![IMG_3989[1]](https://uptondaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/img_39891.jpg)
More details from the MU School Committee Meeting on IPads…
Anthony Amitrano, Miscoe Hill Dean of Students, went over how the program began first with one 7th grade team and now the whole 7th grade using IPads stating “teachers and students are enthusiastic” about the technology. The students are using IPads this year to reinforce skills with apps likes Quizlet and Keynote. The teachers are able to take advantage of sharing and are using planning and training apps.
Amitrano said “This type of technology tool is needed for 21st century skills preparing students for future careers.” Common Core was again a theme, “technology in the Common Core is aligned with Ipads, collaborative projects and research skills,” with the Common Core program there will be online testing for grades 4 and above. Mr. Amitrano noted the Secretary of Education has said the national goal by 2020 is for all schools to have ebooks and online texts. Using IPads will also allow the school to go paperless by using apps like noteability which will allow the district to “get rid of notebooks and binders”the students will also be able to download a graphic calculator app versus purchasing one, which can be costly.
Dr. Maruszczak, “Please realize right now MCAS, and in a couple years PARCC assessment, – not everything we want in our kids is measured in that test. Things like collaboration, creativity, the ability to be adaptable are real skills our kids need for college and careers. If you have a vehicle of seamless technology integration it really gets the teachers to get to those 21st century skills. We want to use technology as a tool.” Dr. Maruszczak went on to explain the district presently is not transforming students how to learn or teachers to teach, instead we are using technology to give students a PDF file instead of a worksheet. “Our goal is to change the delivery and the outcomes for example you can have kids use google earth in place of an atlas. To bring it beyond the students would create their own google earth guided tour, collaborating with their peers, both face to face and online and then publish and present their tour to other people. This is where you can be transformational.”
The district chose IPads because of the high resolution, ultra-portable (weighing 1.44 pounds), powerful CPU chip, 5 mega pixel camera, 10 hour battery life, 300,0000 aps and growing, engaging interactive ibooks, free ibooks, authors, automatic backup of data to icloud, easy to use and manage, reliable, instant readiness, wide varierty of aps to support and enhance learning, single platform for education developers, low failure rate for crashing, more management capabilities and less learning curve for teachers and students.
The plan is for grades 6-8 to have Ipads in the beginning of September 2013 and then add grade 5 in January 2014. There will be a parent meeting this spring to explain the program with the goal of meeting with students and parents this summer to distribute and set up the IPads and set policy.
Bottom line – 2 options:
Apple Equity Lease
- $192 annually for 3 years with family taking ownership for $1 after the 3rd year. This could be broken up to two annual payments of $96 for the 3 years. The cost would include a 16 gb Apple IPad 4 wifi, protective case, applecare protection plan, and all required apps for 24/7 year round student usage. Students receiving free or reduced lunch will be eligible for a waived or reduced lease fee.
Bring own IPad
- For families that already own an IPad 2 or newer and wish for their child to use it for school this is an option. A $40 annual fee for apps, management, and antivirus will be required annually. The $40 will not include the applecare protection fee.
Parents who do not want their child to use the IPad at home will have an option to set up a “school use only plan” for their child.
The question was brought up will students be able to use the IPad mini or Iphone, the answer was PARCC is not playing ball on the mini and is only using the IPad and a number of the apps used are for IPad only.
Ebooks for the 2013/14 year will cost the district 38k total which provides ebooks for each of the 4 curriculum areas for all grade levels. Mrs Meyers pointed out, “This is much more cost effective, it would cost 25-40k to purchase new math books for just one grade. You will have to renew the ebooks but you will always have a current text.”
School committee member Liana Moore had several questions.
- How to shield the students who receive free or reduced cost IPads?
- Dr. Maruszczak replied “will have upmost sensitivity, it’s not like free and reduced lunch kids will have a purple case.”
- Kids who have to leave them at school, will the kids be upset?
- Dr. Maruszczak replied “we can’t let that be our deciding factor, we handle many types of sensitivities.”
- What is the cost to cover those who need free or reduce IPads?
- Dr. Maruszczak replied “The 210 which are deployed this year for the 7th graders will be used, we have about 85 students who may be eligible for free or reduced IPads, so there will be no cost to the district.”
- What happens when those get outdated.?
- Dr. Maruszczak said “Maybe we could work with Apple to refresh them.”
- Is the IPad the only way, it’s not the only tool?
- Anne Meyers replied “we teach techonology on desktops, this is an educational tool. We had to make a decision, they were the fastest, it went up in 15 seconds. I didn’t lose three minutes of every class period. We have tried to find something we would like better and a lower cost, and we didn’t find it.”
- What is the metric to measure success, to measure if this IPad was successful? I feel there are a lot of costs we don’t know of, it’s very hard for me to support something I don’t have all the answer for. What if parents don’t want this, then what?
- Dr. Maruszczaksaid “if parents push back we will have to reevaluate.”
The committee voted in favor of presenting to the parents in the spring the IPad initiative for the 2013/14 year, Liana Moore voted against the motion.
UPTON DAILY 
I agree with Tracy’s comment about the size and weight of backpacks. At the high school level the backpacks are ridiculously heavy. The students do not use their lockers so they are carrying these backpacks around all day. I know we are talking about Miscoe here but I wonder if this initiative is being considered at the high school level as well?
My son will be in the 8th grade next year. Whether we lease or buy the iPad will depend on whether an iPad will also be required in high school. If we’ll only need it for a year, we’ll lease it. Do we know whether the high school will have similar requirements?
I have a daughter in 7th grade who has been part of the iPad initiative this year. It has been an excellent educational tool well worth the cost. The students are able to do much more collaborative and professional grade work, have access to up-to-date information, are developing technological skills that they will need to compete in today’s world. iPad use decreases use of paper, decreases the size and weight of backpacks growing kids are being asked to carry on a daily basis (something that the medical profession is quite concerned about), and for us personally, it has led to fewer missed days of school (my daughter is allergic to the mold found in old books). This initiative will allow the school to keep text books updated, improve collaborative learning opportunities, and provide the type of training this next generation needs to remain competitive in a global market. The cost is a lot less that a TV, yet many families have multiple TVs (we do not). If we think about how we spend money on both our own kids and on the education of the next generation, this is clearly a well justified, high pay off expense. Those that would have difficulties purchasing an iPad outright due to economic factors will greatly benefit from this program because it gives these children access to the type of technology you need to get by in today’s market place.
great comment! I’m sure the readers and those who have children in Miscoe would like to hear from other parents like you who have children in the 7th grade pilot program.