Select district students returned this school year with new iPads which were assigned to them for the year. While technology like the iPad offers virtually endless school uses, policies and precautions have been put into place to ensure responsible usage of such powerful technology.

The general attitude on the first day of school towards the new devices in roughly 42 percent of the student’s backpacks seemed to embody excitement of the owners. However the responsibility that comes with the iPads has raised questions over the program that a team of district administrators and six high school student employees have led.

“I think [the iPads] are really going to help a lot of kids as a learning resource, and the teachers seem to be trying their best at it,” said Emily Shaw, a junior who is one of the six high school ‘iAgents’ who worked on the project. “Some teachers need more help than others but just like students, everyone is on a different level when it comes to being able to use technology.”

While using them as a learning resource is the main purpose of the iPads, students are able to download Apps and use the iPads for personal uses like social media.

Neither the iPads at the high school or middle schools will support iMessage, Apple’s free service that enables users of iOS-powered devices to send text messages over Wi-Fi from mobile devices. Middle school iPads will not have access to FaceTime, Apple’s video chat agent.

Aside from some iOS app restrictions, students are free to download apps from the App Store as long as they are school and age appropriate. The purpose of the iPads is for school, so any personal apps or games that are added must be deleted if necessary in order to accommodate for space for school related purposes, according to Shaw.

However while the students are free to download most of the Apps they want, the District has made it clear there is full transparency of the students activity on the devices.

“The District does not have any photographic or video capability to view students remotely (at school or at home).  All email (student and staff) is archived.  Student users should assume that none of their data is private or confidential,” Melissa Gray, district employee who spearheaded the project, said. “Any communication or data may be subject to review by network or school administration.  Inappropriate use of District Technology can result in limited or revoked technology privileges, disciplinary consequences, removal from courses, loss of credit, receiving a failing grade, and/or legal action.”

As imaginable, 1,300 iPads are almost certain to yield some accidents, therefore when each student picked up his or her iPad, they paid a $40 Apple Care and insurance fee, which will cover service for the iPad as well as one accident, such as a cracked screen. After that first issue, students will be charged a $50 fine for each accident and a $590 replacement fee for lost or stolen devices.

While the future plan of action with the iPads will be determined later in the year, the direction the district is headed seems to be clear and student, teachers, and admin, including Melissa Gray, see positive results coming in the future.

“ I believe the iPads will transform how students learn by giving them access to digital tools that will help them to discover, process, and evaluate information throughout the school day,” said Gray in an email to Bear Facts. “In the eleven plus years I’ve been working at the district, I’ve never seen a technology that has both students and teachers excited about the possibilities.”

Sidebar:

THE iAGENTS:

The work team of six high school students, called iAgents worked with former Apple Genius employee Ryan Nardiello, who taught the students how to service and work with the technology.

“My job this summer was to unpack the iPads, download the given apps that the district wanted on the devices, and pack up the iPads to be sent to the schools where every eighth grader in the district and certain high schoolers’ got them,” Shaw said. “During the year I will help students with issues they might be having with the iPads like apps failing to start and stuff like that. If there is a crack or software issues where the device won’t even turn on, then I would pass the job onto Mr. Nardiello.”

Future of the iPads?

It is widely assumed from the districts growing number of iPads in the district that the iPad program will continue to grow next year. Some also believe that since every eight grader has an iPad this year, every freshman will have an iPad for the 2014-2015 school year.

“This is still being discussed by the Administration and Board of Education,” said Gray.