12yo needs an Ipad for school?

[Fran27]

Originally Posted by Saeleofu

I'm 25, so it's been a while since I was in grade school. Even so, I did HAVE to have a computer for homework in high school and middle school, and it was highly recommended in elementary school. Now that I'm in college, YES, I NEED a computer. A laptop, actually, to take notes in class. EVERYTHING must be typed and 90% of stuff needs to be turned in online.

That's just so weird to me. In college 10 years ago I did everything by hand. Heck in France I'm willing to bet they STILL do everything by hand.

But again... college cost me $150 a year. It's just so different over there.

[JacksonsMom]

I can't imagine an iPad being that useful for homework ... but I do think young kids absolutely need access to the internet/computer somehow. My 8 year old brother who is in 3rd grade has a few assignments and such that he needs to do on the computer. And like already said, it's a vital part of surviving in this world today, so I think it's important to learn young for future jobs. I'm 22 and I grew up on the computer, I often have to teach people older than me how to simple things, because they did have the technology when they were younger, and now have to know it for jobs, etc.

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by AdrianneIsabel

A few schools have started trying to go to etextbooks which is actually cheaper to check out iPads than provide paperbacks.

I'm guessing its not the same situation though?

We have online textbooks. The county polled the students' families and found that something like 95% have internet access, so they are able to justify not purchasing hard copy textbooks. The problem is, the county is huge--so the rich side of the county is just fine. My kiddos on the other hand, claim they have internet access because their cell phone can access google. There is no way they can access an online textbook from home. The school checks out netbooks to a lot of the kids so they can type their papers up at home, but it's not helpful for accessing web sites because a lot of them don't have internet access at home to use the netbook.

We had two options. They gave each teacher 30 hard copy textbooks (a class set), so we could check out those textbooks to the 30 kids (out of the 140 I teach) who I think would have the most difficult time getting online to do homework, and ask the rest of the kids to stay after school to do their homework. Option 2, we could just choose to not use the textbook. We chose option 2.

I make all my lessons from scratch, and have not opened the online textbook once. Notes, activities, homework are all made by hand and copied for the students. It uses more paper, but it allows the students to be successful, and it's working.

I got my hand slapped by the county this week though. I was forced to miss a day of school for mandatory textbook training, and interrogated on why I wasn't using it, because I'm "not preparing my students for the future" if I'm not using online textbooks and daily computers in algebra class. I call BS on that statement though--in 5 years when our kids get to college, whatever software they'd use in middle school would be outdated anyway, and these kids are great at figuring out software without any instructions. They don't need their middle school math teacher to "teach" them how to use an online textbook to be successful in life.

[milos_mommy]

I'm 22, and never used a computer for homework in elementary school, but it was required in middle school for many papers and definitely required in high school for MOST work.

Now, the elementary kids I do watch are expected to do homework on the computer, but usually only one or two nights a week. It's fairly simple for a kid that age to do work at the library. Most of the work they do is still by hand - although I have heard that they'll soon be replacing handwriting ENTIRELY with typing in early education Kids now don't need to learn cursive writing at all, only print.

[CaliTerp07]

I don't mind that cursive is gone from the curriculum. I have not written anything in cursive a day in my life, outside of 2nd grade. Typing would be way more relevant to kids. I'm amazed how many 8th graders are still doing the hunt-n-peck thing. It's so inefficient!

Obviously they'd still need to know printing too. You can't completely wipe out pencil and paper.

[milos_mommy]

I write in cursive all the time! But I do handwrite letters, postcards, take notes in college by hand, and write a lot in notebooks by hand.

I really think pen and paper will become obsolete in the future, or at least become a sort of art form. And I'm not talking far far into the future, I wouldn't be surprised if my grandkids never learned to handwrite in school at all.

[AdrianneIsabel]

I think that's a bit over the top, most math still needs to be written in long hand. We likely will continue print.

[milos_mommy]

In my college math class we were expected to complete and submit all homework online.

[Snark]

The gal I work with has kids in Catholic schools and her daughter's HS did away with textbooks this year in favor of an iPad. I believe the parents got a discounted price (sort of like the student discount Apple has for buying software such as photoshop or illustrator). Her son is still in middle school and they still carry textbooks (one of the teachers calls them 'the camels' since they trudge around, bent over from a backpack full of books.) Ipads are probably healthier from a physical point of view...

[Kilter]

I wouldn't have a problem with it as far as providing one, but would be concerned with it being transported back and forth and getting trashed. Maybe once he's in high school but he's in grade 2 and looses his gloves all the time and those are on his hands.

His school does have ipads they use in class for things though and the older kids have to have access to the internet and a computer at home, which isn't a problem.