Since Apple launched iPad in 2010, millions have made their way into education. As a result, it’s not surprising that more than half of the US preschool teachers say they have tablet computers in the classroom – nearly double what was reported just two years earlier  – even though the tablets are still mainly for adult use. “That’s an enormous jump,” said Ellen Wartella, a professor at Northwestern University and author of a study that surveyed 945 preschool teachers in 2015. “It wasn’t all that long ago that experts were debating the suitability of technology for young children“.

Another study, conducted in Auburn, Maine, randomly assigned half of the district’s 16 kindergarten classes to use iPads for nine weeks. Auburn was the first public school system in the US to provide iPads to each of their youngest students. In all, 129 students used an iPad, while 137 students were taught using traditional resources. Each of the 266 students were tested before and after the iPads were introduced into the classroom.

According to the literacy test results students in the iPad classes outperformed the non-iPad students on average, across every literacy measure they were tested on. Children who were taught through the use of an iPad also showed an increased interest in learning and were more enthusiastic about going to school.

In February Apple published its financial results for Q1 2018. The tech titan sold 13.2 million iPads during the period. Apple CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly stressed how important the education market is in the context of the iPad, and the fact that it’s doing so well with institutional sales both at home and abroad backs that up.                                                                                      

We’re thrilled that over 1.2 million students of all ages are now using iPad and Swift Playgrounds to learn the fundamentals of coding, and over 1,000 K-12 schools across the United States plan to use Apple’s “Everyone Can Code” in their curricula, he said.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using iPads in the Classroom

The concept of using the iPad in the classroom makes a lot of sense due to its easy to manipulate touch screen technology, portable format, fast load-up time, extended battery life and the most obvious reason- kids love it.

Student engagement will likely increase due to the shiny new vessel for learning. Lessons will be more interactive and lively than ever before with competitions and games that really inspire creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. Apps for iPad classroom activities are designed to  help Pre-K students learn important concepts such as sequencing, sound-letter recognition and patterns while having fun all through the use of their tiny fingertips.

Beyond the immediate benefit of engaging students, iPads can improve education efficiency and standards. iPads in the classroom bring education to life. They save money on textbooks and deliver even the content educators previously struggled to represent.

On the other hand, as with anything else, pluses of having iPads in the classroom go hand in hand with minuses. In the first place, many schools find the iPad just too expensive. In March of 2013, Apple’s lowest priced iPad retailed for $499. Therefore, for schools working with limited budgets, it may be difficult to justify purchasing enough iPads to make a significant impact in the classroom.

One of the biggest criticisms of the iPad is its  inability to work with Adobe Flash and Javascript. A lot of content in schools and websites for kids are dominated by Flash. Although, some argue that the abundance of educational apps make up for it.

The iPad learning curve doesn’t just apply to students. Not every teacher has the technical knowledge to quickly pick up on the iPad’s many, and varied, uses. Switching over from traditional textbooks and paper and pen lessons to interactive iPad lesson means spending time and money on additional teacher training sessions. And even if they do understand iPad basics teachers may still need extra training to figure out how to adapt iPad learning for younger age groups.

Finally, it might be hard for students  to focus when they have in their hands a web-enabled device that can virtually take them thousands of miles away from the stuffy classroom.

Copyright: jfk image

Embarking on an iPad journey with young students

The possibilities for creative projects and activities involving the iPad in K-2 classrooms are endless. It’s easy and rewarding to make music on the iPad, using a variety of different instruments. Furthermore, taking an iPad on a walk in the woods during science lessons makes it simple for even preliterate children to document their observations to create a field journal full of images. They can either photograph or sketch what they see in the wild. Some apps will even allow kids to include narration with their images, adding a verbal language component to the activity. Solmson, kindergarten teacher at The Davis Academy in Atlanta, implements a digital storytelling project where students read a story and then come up with their own version of that story. Solmson records her students’ voices over their illustrations, helping each student create his/her own digital story. “The kids love this project and feel proud of what they have accomplished,” she said.

There are many ways in which  iPad can be integrated into play and learning activities rather then used as “edutainment”. Through a combination of the tools and thoughtful teaching strategies, children are able to try out alternative ways of doing things, make connections between elements, create new forms, solve problems together, modify their work and see things from others’ points of view.

In the end, no one would argue that the iPads offer zero advantages, but no one should argue that they’re perfect, either. Simply providing children with an iPad and saying, “Learn!” won’t do much. Teachers should take time to consider what their students’ needs are and how they can address them both with and without technology as well as strike the right balance between traditional and iPad-friendly ways of educating young minds. iPads may be more complex than blocks or crayons, but when used strategically they are just like any other tool in the metaphorical child development toolbox.

Do you think that preschool classrooms are benefiting from iPads? If yes, what ways you’d like your children to use them in kindergarten? Share with us your thoughts and ideas.

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Teaching concepts have been changing rapidly over the past decade, asking students to use devices at school and teachers to integrate interactive platforms into lessons. The increased digitalisation of the classroom requires a discussion about a responsible use of technology. Too often we come across children and adults misusing technology due to a lack of guidance. Such behaviour raises questions such as how should children act when they are online or how to prepare them for a world full of technology?

Digital Citizenship as a Teaching Tool

The concept of digital citizenship tries to support parents, teachers and technology innovators to understand what information and guidance students require in order to use devices and software appropriately as well as responsibly. Many organisations and individuals concentrate on this topic for two reasons. Firstly, they are interested in the perception of what is considered as appropriate technology use. Secondly, they want to come up with structures and topics which are deemed necessary to be taught to the next generations by parents and teachers. In this process, digital citizenship becomes a teaching tool providing teachers with a platform for grading assignments, facilitating discussions, messaging and resource sharing.

Copyright: Goran Bogicevic

The Importance of Being a Digital Citizen

However, having a closer look at the concept, it becomes obvious that digital citizenship is far more than a teaching tool, it is a skill that supports students to understand the norms of technology and prepares them for a future in a world which invests heavily in technology. Students will be able to know about the benefits and risks of the Internet and how to stay safer in the online world. It also helps them to make ethical decisions and be more confident technology users. Therefore, courses on digital citizenship are just as important as courses on health, sexual education or driver’s education.  A starting point to teach online best practices is to use closed social media platforms such as discussion boards.  Many organisations also provide learning management systems which are more advanced platforms offering further activities such as assignment grading or resource sharing.

The Skyward Course Learning Centre Experience

There are many learning management systems out there. One of them is the Skyward Course Learning Centre that provides teachers with a single platform to distribute information including videos, encourage discussions and manage the submission of assignments of all students. As pointed out by Skyward, there are two major benefits that management systems provide to teachers and students.

Firstly, learning management systems offer teachers a space to keep all assignments, hand-outs and reading materials in one secure place. This way, students learn to use the Internet for day-to-day activities such as reading through and searching for lesson resources, and submitting assignments.

Secondly, these systems promote a collaborative and student-driven space where students can get feedback from their teachers on coursework more easily and participate in online discussions. Parents are also able to engage with teachers in a less time-consuming way by accessing an area that shows grades and assignment statuses.

Copyright: Syda Productions

Social Media Training through School-orientated Platforms

Besides the administrative benefits, platforms such as the Skyward Course Learning Centre offer a school-orientated and age-appropriate environment in which students learn how to use and connect with others through social media.

When students use strictly social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter first, there is an increased risk that students see online platforms as a tool for social interactions only. They are then more likely to disconnect social interaction from learning interaction. Students are also at a high risk to fail to understand that their online and offline personality are inseparable and that they should act the same way online as they would in reality.

However, if teachers introduce learning management systems at school, students have the opportunity to learn social interaction through learning interactions first. These learning platforms offer first hand experience. Students learn why it is important to protect their private and personal information when sharing information with their classmates. Discussion boards can support students to understand what information of others they are allowed to share and ask for permission before uploading any materials. Finally, the platforms offer a possibility to integrate a student’s online and offline personality as students interact with the same people they see at school. This process helps them to respect other students’ opinions and to think about the impact their online response has in the classroom in the real world.

When students are old enough to fully engage with the online world, they will be much better prepared and will see that their online and offline lives are interconnected in many different ways.

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Methods used within the classroom not only need to keep evolving, but also harness the effects of the digital revolution in a positive and constructive manner. Creating a curriculum that appreciates the power of technology in the learning process can serve to increase engagement in the classroom and make learning easier and more efficient.

A common misperception surrounding the impact of technology on learning is that the Internet, with all its factual data, has served to render our long-term memory as useless. Why commit to learning something if a simple press of a button will give you the answers you are looking for? Proponents of this argument therefore believe that the need to remember facts is no longer essential to our education. However, these arguments often ignore the dynamic between long-term memory and working memory. A person’s long-term memory has much more capacity than their working memory that can only remember between 4-7 items before it becomes overloaded. Therefore, working memory space is premium, in order for it to be free on a regular basis we have to commit certain facts to our long-term memory. This is perhaps why researchers label long-term memory as ‘the seat of human intellectual skill.’

Laptops, tablets, and smartphones are facing sharp criticism for their ability to distract the student in the classroom and lecture theatre. This is not surprising, with studies showing that university students who frequently engage with laptops during lectures understand less than those who do not. However, the addictive nature of technology, such as video games, can be harnessed in positive ways. An innovation in education is underway. Is it possible to design educational video games and software tools that hold children’s attention in the same way that computer games do? An example of such efforts comes in the form of the Essa Academy in Bolton, the United Kingdom.

The story of the Essa Academy encapsulates the transformative impact of technology on the learning process. In 2009, the school was ‘failing’ according to OFSTED inspectors, but now the school has drastically improved pupils’ results and satisfaction. The school gave every pupil a new iPod with software configured to teachers’ computers. Additional iPads are found in every classroom, and pupils in Biology class use these to create stop-start movies reflecting the dynamic aspect of Nature. Much criticism was leveled at the plan to give a ‘failing’ school, where 80% of pupils come from ‘deprived areas’, so much funding. The local media implied that, due to the economic status of the pupils, most of the new iPods would be sold on eBay, but this has not happened. Students seem to treasure them, with only 1-2% of the gadgets reported lost, stolen, or damaged.

There’s something like a sense of belonging in having your own device. You have access to everything at the touch of your hand, literally – Aadil Pariejwala.

The mastermind behind the plan, which has now been mirrored by the neighbouring private school, is director Abdul Chohan. Chohan took a risk that seems to be paying off, he was actually told he would be fired if the plan did not work! Before the scheme, only 25% of Essa’s students attained 5 good GCSEs, but now that number has more than doubled, reaching higher than the national average.

Further innovative steps to complement the plan can be seen throughout the School campus with no designated ‘staff room’ (pupils can enter when they like to ask for advice), and an internal Email system. These examples foster a sense of cooperation between teachers and pupils, relieving the School of the ‘them versus us’ attitude that can come to undermine the learning process. By incorporating a collegiate atmosphere, a tailor-made curriculum, and engaging technology, pupils are adequately prepared for any future job.

We’re based on the premise that the future is not what it used to be; that the one thing we know is that the world our students are going to live in is something unknown  – Andy Peet, Essa Deputy Principal.

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Web-based open courses are leading a change in disseminating the knowledge and transforming society at large. The SocialEDU is a new education initiative led by EdX and Facebook that aims to provide students in Rwanda with free access to a collaborative online learning experience.

There has never been a better time to get an education. Years ago, looking at the American college options from a war-torn Serbia, it was difficult to access any learning materials online. Courses reviewing the GRE, GMAT and TOEFL tests were not available even in traditional classrooms in Belgrade. For many, the doors of the world class universities remained forever closed.

With the development of online technologies, quality education is getting more available to a global audience. From various test preparation courses to poetry, finance and entrepreneurship classes, it seems the whole world now is going online to get an education.

These days, I am at the Yale Broadcast & Media Center filming an online lecture series in The  Moral Foundations  of Politics for Coursera with legendary political theorist, Dr. Ian Shapiro. It will produce a wonderful opportunity for students around the world with nothing but a wifi connection to get a sense of what it’s like to be in a Yale classroom. Exposure to the ideas and teaching methods of the most influential thinkers will be a mind opening experience Online learning is driving educational mobility to a global level.

Open Education: Democratization via Coursera and EdX

The world of educational technology continues to develop rapidly. Web-based open courses are leading an innovative change in disseminating knowledge around the world. Over the past few years, several Ivy League universities have started with Open courses. Yale, Stanford and MIT have all used technology to produce video recordings of their most prominent faculty members lectures. A step in a new direction was a creation of unified online learning platforms such as Coursera and EdX.

Coursera was founded by two Stanford University professors, Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng who united around a shared vision for utilizing technology to expand educational opportunities worldwide. The other online learning platform, EdX was founded by Harvard and MIT. Recently, EdX partnered with Facebook to create the SocialEDU that aims to provide students in Rwanda with free access to a collaborative online education experiences. Facebook and EdX want to use the power of online social tools to help students reach their educational goals. This has all served to illustrate how new technologies and educational initiatives can potentially tackle inequalities and transform societies.

Low cost access to knowledge

While the costs of traditional education are increasing, the expansion of online learning is simultaneously taking place. Online education provides opportunities to people who may not otherwise have access to a university-level education to enhance their skills. For example, Open Learning Initiative offers online courses to anyone who wants to learn and teach. One of their goals is to provide tangible credit bearing opportunities to students in order to reduce the burden of college debt and make it more feasible for people to complete their degrees or go back to school.

Whether one seeks to go deeper into a particular subject or learn something entirely new, technology allows for an immediate access to knowledge at any place and time. I am talking to Sean Lip, one of the developers of Oppia-a newly released tool for creating interactive online activities that enable students to learn by doing- about how the whole platform came to be.

“From previous teaching experience, I’ve found that students learn better when they have opportunities to demonstrate their understanding. However, when I tried to create some interactive learning material online some time ago, I could not find a tool that made it easy for me to do this. This is how Oppia came about: it’s an open-source project that allows people to create interactive educational activities that allow others to learn by doing. I think one of the ways technology can help most in education is by making it possible for students to access educational experiences which otherwise wouldn’t be available to them. The oppia.org  exists to make it easy for people to construct interactive educational activities and share them with the world, and to allow these activities to be collaboratively improved so that they can become increasingly useful for learners over time,” says Sean Lip.

Look into the Future: is Technology the Answer?

New developments in online learning, interactive textbooks, and open educational resources have significant strategic implications for educational enterprise. The question many are raising is whether or not online learning can replace face-to-face campus experience. However, the purpose of technologies is not to replace the traditional education but to enhance it. Communications tools such as e-mail and online discussion forums, allow students to post their reading responses. Synchronous technologies such as webcasting, interactive video content, and chat rooms help approximate face-to-face learning experiences while allowing students to learn at their own pace.

Through experimentation and measurement of educational online platforms, better ways of teaching could be developed over time. As technology develops, we can expect to see a growing trend in the translation of online lectures into more and more world languages.

Ours is the digital age. We date online, read online, shop online, and make friends online. Why then would innovation in teaching, learning and research be an exception to that? Meet me in the worldwide classroom.

Photos (CC)

1. NYC #3  by Thomas Leuthard
2. ï £ ¿/  by Thomas Leuthard
3. Clever Girl  by liquene

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