Students use their iPads to read textbooks and check their syllabi posted online.
Aiming to fix a range of problems with Choate’s one-to-one iPad program, the school’s Academic Technology and Information Technology Services (ITS) department recently decided to give all students and faculty an iPad Pro. Next fall, all new students will receive an iPad Pro, an Apple Pencil, and a protective case from the school, all of which students will be able to keep until they graduate.
Under the rules of the current iPad program, a consistent electronic platform has been made impossible because students have generally purchased a variety of iPads, from iPad minis to outdated versions of the iPad. Mr. Morgan Harris, an ITS academic technology support specialist, explained, “What’s so great about the new iPad Pro Program for next year is that we are moving to a school-managed system, which is different than before because students had to come to school with their own iPad. This created quite a problem because we weren’t able to ensure that students had the up-to-date software or even the up-to-date hardware to run the up-to-date software. All these things will be taken care of with the iPad Pros.”
Another problem with the current program is that iPads are not being used in the classroom as much as the initiative intended. Mr. Deron Chang, a science teacher and academic technology support specialist, explained that this is in large part because teachers are not compelling students to use their iPad or designing their classes so that iPads are used. When asked if he thought that students would continue to use their laptops over their iPads, Mr. Chang said, “Would you use your knife more than you would use your spoon? While iPads and laptops can serve many of the same functions, one cannot be replaced by the other.” iPads are much more capable than laptops as creative devices for students. Mr. Chang and Mr. Speyer believe that iPads are not being incorporated more into classrooms because teachers can be hesitant to change the way they teach. The success of the iPad Pro Program is a matter of whether or not teachers will use what the iPad Pro has to offer.
Teachers will still be able to teach their classes however they please, but using the iPad Pro will be strongly encouraged.
Mr. Joel Backon, the director of academic technology, explained that the problem with requiring the use of iPad Pros in the classroom “is that some people will end up using the iPad Pros because they have to, which won’t serve its purpose of being an effective learning tool.” Mr. Backon hopes students will use it to enhance their learning, not just because it’s a requirement.
Each new iPad will be installed with a software known as Apple Classroom. This will give every teacher a dashboard on his or her iPad that displays what their students are looking at on their individual screens.
Teachers will also be able to lock students’ screens when taking a test on an iPad Pro, forbidding them from doing anything other than take the test.
In addition, when a student is working on his or her iPad in class, the teacher can see what the student is doing and put it on the whiteboard screen with a simple click on the teacher’s dashboard. Teachers will also be able to open an app on all the students iPads in class at the same time.
The iPad Pros will still be able to be used for recreational purposes outside of class. Aside from their Choate Apple ID, students will be able to log into their own Apple ID to use personal apps. Once students leave the classroom and are out of Bluetooth range, their teacher’s ability to see the screen disappears. Addressing concerns of privacy, Mr. Chang said, “There will be no ‘big brother’ monitoring what you do outside of class; it is strictly in class when teachers can see what’s on your iPad screen.”
