Thank you for including the article in your wiki that discusses the game-changing ability of iPads. I agree that this is a cool tool that students will enjoy and engagement will likely follow…but I noted 2 comments that tell me that the iPad, as it stands now, will not be as globally accepted as hoped: […]
Continue reading Game Changer? Posted in: Week 09: iPad Apps
Personally, I think it is making a contribution but I would give it some more time before I classify it as a game-changer in education. It has been doing well as it relates to facilitating ebook reading among others but with the absence of word processing etc, it is missing an app that can be […]
Continue reading Discussion #3: To invest or not in iPad Posted in: Week 09: iPad Apps
Thank you Everton for responding to the questions, you have certainly made some valuable contributions. I support your point that Ipads are appropriate for classroom innovations as it relates to assessment and instructions from kindergarten to the tertiary level. I also think it could use for recreational purposes. Do you hope to get an Ipad soon? Its flexibility will definitely help in accomplishing more tasks especially like busy person like you. I know workload at the tertiary level is a lot.
In regard to your point that “. It has been doing well as it relates to facilitating ebook reading among others but with the absence of word processing etc, it is missing an app that can be considered basic but effective in the tech-world”. An Ipad does not have any built-in apps for word processing. But it is possible for an Ipad user to download word processors from the iTunes store. One of the best one on the market is iWork Pages app. There are others word processors for Ipad Apps that are available. You could view these Apps at http://appadvice.com/appguides/show/best-ipa-word-processors
Conroy,
I think I need one to do some exploration. It is in my best interest to get familiar even though I dont know when my college will buy into the iPad iDea. Is that a free app? Well maybe I should have stated that such app should be built-in; but then again many persons do not even pay attention to word processing app. if I get one I wouldnt need to get a kindle.
Everton
There are so many situation that I would like to incorporate the iPad in my workplace. As a part of the literacy program, our second and third year students are required to have practical sessions with students from the primary grades. However, based on the usual attitude and interest inventories done, the students are fascinated […]
Continue reading Discussion #2: iPad in Assessment &Remediation Posted in: Week 09: iPad Apps
Hi Everton, thanks for sharing your ideas. From my experience, iPads functions great as eBooks. There are different free and payed apps that allows users to make annotations and classify your readings. Plus, through its Internet browser users can search for vocabulary that the reader does not know. I am not familiar with the assessment instrument that you mentioned (QRI4). Could you tell us more about it?
Hi Angela and Everton,
Thanks for the great ideas. My daughter loves reading on her IPad. I would love to be able to find books that are at her level- please tell us more about QR14.
Angela- what Apps do you enjoy using most for developing “great” readers? W use KoBo …what others do you suggest?
Verena:)
The Ipad appears to be today what television was to education a few decades ago. Expectedly there were supporters and refuters. Eventually, television found its way into mainstream teaching and learning, powering distance learning in its wake. I see Ipads playing a role such as television did. It has come to stay in the education […]
Continue reading D#3: Ipad has an app for education Posted in: Uncategorized, Week 09: iPad Apps
Thank you for responding to the questions. You have made very good observation. The rate at which Apps are being produced for Ipad, one could conclude that it definitely be the number one electronic device of the twenty first century. Ipads are being used in schools as learning and teaching tools which may be widespread in the near future.
I think as the production of other tablets and competitors to Ipads increase we may see a reduction in price of Ipads. Over the years, we have seen a gradual reduction in the prices of laptops and computer accessories due to the competition. This trend may apply to Ipads in the near future.
Hi Hall,
Thanks for your comment. The proliferation of apps production has definitely put ipad in a path-finder position. I agree that it is a first choice in the mobile device arena, particularly popular with digital natives. However, remaining in that position is another matter entirely. Cost is a big issue. AS is with technology generally, price should come down as more competitors enter the playing field but I have not noticed that apple products really drop prices going with the cost of Apple laptops over the years. Hopefully, Ipads will change that.
While I have not used the Ipad personally for any lengthy period of time, out of curiousity, I have been to the Apple store just to explore it. The much that I know of the Ipad, it has a lot of tools and apps that would enhance and extend the way we work. In our […]
Continue reading D#2: Ipad in the workplace Posted in: Uncategorized, Week 09: iPad Apps
You raise a really good point that we did not include in our wiki – initial user frustration. Although it is deemed very user friendly, switching applications from PC to MAC based products has its challenges. I used a friend’s MAC and found that the lack of a ‘back’ button very frustrating. It is organized very differently – on purpose – and therefore switching gears for some people may be frustrating.
I find that people have very strong feelings about Apple products – you either hate them or you love them, and once you have converted to a MAC you never go back!
Thanks deb for your comment.You are spot on. There definitely is an initiall frustration from switching platforms and the learning curve is different for everyone even though the Macs are user friendly. It is interesting that you would mention the back button issue as I had the same experience and many others but when i began to use it, the intuitiveness of the Mac became more apparent to me. Avid Mac users are die-hard fans.
Yes – Apple users will never go back!
There was a 60 minute television program that featured Steve Jobs – just after he died. They said he purposefully designed the apple with no back button for a reason – I can’t quite remember what it was but it was something very philosophical about life – like you can never ‘go back’ in life.
Question: Is there a market for this technology within education? I believe that there is a market for this technology in education, albeit quite limited. Steve Kaufman’s reasons on why the iPad will change education are all valid, but they don’t necessarily speak to the market itself, as is. The iPad in its current incarnation […]
Continue reading Discussion #2 – iPad in education Posted in: Week 09: iPad Apps
If Apple strategically places itself in educational institutions – similar to what Gates did with Microsoft – the potential future market would be expansive. I think you are right though – the present incarnation of the ipad is limiting. It will be interesting to see where they will go from here – post Steve Jobs.
Presently there are limitations. I agree with you – I am not sure the cost outweighs the benefits. As well, the durability of the device amongst school age children may be more of a problem then school boards want to take on right now. Maybe a highly indestructible design would assist in opening the market a bit. However, the biggest obstacle is likely the inability to run Flash media.
There are workarounds for Flash, albeit probably not ones that a school will want to engage in.
Unless there is a massive change in the way public schools are run, I have no doubts that the iPad market in Canadian public education will stay around zero. There is no way that each student will be given a $600 device that has a shelf-life of maybe 2 years (not counting devices that get broken). It’s not even close. Perhaps universities are a better place to look, but then again, I don’t think university students are that interested in apps that have primary level math games.
A typical secondary school in Vancouver can barely keep computer labs running with 3 year old computers at a ratio of around 14 to 20 students per $450 computer (latest quote for a Dell PC purchased by the school district).
Actually, I don’t use an iPad – or any other tablet. Never have beyond the aisle of a store. It’s not that I’m not interested in one, it’s just that I don’t see enough personal benefit in them to justify the large pricetag at the moment. What about student benefits, though? Surely, we can all […]
Continue reading Discussion #2 – iPad, uPad, willweallPad? Posted in: Week 09: iPad Apps
Any chance of theft of these devices in schools? How do teachers deal with that? Or is it a concern at all?
Brenda
It must be a concern. I wonder if there could be some remote bricking command that could be transmitted to an iPad recognized as stolen…
One story I heard before of a school that got one iPad for every student went something like this:
Someone asked the principal what they would do if one of them broke. The principal said they would replace it. Expensive, but a clear solution!
Hi Stephen, I do agree with you about the Flash issue. However, as I mentioned before, there are some tools based on Flash that are working on developing apps for iPad and overcome this issue (e.g. Prezi, http://www.prezi.com).
About the Internet connection (WiFi), you argue that it is not a device fault. Do you have in mind some options that might overcome this?
And, Brenda, theft of these devices in schools is a relevant issue to consider. Educators must inspire a their students of taking care of technologies. However, some precautions must be taken. Any thoughts about what precautions should we take?
I suppose it is up to each school board as to what policies they have in place for any kind of theft – cell phones, school equipment, iPods etc.
I wonder if any schools have students rent them or put damage deposits down on them (similar to the use of instruments in a band program).
Angela, I know there are some tools based on Flash that are becoming compatible, but I don’t want some. I want all! I don’t want some device I use to not be able to handle something that is a fairly standard file type, plugin, etc.
As for WiFi, it’s not so much that I am arguing but just saying it in passing – the fact that it needs WiFi to function fully isn’t the device’s “fault” – it just needs it. It puts the pressure on schools or places of work to have the infrastructure in place to do such things. I think that at this time, education / the work world needs to have things like wireless access set up to enable people to do more things. To me, there’s no point in even investigating them / inquiring about them until our school gets such access. The only options I can think of that would overcome that hurdle would be wired network access (talk about annoying on a device like that), or to have large chunks of information stored on it to use it offline.
I love the cartoon – that’s great and I agree we all go a little crazy over new technology.
I too have not found a good enough reason to get one. One of my friends have one and they happen to mention they were downloading apps to replace some of the other ‘tools’ in their house – like a calculator, etc. I cannot find good enough reasons to justify the cost – even if I replaced all my calculators, rulers, etc.
I do a lot of word processing and find the touch screen difficult to manage my typing – although you can get keyboards for them now. I still need a better reason to get one though.
It’s great to have a new toy – but lets call it what it is. If we are using it for gaming and videos than it is an entertainment system and depending on how many games you play depends if the end justifies the means.
1) When administrators consider that a new set of Mac computers will cost a great deal more that a set of ‘educational app rich’ iPads, this could be a game changer. You can get ‘more for your money’ taking the iPad route. 2) It feels like there is a new tablet being released every week. […]
Continue reading D3: Money, Sprouting, & Leaning Back and Forth Posted in: Week 09: iPad Apps
Thanks for addressing all three of these questions Andrew. You are definitely correct in that it would cost a lot less to buy a set of iPads than it would to equip a classroom with as many macs. The mobility within the classroom that the iPad allows also provides an advantage over a stationary system.
I think one of the difficulties of being in the decision making and investing postion for a school district is that you don’t always have a lot of time to wait, although you pointed out you would be waiting too long. I think this is for the same reason in that these technologies are changing so quickly it’s impossible to keep up or as you suggest you’d be waiting a long time because everything keeps changing. Like you mentioned, Apple is a trusted brand and I think this is what becomes the deciding factor for many. Some schools have started pilot programs as well and I think this is a good way to see what works for the school, teachers and most importantly students.
Lastly, I also need to be sitting “rigidly” at a desk or table with my laptop when I am writing. Even if I got used to a touch screen keyboard I don’t think I could be lying on the couch and typing something out.
Hi Jay,
I seem to only manage pecking with one or two fingers when I’m typing and lounging on the couch:)
I think even less expensive that a set of iPads could be a class set of netbooks, or notebooks perhaps. They are not as immediate as a tablet, but perhaps they offer more in terms of a creation tool. Who knows though? I never would have thought that someone would prefer to type on a tablet touchscreen but maybe that’s just my bias because of 20 years of keyboarding.
Hi Doug,
I agree that some netbooks or notebooks could be a reasonable purchase for lean in activities, as opposed to iPads. But we don’t hear much ‘buzz’ about good old laptops anymore.
At a iPad seminar I was at a few weeks ago, the speaker said that tablets are here to stay and soon we will be looking at laptops the way we now look at old computers that used to fill up half a room.
Hi murray,
Thank you for appropriately answering the questions. Your answers definitely acted as a springboard for further discussions on Ipad Apps. I support your view that the purchasing of Ipad is a better option Ipad over than purchasing other devices such as the Mac. I think another reason that Ipad is a better choice than other devices on the market is its flexibility. I found that Ipad is flexible to use. In August of this year I was waiting at the airport to board a plane and during the waiting period I conveniently used a Ipad to catch up on my UBC assignments. IPads can be easily used by educators and students almost anywhere.
Hi Hall,
I agree that iPads are great to bring out to catch up on some work. I’ll admit though that I’ve had a few instances where I haven’t had a wireless connection or was too stubborn/cheap to pay for a wireless connection while I have been out and about. Unless I pre-load everything I need onto the iPad, a time consuming task, I can find myself carrying around dead weight.
Hi Andrew,
Good point about typing on the pop-up. For students in k-12 today, this is their life. Think about how often you see them texting on those tiny little keypads. They are probably more comfortable on the pop-up than they are on a regular keyboard. For the younger set, this works. As far as using a bluetooth external keyboard, there is a pain-in-the-butt snag: if you have the keyboard ‘paired’ to your computer already, you have to unpair it first, then pair it up to the ipad. Everytime you switch it back and forth, you have to repeat the procedure. Annoying. As a result, I’m getting faster and faster on the pop-up. I wonder if there are keyboarding sites out there to train you on fast typing on a pop-up?
Emily
Hi Emily,
I didn’t realize that you had to recalibrate an external keyboard between iPads and computers each time, bummer. I also wonder if there are apps or sites that help people from ‘chicken pecking’ at their pop-ups rather than using ten fingers 🙂
The primary school I am working at recently bought twenty iPads. As one of the organizers of this addition, I found the following pros and cons. Pros: TIME! As an primary teacher it always seems to take forever to get a whole class set up, logged in, files found, website accessed, etc. on traditional computers. […]
Continue reading D2: Time, Accountability, and Wheel re-inventing Posted in: Week 09: iPad Apps
Murray,
Thanks for your post.
Pioneering something new has its challenges – it would be nice if lesson plans came pre-loaded for you that was not only adaptable but suitable for your needs. Its interesting that you mentioned the time it takes to utilize the ipad and get everyone on the same page- had never thought of that aspect before and it certainly is an issue that needs addressing. I imagine with repeated use that it would get easier and faster. Maintenance is always a concern as well – for any appliance that is used in the workforce, and budget talks that centre around maintenance issues are always a challenging conversation. It highlights the need that we need to identify its specific uses and expected outcomes before we invest in any technology.
thaks again for your comments.
Hello Deb,
Sorry, I may had been unclear in my post above – I have found using the iPads much faster than traditional computers. With traditional computers, students would always have their hands up asking questions about how to log in, where is a file, and what they’re supposed to do. It can get better with practice, but not always. With the iPads however, I found the students could intuitively get started right away once they know the instructions. The iPads have been a huge time saver.
As for budget concerns and maintenance, so far we have a IT coming by every other month to fiddle with the iPads. Otherwise, I or another teacher wrestle with a spiderweb of cables to update the IOS or add new apps. It hasn’t been too stressful yet, but it’s only early days.
I think that there is a market for the IPad in K-12 but I work in the area of corporate training programs and I think that this market is a long way off. One major strike against it is that the IPad is Mac based instead of PC based. This is a disadvantage because the […]
Continue reading Discussion 2 – corporate training perspective Posted in: Uncategorized, Week 09: iPad Apps
Hi Julie,
I definitely agree with you that changing to iPads will take time, which depends highly on the use of which computer companies are used to: PC or Macs.
i believe the Mac generation is aimed towards younger students, who are mostly trained using
macs, therefore may see a major shift in the future. As for now, most companies are familiar with PC because that’s what they’ve been using for so many years.
I wonder what the shift will look like years from now? PC or Macs?
Jenaca
@jenaca – I find your question intriguing – what will be next PCs or MACs? It’s the same question that has been asked since the Mac first came out and focussed so much on the education sector. Exactly your argument – surely the technology of the younger generation will prevail has been used before. But that didn’t happen with the first round of competition for the workplace desktop marketplace and I’m curious to see what will happen next.
The closed architecture of the Mac is part of the reason they haven’t ended up being adopted as well in business. Quite simply there are far fewer applications designed for the Mac because the system is proprietary and therefore it’s more costly to design for. Right now, in Canada anyway, from a mobile application perspetive, the Blackberry has a stronghold over the Iphone. If this were to change then I think we could see a strong impetus for other changes to follow -including the Ipad, including more Mac desktops/laptops.
One thing to think about is the heavy investment in PC infrastructure across so many companies. The cost of transitioning a whole company’s infrastructure from PC to Mac, and the cost of an interim transition of maintaining and providing support for two architectures, and the staff training that would be required. This is surely to prevent a massive transition from happening for a while. Which is not to say it will never happen. I like both platforms for different reasons. Mac is better for design and entertainment and the PC is better for business. Which one is better for learning? Personally, I think Mac wins hands down, particularly with the invention of the IPad and it’s potential. I’m not sure Mac will ever want or need to go into the business specfic market. Interesting thoughts to contemplate.
Hi Julie,
Thanks for touching on a perspective that we didn’t give all that much attention to; the corporate sector. The fact that so many companies are entrenched in PCs really disadvantages the iPad in moving into this market. The cost and time to make the switch may outweigh the actual benefits if what the iPad has to offer is not that much more than what can be done now current devices.
You mentioned some companies actually blocking iPads from the network. I wonder if this is due to the perception of the iPad as still a media consumption device so companies are trying to discourage iPad network use for gaming, video and music downloads?
As you mentioned, with more businesses creating mobile applications this may open the market and create a shift to the iPad but as other tablet devices compete closely, companies may decide to go with android device to avoid the shift from PC to apple OS.
@Jay. Good question – why were they blocking the IPad. I had a chance to ask a bit about this question and in one case the answer was the additional load on the corporate network. IT didn’t want the network to slow down for the business applications. This implies as you suggested, that the employees would be using it for non business purposes. In the second case the IT department wasn’t ready to support these devices. They were testing and doing analysis on them and it would only be a matter of time before they eventually added them to the ‘acceptable and suppported’ device list. I found it interesting that it was even physically possible to blog a connection to the internet based on the type of device.
I think you’re right that the increasing applications for mobility and non traditional interfaces (finger vs. mouse), motion sensing and the like may speed up advances in technologies like Android devices and provide options to the IPad. It sometimes seems to me that the IPad is the only ‘game’ in town because I own one and am so intrigued by it. It will be great if the IPad drives further innovation in the Android market.
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Jay 8:37 am on November 2, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks Brenda. The two comments you have highlighted that the iPad as an educational technology device does not fill a need or aim to solve a problem since it cannot replace other “computing or communication devices”. While it offers features and applications that other devices may not, the cost of supplementing computing devices instead of replacing them is too high to be considered a good investment for some.
What features would Apple have to include in their next model for you, as an administrator, to consider its purchase and see it as a device more able to meet the needs in schools?
jenaca 4:06 am on November 3, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Brenda,
I am very curious about the second question you posted here.
“At what point do we have too many devices and choose to buy the one device that combines the features of two? “
I think that because there are so many different kinds of technologies available, we are all becoming unsure of which “new” device to buy. Right when we think we’ve decided to purchase something, a new and upgraded version comes out on the market.
Jenaca
jenaca 10:27 am on November 3, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. ~Albert Einstein
andrea 11:21 am on November 3, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
This is an interesting point, because we want to have devices that do things *well* but we also don’t want to have 10 devices each with only a specialized purpose. For example I’ve heard that the Kindle app on the iPad isn’t as good as Kindle itself, and while the camera in my iPhone is really good it’s not quite as good as my other camera. I wouldn’t trade my iPhone for anything, but it would be nice if the screen was a bit better for reading… You know how it goes!