iPads are the new no. 2 pencil, heading out in droves to teach everyone from kindergarteners to college students what’s what. (Minor drawbacks compared to the pencil: you can’t chew on the magical device and need more skill to launch it at fellow pupils).
Cult of Mac wanted to know how those iPads get into schools – which ones want them, how they get paid for, what schools are doing with them – so we caught up with Brayden Wardrop.
Wardrop is a CTO for Utah-based company called iSchool (yeah, iKnow!), currently getting those tablet computers to schools in Texas, Colorado, Utah, Minesota and Nevada.
Wardrop manages around 500 iPad2s, 50 Macbook Pros and 75 iMacs for Colorado school Legacy Academy, the kind of deployment that costs around a million dollars “for a total technology overhaul.”
Cult of Mac: Tell us about your iSchool project at Legacy Academy.
Brayden Wardrop: iSchool is deploying 500 iPad 2s for the entire school. “One to one” is Apple’s little catch phrase in the education world referring to every student having their own device. In our case, that device is an iPad 2 for every student in the school grades K-8. We register for Apple’s volume app purchasing agreement and we use three or four MacBook Pros and Bretford Syncing carts to make iPad images with apps that pertain to each grade level.
CoM: In general, what schools are iPads going into?
BW: iSchool works primarily with charter schools, some public, others private. The incentive for a charter school to become an iSchool is to increase enrollment and thereby increase their revenue per pupil. It is also a fantastic educational tool that has proven to increase performance, test scores and overall comprehension of education materials across the board.
CoM: Where’s the funding coming from?
BW: The funding is set up through iSchool. Our CEO has an extensive background in finance and has the necessary connections to obtain financing for a school that wants to convert to an iSchool. It costs roughly $1 million dollars for a charter to do a total technology overhaul which not only includes several hundred thousand dollars worth of Apple equipment (the iPads, an iMac computer lab, MacBook Pros for the staff, a Mac Pro server), but also includes surveillance/security, new phones and a completely revamped network and custom built file sharing system.
CoM: What are they using the iPads for?
BW: The iPads are used in a variety of different ways. We integrate iBooks in our school library so that each grade level has the same books on their individual iPads. We have teachers using apps like math bingo and Math Ninja for math, Solar Walk and Elements for science and hundreds and hundreds of other educational apps that are used depending on the grade level.
We have students create videos and podcasts, we use an interactive smartboard software called Doceri that allows each student to manipulate content that the teacher projects on a screen right from their own iPad. We also use Safari and incorporate many educational websites that allow for testing, reading and progress tracking.
CoM: What are the main challenges? Any problems with naysayers?
BW: There are definitely challenges especially in the area that you referred to about naysayers. Not everyone agrees with this new technology and many times the schools have to purge themselves of staff that are not willing to adapt and incorporate the technology.
Parents are also concerned that their child will not be taught the basics that they were taught in school. iSchool has been able to successfully incorporate core philosophies (such as core knowledge) with the new technology.
And for the most part, everyone embraces the transition. We are extremely careful with what we allow children to access and thanks to Apple and their brilliant software, I can manage all 500 devices by myself. I am able to control what content is viewed, what apps are accessible and how much time an iPad can be used online.
Nicole Martinelli is a San Francisco freelance writer who heads up Cult of Mac Magazine, our weekly publication available on iTunes. You can find her on Twitter and Google+. If you’re doing something new, cool and Apple-related, email her.
32 responses to “What a million dollar iSchool looks like”
princeton day school also has middle school iPads, as well as over 200 laptops and 200 iMac, and about 100 mac pro and 27 inch screens pds.org
interesting
I’ve been wanting to present a proposal to my local school board along these lines, except for high school as well. Using an iPad in college made life so much simpler. Having a search box for an ebook alone improves efficiency in both finishing homework and studying. I love being able to type keywords from a homework question and it take me straight to the page.
Pair these up with a projector with an Apple TV and AirPlay, and you have an amazing interactive experience; math is the first to come to mind. There is a school in Knoxville that has gone this route I believe. I live just south of Nashville, and I’m hoping to see it catch on here.
The million dollar question (literally) is “How are they using iPads to change instruction?” If you’re using the iPad to do the same lower level thinking activities as before, then you’ve just invested in a very expensive pencil. Don’t get me wrong, the iPad can be a great tool for educational use, but it’s just that–a tool. Without the call for creativity, collaboration, and communication, nothing has really changed. I can only hope iSchool is challenging the students in that manner. From the look of the article, though, it doesn’t look promising.
unbelievable, I just got a $827.89 iPad2 for only $103.37 and my mom got a $1499.99 HTV for only $251.92, they are both coming tomorrow. I would be an idiot to ever pay full retail prîces at places like Walmart or Bestbuy. I sold a 37″ HTV to my boss for $600 that I only paid $78.24 for. I use http://blue.gg/5g
iSchool does exactly that. The article doesn’t mention the Apple TV’s in every classroom that are used with ceiling projectors to make a truly interactive environment and enhance learning.
Ah… A naysayer in the room. Let’s purge!
I wonder how long till we forego the ability to write?
Even if they change none of their instruction methods and simply substitute the iPad for the paper and pencil, these things will pay for themselves in a relatively short amount of time. While I agree that instructors need to modify their curriculum to make the best use of this tool, the simple savings in textbooks and paper ALONE more than offset the cost of the iPad. People have no idea how much of the budget consists of textbooks, paper, copiers and toner. It’s obscene.
I completely agree that textbook companies have schools pay over millions of dollars. Much more money, however, goes in to teacher pay and benefits. You can fill a room full of iPads, with an ineffective teacher, and still have the students perform poorly. I’m not trying to bash teachers (far from it, in fact). But people need to realize that while iPads are really cool, what’s even cooler is when students create new content on them and learn beyond what a traditional classroom can offer.
So you think we shouldn’t question how the iPads are being used?
at the risk of sounding like a naysayer, i agree with jimbocrimbo’s comments. as it is kids can barely print never mind write in cursive! Has anyone ever seen a grade 11 or 12’s essay?? Many of these kids can’t read something and then take notes! All they do is write out the complete sentences, their ability to summarize and synthesize are pathetic. God forbid you let them use a computer to do research and write a report because the level of plagarism is shocking! As a teacher who has being using interactive white boards and technology heavily in my classroom for over 10 years I am actually going backwards and find I get better quality work if my students actually do things on paper and go through the writing process. I also teach computer studies and 98% of my students only use a computer for accessing social media sites (top 2 – facebook, youtube) and lets not forget online gaming! All educational research on technology says it is used to enhance the curriculum not teach it! sorry if this sounds like a rant but maybe that is what it is.
I remember hearing about a lot of complaints when we first advanced from the typewriter to the computer and from the horse to the automobile. There will always be naysayers and people who are uncomfortable with change. I have seen schools such as this do amazing things. I have witnessed some incredible content created by even 1st and 2nd graders using today’s technology. While I think that writing by hand may eventually be obsolete anyway, there are plenty of apps for practicing cursive writing with a stylus that have helped my own students improve. You can’t argue with the data that shows incredible improvements in comprehension and proficiency in schools that utilize technology like the iPad. Our children are living in an increasingly advanced technological world. Why hinder them now by restricting technology, only to have them play catchup when they enter the real world?
Probably because iOS5 isn’t out. Yeah you can still use the adapter and HDMI cable to do it, but once it’s wireless in iOS5 for sharing your screen, this still become a lot more appealing.
The idea of sending my iPad screen to a projector in front of the classroom, or a TV just facing the teacher, sounds awesome. There is a lot of potential to be had here.
Hello! I work as the educational consultant for iSchool Campus. I am a classroom teacher. During the summer I fly out to our iSchools and train teachers how to effectively integrate iPads in the classroom. I agree, they are just another tool, and if not used appropriately can be counter-productive. However, all of the teachers are trained how to effectively use the iPads in the classroom. The devices do not replace a teacher of course but the apps are very engaging and are used to help reinforce state standards and objectives. It’s my job to teach these teachers how to research and download apps that support the state standards. Hopefully this clears up some of your questions…
Yes! It is so cool!
What is the value of writing in cursive?