Ipads and hotspots for elementary kids?

[jamil]

I agree in theory that newer and different doesn't mean inferior, but I fear in this case, it does.

I don't have a lot of exposure at the elementary and high-school level, but I taught at the undergrad level for about 8 years and at the graduate level for about 10 years. Research and writing are atrocious. The inability to think critically, differentiate credible sources from incredible sources, write persuasively from fact rather than pure opinion- all skills that are between lacking and lost.

I also believe that "interactive" does not equal superior. One thing students need to learn how to do, at every age, is to power through boredom and study and learn regardless of how entertaining it is.

Work is seldom entertaining, yet jobs need to get done. It's never too early to learn that and to teach that placating the student isn't a value. Completing the work is.

I think the inability to think critically, and atrocious research and writing, are more artifacts of no-child-left-behind than the introduction of technology in the classroom. We constantly hear teachers complain that they have to teach for standardized tests, rather than teaching the skills students will need in adult life, and in higher learning.

Interactive learning shouldn't necessarily be made entertaining. It's still work. Classroom instruction is interactive. Some teachers make it interesting. Some make it boring. I suppose you could make your point to say the boring teachers give students the advantage of learning to power through the boredom, and apart from the more obvious problems with that line, I think the rare student who can actually do that will be exceptional either way.

A great teacher makes difficult things understandable to more students. Interactive lessons do the same thing. But some things are just boring. There's nothing wrong with making that part of the process either. You can have an interesting, engaging teacher penetrating students' minds with understanding, and then handing out boring, mundane assignments to let them learn to power through. Interactive curriculum can do that too.

 

[Route 45]

In this thread: Old guys who spend way too much time on the internet griping about kids spending way too much time on the internet.

 

[Ggreen]

i am behind on tech, but it seems like the hotspot would use its own data connection via cellular carrier. They could force the device to VPN through the school filters but not the hot spot. Any other device could likely use the spot. Am I wrong?

edit: apparently I am. I ran it by my brother. devices exist that use SIM cards and automatically start the VPN tunnel to whatever network you set. Some products have built-in DNS settings that cannot be changed

I have 2 Ipads from work, yes two and a laptop.. 1 has a sim card and cell service and as soon as I turned it on when I got it from Verizon it synced to my companies internet usage policies. It is identical to using my laptop also issued from work. Same filters, but Netflix is open for traveling. The other ipad is locked down through mobile iron and if it is not compatible with issuer policies it won't access critical work items. They tried to give us phones but the shop took the weekly stipend rather than having a big bro iPhone.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

In this thread: Old guys who spend way too much time on the internet griping about kids spending way too much time on the internet.

Nailed it

 

[HoughMade]

In this thread: Old guys who spend way too much time on the internet griping about kids spending way too much time on the internet.

Fact check: True.

However, I have a job, house, a few vehicles and a 401(k). The kids have none of those things. I keep hearing youngsters just starting out complaining that they will never have it as "easy" as us old guys. It would behoove us to take a look at why.

 

[Route 45]

Fact check: True.

However, I have a job, house, a few vehicles and a 401(k). The kids have none of those things. I keep hearing youngsters just starting out complaining that they will never have it as "easy" as us old guys. It would behoove us to take a look at why.

And those kids will never have any of those things if they are kept from using the technology of the present and the future because some old fudd thinks that things are the same as they were 20 or 30 years ago. Like it or not, this is the information age. Kids that don't get comfortable with technology will be left in the dust.

The kids are right. They will never have it as easy as the previous generation. Any half-wit could walk into a factory and make a decent living for himself and his family on one income way back in the good old days. Not so much anymore. Automation is going to make it increasingly difficult in the future. There are many reasons why their experience will not be your experience. Schools sending iPads home with students is decidedly not the problem.

 

[K_W]

We almost got laptops in Jr High here in Carmel... but it was 1997 and a laptop was 14lbs and cost $3000 in today's money, combine that with lack of meaningful internet access and the fear of kids losing them or running Quake death-matches during lunch meant we never got them.