Words: 2010
Do you think high school and middle school students should be receiving IPads instead of books? Textbooks have been played an instrumental role in societys success, ever since school was invented we needed ways to find information and textbooks have always been there. Now with the world moving forward in terms of technology, obviously there are going to be some new Inventions. However, the question is do we really need to use the Inventions?
Why all of a sudden are schools now having the need to replace everything that has helped millions and millions of kids with their education? Now Just to be clear, I am not knocking the iPads down or anything, I think It Is a very useful invention, but it Is not needed right now. Let us focus on how iPads have affected students who have begun using It and let us talk about how it is not the right time to use It. Now before I start and explain why iPads are not a good idea, let us talk about exactly what is the iPad and what makes it so great.
The IPad was released In 2010 and has been a huge success. I am not surprised that it is because the technology was uncanny and was innovative. We had laptops, but the iPad was so much lighter and user-friendly. The iPad has everything that a laptop has but has some more additional features like the iOS program which Is an apple software, and people have claimed that It works better than a windows. I have no opinion because I do not use an iPad.
With all this technology growing around us, I still feel that schools do not need iPads because what they are using right now would suffice Have you ever the heard saying “don’t try to fix something that Is not broken”, If you said no then the question should be “why should you replace or fix something that Is working fine”? I mean Just because technology Is oving forward that does not mean that everything needs to be replaced. High schools right now are trying to give children iPads and replace textbooks. Everyone has a different view point on this situation, but mine Is that this Is wrong.
However, I want to know why we are doing this and where did the need for this come from. I recall when I was in high school, I was perfectly fine with using textbooks. I mean I never thought “man, it would sure be great to have an iPads instead”. The reason why I did not think like that was because it was school, and in school you have to work ard to achieve success (Basham). Success Is not Just handed over to you, well it might be soon though, Now It is up to the board of education in an area to decide on whether or not iPads shall be allowed.
The board of education believes that the iPad will further enhance the education system, but since when does Just looking up your assignment on google count as enhancing ones education. Now a lot of people are going to say that they are not going to use It for subjects not related to school. Really. let us talk about then to a little. When I was I high school, the students were always n their phone doing something on google or Facebook and this is when having phones in class was not allowed.
Another example Is my cousin and he currently Is attending a high school that offers the iPad. He told me that ever since the students have received the Pads, students are not focusing and a lot of them are Just playing article in 2012 regarding this whole IPad issue and how it is going to affect the kids. They said that even though the iPad is very useful and bring a lot of good to school, it also has a lot of negative influences such as kids getting off task and looking up things that do not relate to their studies.
Also a lot of high school students might not take proper care of the equipment and can damage the device. Henderson and Yeow also interviewed students and teachers to have their opinions heard. Some said that they loved the iPad and think it’s a great idea to expand, however many others were critical of this and said that the iPad distracts the students from the learning experience and also gives the teacher a harder time to have the class listen to her talk.
One teacher said she was trying to have her students listen, but they were too busy on their iPad, and when she asked what they were doing. One student esponded that he was doing math work, and when she went over he was playing a game instead (Henderson, and Yeow). Now imagine, we are giving them a device in which they can freely use google and pretty much not even pay attention in class. I know, some will say that not every student will like that and while that may be true, how long till they rub off on the next person because you know peer pressure is also a huge thing in high school.
What I do not understand is that why are textbooks being replaced because looking up information in a book will help you remember a lot more rather than something on google. I remember I had to use my textbook a lot and every time I did, I was able to find the information and retain the information. Some excuses that I heard were that the books were too heavy, well that’s why the schools have lockers and not everything in life can be made to accommodate one person. Now there is an article by the eschool News, the launch of iPad programs in more than 600 U.
S. school districts, two-thirds of which began in July 2011. It cites Burlington High School in Massachusetts where each student began the year with new school-issued iPads loaded with electronic textbooks and other online resources n lieu of heavy textbooks. This means that the start has already and it seems as if it is going to keep on spreading unless something is done about. The article also said that college campuses are thinking about doing it too since high schools across the nation doing it.
It says that each year the students get a new iPad and each iPad costs roughly $700 dollars and obviously when getting something as expensive as iPad is then a warranty is needed too. So that would cost the school additional money and on tip of that the school will probably have to buy apps that will aid in the students earning experience which will raise the price quite significantly. By the sounds of it, it seems as though there iPad cost a lot more than a textbook. To prove my point furthermore, on why iPads in school are a bad idea. Yahoo news reported a problem that occurred at the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Apparently, the students were able to break through the firewall protection setup and were able to access websites that were not permitted by the schools. Students began going on Facebook, and YouTube and were neglecting their assignment (Owens). Hundreds of students ere able to crack the firewall security, and one high school was even stripped of their tights to use the iPad anymore. However, one teacher reported saying that many students still have it. The Board of education in Los Angeles have said that they caught many students going on websites that would not enhance their education and students are learning.
An interesting note to be made, the studnets were asked what made them do what they did, and the response was that they were tired of being restricted from websites like social media or music streaming and so they broke through the firewall. I know I said a lot of things regarding the iPad issue, but this makes my case stronger on the fact that if schools can’t even have the proper security setup, then how can they ensure that the kids are learning and not Just goofing off with the devices; and the fact that the students will not try again or do something else because of the restriction that will be put back on (Owens).
On contrary to what I have been saying, iPads can be useful in schools. The world is constantly moving forward and Just because of some students who will misuse the device cannot be accounted for everyone. We are in the 21st century, technology is taking over and with that the schools also must evolve. If the board of education allows iPads in school then it will reduce the time the time it took to teach a lesson, and it also gives the children a chance to get rid of textbooks. Another idea that might persuade the school board is that they can save money.
Since they are not buying textbooks, that reduces the cost of having to buy all the new editions and the only cost would be to have iPads which would pretty much be a onetime money spending investment (Siegle). Siegle was wrong when he said that the iPad would be a one-time spending nvestment, since it was disproved earlier. With the schools now trying to get ‘Pads, it should be easier for students to access information because let’s be honest, the teacher will not know everything and whatever she cannot answer, the students can look it up online and find the answer.
James Basham and colleagues had been researching over this debate on whether or not should schools allow iPads. Now they conducted this experiment in which three participants engaged in independent seatwork either by completing problems on a worksheet or completing problems presented on time. Based on visual analyses, students solved more math problems correctly in less time and demonstrated higher levels of active engagement in the iPad condition as compared to the worksheet condition (Basham et al. ).
After the experiment was conducted they interviewed the teacher and the three and all three unanimously said that the iPad is a lot more useful than a textbook. Overall, having iPads in schools is a two way street. There are pros and a cons and people will use it to however they want it to. I still think having iPads in schools is a bad idea because it initiates laziness and students will not care. The Board of education says that they are saving money, but in reality they will be using more money because they have to pay for each iPad, and with that the apps and warranty will be essential.
Also, the board of education would also need to update the software whenever a new version comes out which also costs money. In Los Angeles, students have already lost their rights to the iPads for breaking through the firewall security and going of Facebook and You Tube. However, I could be wrong and the iPads actually improves our education and students have an easier time accessing new information. I mean ased on the experiment done by Basham and his colleagues, the iPad enhances the learning ability of students when compared to doing work on worksheets.
The students responded better to their iPads and its learning style rather than the work that was on the worksheet. Even teachers have said that they liked the iPad because everyone thinks, there is no right or wrong answer. Also to be clear, I am not saying that iPads should never be allowed but right now is not the right time.