Will teachers be disappointed using school-owned iPads?

It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business. - Michael Corleone, The Godfather

The excitement among teachers surrounding the iPad is the biggest I've seen for any technology I can remember. By hook or by crook - grants, budget dust, training programs that throw the device in for "free," begging, and other sundry methods - iPads are creeping in. I expect by the time fall rolls around we'll have close to 200 of them scattered throughout our district of 7300 students. My techs shake their heads and mutter and I reply "job security!"

Although the iPad's been out now for over a year, management systems for the device are still pretty primative - or at least very different than those to which we are accoustomed with our regular PCs. Each iPad needs to be tied to an iTunes account through which it is managed, updated and supplied with applications. And the iTunes account will need to be an institutional account, not a personal account, if the user wants school paid applications and support.

While we can set up a variety of profiles for different "classes" of users - administrators, elementary teachers, librarians, special education teachers, etc. - with its own set of software, users will NOT be able to download any personal software, music or other media to these devices from personal accounts.

What this means is that if an educator hopes to play a game of Angry Birds or listen to a little Metallica during prep time, it ain't gonna happen. Unless the curriculum director tells us that Angry Birds or "Ride the Lightening" is approved instructional support material. Granted, a good deal of personal use of iPads can be made via a web browser. It will be interesting to see if Netflix, Pandora or Kindle apps - that can access personal media - can be justified for educational use.

We've always had a relaxed policy about personal use of school computers. Maybe too relaxed. But to my knowledge the positive attitude toward technology such a policy creates more than makes up or any problems it's caused. In managing iPads - and perhaps going into the future as Apple's Lion OS becomes more "iOS-like" - we may not have a choice in giving teachers the ability to use school technology for personal enjoyment. 

I just hope not too many educators will be disappointed when they discover "It's business, not personal."

I'd be very interested in hearing from readers who have more institutional use of iPads if my observations are accurate or wildly off-base.

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Horizon Report K-12 - accurate or wishful thinking?

Each year I look forward to the Horizon Report and for the past couple years, I've especially looked forward to its K-12 iteration.  The 2011 K12 edition of the report has been recently released and is available at  http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2011-Horizon-Report-K12.pdf”

Compiled by a prestigious group of educators and thinkers (some who are both), this year's time-lined predictions are:

Time-to-Adoption Horizon: One Year or Less
- Cloud computing
- Mobiles

Time-to-Adoption Horizon: Two to Three Years
- Game-based learning
- Open content

Time-to-Adoption Horizon: Four to Five Years
- Learning Analytics
- Personal Learning Environments

Most of the past Horizon Report predictions (the post-secondary ones have been published since 2004) have significantly underestimated the time it has taken for new technologies to reach K-12 education and overestimated the technologies’ impact on how schooling has actually changed as a result. Ubiquitous wireless, social networking, “extended learning,” gaming, virtual worlds, smartphones, augmented reality, and sophisticated search tools have all appeared in a number of their reports. Some of these technologies have indeed made it into K-12 schools, but on a limited basis and have had a limited impact on teaching and learning in the typical classroom. Perhaps they are having a bigger impact on the college classroom, but I am doubtful.

The reports have also missed a few technologies that are having a big impact on schools: online testing, data-driven decision-making, parent information portals, programmed instruction, and data used to measure teacher effectiveness.

The board is comprised of "pro-technology" organizations and individuals (ISTE and COSN at the lead). I am wondering if the inclusion of a a couple of technology skeptics may provide a more accurate, more balanced report which predicts not just tech's glowing future, but some of the darker aspects of its use in schools as well.

If you read the educational technology press, you'd believe the constructivists have taken over education. But if you watch educational policy being made at the national, state and local level, you find that it is the testers, the rankers and the content-pushers who are in control.

Perhaps the Horizon Report might be more honest if it claims not to predict what will happen, but what the authors hope might happen.

[A tip of the hat to Scott McLeod who posted a similar (but better written) post today. Great minds think alike and all that, I guess.]

Outboard brains for teachers

I am personally a tech laggard and rather proud of it. But I wish I had gotten on the iPhone* bandwagon a little earlier. It seems that not a week goes by that a new app or use doesn't present itself that some how improves my "outboard brain" and my make my life a little richer somehow.

In preparation for a week-long bike trip next month, I've been trying to log some miles on the old Cannondale. A quick search of the app store showed, as the now cliched phrase puts it, "there's an app for that." More accurately, a whole bunch of apps for that.

Being the discriminating consumer that I am, I picked the first app in the seach list and shelled out a whole $1.99 for iMapMyRide. Other than the really annoying voice that tells you your speed and other stats ad nauseum (but can be easily gagged), the app is simple and, sort of amazing, using GPS to do what a regular bike computer will do, plus store your stats, create a map that includes elevations (how does it do that?), and zips details of your workout to Twitter and Facebook and e-mails all your increasingly-annoyed soon-to-be-ex-friends.

Here's my question: If all teachers were supplied with an iPhone or similar device, might they become more sympathetic about their students using them in class? As they themselves experience the advantages of an outboard brain that links, stores, and communicates information immediately, constantly and ubiquitously, might they become more empathetic to kids who find bans on such devices unreasonable?

I've long said that you can't teach with a device or a program that you yourself do not find personally empowering. Are smartphones any different?

* I'm sure the same would hold true had I an Android phone.