Junior School removing IT suite - "We have enough iPads"

[Gimpymoo]

A Junior school in our area is planning to remove their IT Suite as they feel their "one ipad per pupil" scheme fulfills all their needs.

Is this a common trend? I think it is mad.

Surely we need to be encouraging children to create and develop content at a basic level, not just consume masses of apps and in the process becoming mass consumers of the app store?

I am certain the land of business and science is still dominated by desktop computers at its core with tablets etc used as a periphery object with no obvious specific skills needed to use them.

 

[bignev72]

This is utter madness surely?

 

[Idleman]

Should`nt this be in GD.

 

[Gimpymoo]

Should`nt this be in GD.

 

[Raumarik]

Entirely depends on what they plan to do on the ipads, you can't teach typing, databases etc easily on them.

Chances are they want to change their computer room into something else.

First time I've heard of any school removing traditional computers entirely. Tablets have their place but this just seems daft.

 

[tom_e]

Seems very stupid considering the push to start teaching programming in schools.

 

[Woden]

Personally, I would have a keyboard/monitor/mouse at every desk and issue each child with an rPi they can take home.

Much cheaper than an iPad. They can experiment with it all they want, worst case scenario you write a new image to the SD card.

 

[Gimpymoo]

The school has had a new head in place for nearly 2 years and she has been quick to roll out ipads across the school and any concerns about the use of them has been swept aside.

They even issue out ipad specific homework. Those without ipads, get worksheets instead.

I asked before the roll out if the IT suite would stay and was told "yes". Seems like that was just lip service as there are plans to remove it entirely as they feel their ipads fulfill their needs.

 

[Joshct]

Personally, I would have a keyboard/monitor/mouse at every desk and issue each child with an rPi they can take home.

Much cheaper than an iPad. They can experiment with it all they want, worst case scenario you write a new image to the SD card.

Worst case scenario would include jam and pulled transistors.

 

[Woden]

Worst case scenario would include jam and pulled transistors.

Raspberry jam?

That's the same with the iPad though, and the Pi is a little cheaper to replace.

 

[Gimpymoo]

Probably better than Donut 1.6.

The problem is, the teachers appear to have all gone ipad mad, if it cannot be done on an ipad, then it cannot be done and the majority of parents have joined in on this ipad circus because they know no better.

 

[Deleted member 77746]

Creating content i.e websites / databases still require use of a traditional PC/MAC. You can't totally get rid of these if they require building of content.

 

[kaku]

Wow, that's really shocking.
Shame for the kids when they get to secondary school with no useful skills at all.

 

[bulletv1]

Well if it's a junior school it's not soo bad. But i work in a secondary school and we have 32 learn pads for the maths department and that's all. Only member of staff to have an ipad is the head teacher. Most of our computers are windows based, 10 mac pros and some macbooks for media, music and art. And a few pi's that we are trying out but students have been using scratch and python to do programming for the last year or so. Also just recently installed app inventor.

A nearby (ish) secondary bought laptops for all 2000 students by the end of the year they had been broken or "lost"

To sum up, not really needed at all. Just a fad. I will see what 'innovations' they have for them at BETT this week.

 

[Adam_101]

Same thing happened at my nephews school he started last year...was lucky if my school had an RM Nimbus!

 

[edgedemon]

It is not crazy at all, and this is coming from a rabid ipad hater.
I have two sister-in-laws aged 25 who don't own a PC/laptop, one has an android tablet+phone, the other just a phone - both of them are completely happy with those devices being the only way they can access the internet, they don't even want another device
Different generations use the internet in different ways..

 

[Monkeynut]

It is not crazy at all, and this is coming from a rabid ipad hater.
I have two sister-in-laws aged 25 who don't own a PC/laptop, one has an android tablet+phone, the other just a phone - both of them are completely happy with those devices being the only way they can access the internet, they don't even want another device
Different generations use the internet in different ways..

But it's no good for a career in the IT industry, which is a pretty major earner for the country and a big employer.

 

[m4cc45]

Yes but then you're only consuming the internet.

You're not learning anything other than how to surf the internet. Hell if my kid was going there I'd be supremely disappointed as they're not living in the real world. There are serious concerns about using these on a work network and that's what you're preparing kids for.

Essentially most retail apps are just website wrappers and just change the formatting of the website so you're learning nothing really by using these devices.

Sounds like the heads had a massive wedge of cash thrown his way.



M.

 

[RDM]

They are going to struggle to teach the new KS1 and KS2 curriculum come September with just iPads.

 

[Caged]

It totally depends on what the school was doing with their computer labs previously.

If they were teaching absolutely nothing of value other than how to find a picture on Google then removing the PCs doesn't impact anything. Putting a 'real' PC in front of a primary school kid doesn't get them interested in programming or curious about how it works without the teaching staff to back it up. Kids who are interested will probably explore that interest regardless of what the school provides them.