iOS 5

Getting iOS 5 installed on all student iPads has presented us with some issues. Some students just haven't done it, others try and it doesn't work for them for whatever reason. Some have lost notes on the pdf-notes for iPad app after they have updated their devices to iOS 5 because these types of third party apps don't always back up to the "cloud". I would strongly recommend that students use Pages and Keynote to take notes since these are Apple products and they automatically sync to the cloud. The notes can then be accessed by going to iCloud.com on any iPad, computer, iPod, or iPhone. One student lost hundreds of flashcards on an app but was able to recover the flashcards when she reinstalled the app but this wasn't the case for another student when she reinstalled pdf-notes.

Discussion about some of these issues will continue and we will work to resolve whatever issue arise. We have a computer set up in the MLR lab now so that students can install iOS 5 at school if their home computers will now work.

(Sent from my iPad)

Even the Ravens are using iPads

"According to an article in Sports Illustrated, two NFL teams -- the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens -- are issuing their players iPads instead of paper playbooks, with another 14 considering the move. It's estimated that the league consumes 7.6 million pages of paper annually (no wonder they can't line up correctly) at a cost of more than $100,000 per team."

Reposted from http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobile-technology/8-piles-paper-replaced-ipads-175297

I guess Maryvale is a leader in the use of iPads in Maryland.

Math and the iPads

Today, students from the Honors Geometry class went onto the new field and made some measurements using crepe paper streamers. Part of their assignment was to use their iPads to take pictures of what they were doing. Above are a few images from today's geometry activity.

Students using iPads to Study

Yesterday, several students were talking about studying together for an upcoming science test and they were planning to use Skype. The test was today and I asked them if they had actually studied together last night. They said they spent 3 to 4 hours on Skype studying for this test and only got off task a few times. One student said that she is more distracted when studying alone than with her friends using Skype. I am curious to know how they did on the test as a result of this virtual group study.

The Story Continues....

Teachers continue to share ways that the iPad is being used in the classroom and for projects and assignments. One English teacher shared that the girls recorded a chapter from the book they read as a radio presentation. The music/drama teacher recorded dances for the upcoming musical and the girls practice it using the videos on the private YouTube channel. The students often use the iPad exclusively when completing projects and taking notes. They use the iPad everywhere on campus and because it is small and portable can be placed next to them wherever they are.

We continue to get back iPads with broken glass. Getting the supplemental insurance for accidental damage was probably the smartest thing we did. So far we have sent in 9 iPads but have not replaced the damaged ones yet. The girls have been strongly encouraged to buy a separate padded case to keep their iPads in just in case they are dropped. These will be sold in the school store starting this week. There is no guarantee that this will completely protect the iPads and keep the glass from breaking but we are trying. I have a new iPad case on order but I think that they are in high demand now and we have been waiting almost two weeks for it to arrive. We may end up replacing all of the student iPad cases if we continue to see the amount of breakage that we have seen in the first month and a half of school.

We plan to send a survey to the parents of the students this week to find out how they are doing with them at home. One or two parents have complained about the amount of time their daughters are spending on the iPad and they are not sure what to do to about it. We suggest that they take the iPads away at night or turn off the Safari browser by putting on parental restrictions.

We still believe that this is a phenomenal program for our school and many students and teachers wonder what we did before we had the iPads.

UPDATE: The new iPad 2 case/cover came in and it looks like we might be getting these for our students. They are called the Griffin Survivor and because they have a hard case and then rubber edges all the way around, it will definitely protect the corners much better than the cases we currently have for our students.

Now the Learning Begins

The honeymoon is over and the students are starting to see the real value of having the iPad in their hands every day. They realize now that they need to take care of their iPad or it won't take care of them. We have had a few issues but nothing that can't be handled easily. A couple of students have dropped their iPads and cracked the glass, one student's iPad was stolen but then was found, and one student's display is not working right. Three iPads were defective out of the box and when I went to the Apple store, there were immediately replaced. We have one iPad that was shipped to the insurance company for replacement and we have not heard back from them yet. Luckily, we still have 8 iPads in reserve for those that are defective or broken.

The overall success of the program has been tremendous. Teachers have completed a survey about iPad use in their classrooms and they are saying that it is more beneficial than detrimental for them and their students. Yes, we know that students are playing games on them sometimes when they should be working on assignments. This is more of classroom management issue than a concern for the students.