had an easier time keeping track of assignments and getting them turned in on time due to the online calendar, and having no papers to lose. In our house, we considered the program to be a great success, and were sorry to see it go. From the school's perspective, there were a lot of issues with laptops getting damaged. They upgraded the cases and that helped. I also heard that there were a lot of issues with cyberbullying, inappropriate material being downloaded onto the laptops, and even a few business started by family members using the laptops.
Elaine F. Owsley
Tue, Sep 10, 2013 : 11:19 a.m.
Wow!! There's a leap of faith.
M.Haney
Tue, Sep 10, 2013 : 4:15 a.m.
Why the multi year gap to purchase the iPads? The bonds were passed in 2009. The funding should have been available in 2010 with purchases shortly thereafter. What was the school district waiting for?
bluehoo
Tue, Sep 10, 2013 : 3:16 p.m.
Other items were purchased in 2010, 2011, 2012. This is the 2013 purchase--the High School's turn for upgrade on their computer systems. Evaluated upgrading the computers--or switching to one-to-one. Switching won the decision process that took about a year.
The Picker
Tue, Sep 10, 2013 : 12:34 p.m.
The latest version !
Fresh Start
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 11:50 p.m.
Chelsea Schools are Great! What's with all the haters?
Nicholas Urfe
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 11:48 p.m.
"I'll bet you can't take that apart and put it back together without breaking it!"
TryingToBeObjective
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 8:51 p.m.
So, $30 to insure it, and $25 to replace it = essentially a kid "loses" the iPad, and keeps it for $55. Sounds like a bargain.
Hugh Giariola
Tue, Sep 10, 2013 : 11:42 a.m.
Fat Bill - not to mention the "Find my iPad #374" app that I am sure the school district has installed.
Fat Bill
Tue, Sep 10, 2013 : 11:14 a.m.
The problem would likely be that the iPad bargain hunter would have to be able to crack the security software on the "missing" IPad to really make it worth the risk. Not impossible, but it makes stealing one slightly less attractive.
PineyWoodsGuy
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 8:25 p.m.
@Zytiga. Google Search and Wikipedia.
Zytiga
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 8:04 p.m.
Can anyone cite any valid education research that shows iPads improve students' learning?
mgoscottie
Tue, Sep 10, 2013 : 12:37 a.m.
Logic? Why do you need research? Do you need research to tell you that pencils are good for students?
Erocypsi
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 9:16 p.m.
This article collects a number of positive studies as well: http://www.securedgenetworks.com/secure-edge-networks-blog/bid/86775/8-Studies-Show-iPads-in-the-Classroom-Improve-Education There are negative studies as well. It is really early in the game...
Erocypsi
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 9:13 p.m.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/139067245/Academic-Effects-from-iPad-Applications
Judy
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 6:54 p.m.
Any, I agree with "grye" Insurance should be mandatory. That being said, at the end of this school year in June of 2014 will tell if it was a good idea or not to give high school students the responsiblility of an expensive piece of equipment. As far as each student being expected to bring the iPads to school fully charged and in like-new condition every day..........yes it is like a textbook but more expensive.
Jeff Frank
Wed, Sep 11, 2013 : 1:45 a.m.
Then I'm a moron. $30 to ensure that I won't have to shell out to replace my daughter's iPad if there's an accident over the course of the next 9 months is reasonable.
mgoscottie
Tue, Sep 10, 2013 : 12:36 a.m.
You would be a complete moron to insure an iPad let alone multiple. Why on earth would you throw away money when you don't need to?
ChrisW
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 6:40 p.m.
Lugging 25 pound backpacks full of books is silly - iPads for everyone! They can replace not only books, but calculators, notepads, and to a large degree computer terminals at the school.
Amy Biolchini
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 5:40 p.m.
CalmDown, bond issues raise funds for the district to use for specific purposes from property taxes. Yes, it's a voter-approved bond. The district is the steward of the money--and how they use those funds is important to track. As you said, it's a valid question either way that it's worded. But it's one that should be raised.
Amy Biolchini
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 4:38 p.m.
There's a lot of responsibility placed on students to keep an expensive piece of equipment charged and in good condition throughout the year--though I suppose it's a little more enticing to tote an iPad to class than a textbook. Do you think high school students should be entrusted with iPads funded by taxpayer money?
Jeff Frank
Wed, Sep 11, 2013 : 1:43 a.m.
Chelsea middle school students are each issued a notebook computer to use throughout the year and now they receive iPads when they reach high school. They've had 3 years to learn about responsibly caring for a piece of school equipment and, to my knowledge, loss/destruction of the notebooks has been minimal. I'm all for the school district providing technology to its students, particularly when there's a reasonably large population here that are on free or reduced lunch programs... it's a far better investment than paper text books that are likely out of date the day they're printed.
CalmDown
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 5:23 p.m.
Amy - I think your last question is just fishing for some standard AA.com commenting outrage. Why the 'funded by taxpayer money' bit? Without the phrase the question is just as valid and not nearly as leading. Or how about 'school funded'? These were supported by the 2009 bond that was voted on by the Chelsea voters. I'd say the decision was made then.
grye
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 4:57 p.m.
Mandatory. Dog gone fat finger problem.
grye
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 4:56 p.m.
Insurance should be manditory.