I spoke with an old friend who is high up in LAUSD (former high school teacher of mine and now in a position to know) and it pretty much boiled down to wheels getting greased. It isn't based on merit, which is par for the course in the LAUSD. It is one of the most dysfunctional districts. LAUSD is bureaucratically paralyzed and I am not shocked by this story in the least.
I think that pretty much applies to all the school districts in this country. One of the big reasons we've fallen so far behind in education compared to other nations. The school district here is terrible. Awful teachers get to keep their jobs thanks to the unions.
I think that pretty much applies to all the school districts in this country. One of the big reasons we've fallen so far behind in education compared to other nations. The school district here is terrible. Awful teachers get to keep their jobs thanks to the unions.
Public employee unions need to be illegal. Even FDR wrote about the dangers of allowing government employees to form unions and strike.
Yea and if it is about money these idiots are going to throw away a lot more money when they find themselves fighting malware, viruses, DNS attacks on those crappy PC's. Not to mention reliability issues which will have them spending twice as much money repairing these cheap pieces of crap versus actually using them.
Chromebooks threaten Microsoft in education more than Apple as they both target the same general use cases. Apple's iPads have a different set of advantages for certain classroom needs. Use of one shouldn't preclude the use of another. LA shouid be commended for both recognizing it and doing something about it.
Looks like Apple does provide methods of deploying iOS devices ...
Apple should deploy the school/college IT requirements gratis. All they need do is supply a check-list and deploy it to all the education districts' iOS devices. It's called after-sales service.
Standardized tests should be platform agnostic as should the schools.
I realize it is more work for the IT people but the kids should get experience on all platforms.
Khan Academy doesn't require a particular platform and they seem to be one of the more successful educational resources that a lot of schools are utilizing.
Standardized tests should be platform agnostic as should the schools.
I realize it is more work for the IT people but the kids should get experience on all platforms.
Khan Academy doesn't require a particular platform and they seem to be one of the more successful educational resources that a lot of schools are utilizing.
I don't think it's the OS the schools are complaining about, it's the hardware form factor. It's not an Apple problem, it's a tablet problem. I'm not sure I disagree. Small screen with a small keyboard, with the keys on the same plane as the screen. Good for little kids with simple interface requirements, not as good for older kids having to write and do research. For them, a convertible actually seems like a good idea to me -- a tablet when that's most convenient, a laptop when required. They could just add a keyboard dock to an iPad except that the iPad doesn't support a mouse and you kinda need one when using it that way.
In the case of standardized tests, I guess they want to eliminate the device-type as a variable.
This would never have happened if Apple sold Windows tablet PCs and Google Netbooks, and gave up using proprietary technology and competed on price instead of quality. /s
I don't think it's the OS the schools are complaining about, it's the hardware form factor. It's not an Apple problem, it's a tablet problem. I'm not sure I disagree. Small screen with a small keyboard, with the keys on the same plane as the screen. Good for little kids with simple interface requirements, not as good for older kids having to write and do research. For them, a convertible actually seems like a good idea to me -- a tablet when that's most convenient, a laptop when required. They could just add a keyboard dock to an iPad except that the iPad doesn't support a mouse and you kinda need one when using it that way.
One problem is that many inner-city high school students don't have home environments that are conducive to homework or studying which is where most of the research and writing really should be done, and they don't have computers at home either. Ideally, school hours should be used for instruction not research and writing, but what do I know? I've been out of school for decades. I am involved in a lot of continuing education in the medical field and all of it is professional presenters, video and slides with multiple choice tests for which an iPad is quite satisfactory.
I spoke with an old friend who is high up in LAUSD (former high school teacher of mine and now in a position to know) and it pretty much boiled down to wheels getting greased. It isn't based on merit, which is par for the course in the LAUSD. It is one of the most dysfunctional districts. LAUSD is bureaucratically paralyzed and I am not shocked by this story in the least.
Ask your friend why they can't even fire a child molester.
Ask your friend why they can't even fire a child molester.
I’m to understand that the concept of tenure in schools only allows for legal due process between the teacher and a claimant, and that removing this revokes the teacher’s right to present his or her argument at all–immediate firing, as it were.
This decision is 100% about money, not diversification of devices in schools. If it were the latter, Apple products would not be excluded completely... and using a physical keyboard as a reason? That's simply ridiculous, as kids are doing fine without them. It's the adults who are used to physical keyboards who find it challenging.
Comparing the size to a closed textbook doesn't make much sense. Textbooks are generally more useful when open at twice the size of an iPad.
It is correct that it can open to double the size of an iPad but ultimately you're doubling the space taken up on a desk. If you have two iPads side by side to match the information density of an open textbook, you would achieve the same thing. Additionally, an iPad can hold many multiple of textbooks in a lighter, more flexible, form factor.
and using a physical keyboard as a reason? That's simply ridiculous, as kids are doing fine without them. It's the adults who are used to physical keyboards who find it challenging.
No, that argument is fair. Typing on an iOS virtual keyboard is demonstrably more difficult and less efficient than a physical keyboard. That doesn't mean the iOS keyboard is no good, just that it's not AS good as a full-size, physical alternative.
"Useable" is not the same as "equivalent to." If the objective of a standardized test (which is the context in which the keyboard came up) is designed or intended to remove the device as an influence, the presence or absence of a physical keyboard could be considered a valid consideration.
I think there may have been a missing /s in the post to which you are referring.
However, it's all a matter of perspective. In the USA, if children are going to public schools, which are taxpayer funded, then many taxpaying parents of said children will claim that a K-12 education is a right. To the best of my knowledge, the Constitution does not state anything about education. However, many state constitutions do (if you believe what you read on the internets). For example, California states:
SECTION 1. A general diffusion of knowledge and intelligence being
essential to the preservation of the rights and liberties of the
people, the Legislature shall encourage by all suitable means the
promotion of intellectual, scientific, moral, and agricultural
improvement.
SEC. 5. The Legislature shall provide for a system of common
schools by which a free school shall be kept up and supported in each
district at least six months in every year, after the first year in
which a school has been established.
SEC. 7.5. The State Board of Education shall adopt textbooks for
use in grades one through eight throughout the State, to be furnished
without cost as provided by statute.
Most parents dont pay any taxes or dont pay their fair share. Here is a clue dont have kids you cant afford to support.
Comments
I spoke with an old friend who is high up in LAUSD (former high school teacher of mine and now in a position to know) and it pretty much boiled down to wheels getting greased. It isn't based on merit, which is par for the course in the LAUSD. It is one of the most dysfunctional districts. LAUSD is bureaucratically paralyzed and I am not shocked by this story in the least.
I think that pretty much applies to all the school districts in this country. One of the big reasons we've fallen so far behind in education compared to other nations. The school district here is terrible. Awful teachers get to keep their jobs thanks to the unions.
Public employee unions need to be illegal. Even FDR wrote about the dangers of allowing government employees to form unions and strike.
Yea and if it is about money these idiots are going to throw away a lot more money when they find themselves fighting malware, viruses, DNS attacks on those crappy PC's. Not to mention reliability issues which will have them spending twice as much money repairing these cheap pieces of crap versus actually using them.
https://www.edsurge.com/n/2013-12-04-chromebooks-and-ipads-rivals-no-more
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304856504579338941198812358
...In other words, it's simply business as usual in the public education system...
+1 Thank you for a concise image of delegating responsibility combined with other people's money.
- Compounded by Chromebooks needing to be online most of the time -- how much offline homework can get done?
- Compounded by giving All of your child's Digital Identity to Google? That is OK with parents and educators, really?
Apple should deploy the school/college IT requirements gratis. All they need do is supply a check-list and deploy it to all the education districts' iOS devices. It's called after-sales service.
Standardized tests should be platform agnostic as should the schools.
I realize it is more work for the IT people but the kids should get experience on all platforms.
Khan Academy doesn't require a particular platform and they seem to be one of the more successful educational resources that a lot of schools are utilizing.
Standardized tests should be platform agnostic as should the schools.
I realize it is more work for the IT people but the kids should get experience on all platforms.
Khan Academy doesn't require a particular platform and they seem to be one of the more successful educational resources that a lot of schools are utilizing.
I don't think it's the OS the schools are complaining about, it's the hardware form factor. It's not an Apple problem, it's a tablet problem. I'm not sure I disagree. Small screen with a small keyboard, with the keys on the same plane as the screen. Good for little kids with simple interface requirements, not as good for older kids having to write and do research. For them, a convertible actually seems like a good idea to me -- a tablet when that's most convenient, a laptop when required. They could just add a keyboard dock to an iPad except that the iPad doesn't support a mouse and you kinda need one when using it that way.
In the case of standardized tests, I guess they want to eliminate the device-type as a variable.
Seems difficult to take this seriously when you can’t interact with the content of a paper textbook in any meaningful way.
One problem is that many inner-city high school students don't have home environments that are conducive to homework or studying which is where most of the research and writing really should be done, and they don't have computers at home either. Ideally, school hours should be used for instruction not research and writing, but what do I know? I've been out of school for decades. I am involved in a lot of continuing education in the medical field and all of it is professional presenters, video and slides with multiple choice tests for which an iPad is quite satisfactory.
Of course. But Apple is greedy. Education is a right and Apple should help subsidise it for all people.
Food is a right and McDonald's should help subsidise it for all people.
Clothing is a right and Levi's should help subsidise it for all people.
Water is a right and Evian should help subsidise it for all people.
?Housing is a right and Clayton Homes should help subsidise it for all people.
Indoor plumbing is a right and Kohler should help subsidise it for all people.
Footwear is a right and Nike should help subsidise it for all people.
Health care is a right and all people are now subsidizing it for all people, proving that education for all people has been an abject failure.
I spoke with an old friend who is high up in LAUSD (former high school teacher of mine and now in a position to know) and it pretty much boiled down to wheels getting greased. It isn't based on merit, which is par for the course in the LAUSD. It is one of the most dysfunctional districts. LAUSD is bureaucratically paralyzed and I am not shocked by this story in the least.
Ask your friend why they can't even fire a child molester.
I’m to understand that the concept of tenure in schools only allows for legal due process between the teacher and a claimant, and that removing this revokes the teacher’s right to present his or her argument at all–immediate firing, as it were.
Comparing the size to a closed textbook doesn't make much sense. Textbooks are generally more useful when open at twice the size of an iPad.
It is correct that it can open to double the size of an iPad but ultimately you're doubling the space taken up on a desk. If you have two iPads side by side to match the information density of an open textbook, you would achieve the same thing. Additionally, an iPad can hold many multiple of textbooks in a lighter, more flexible, form factor.
and using a physical keyboard as a reason? That's simply ridiculous, as kids are doing fine without them. It's the adults who are used to physical keyboards who find it challenging.
No, that argument is fair. Typing on an iOS virtual keyboard is demonstrably more difficult and less efficient than a physical keyboard. That doesn't mean the iOS keyboard is no good, just that it's not AS good as a full-size, physical alternative.
"Useable" is not the same as "equivalent to." If the objective of a standardized test (which is the context in which the keyboard came up) is designed or intended to remove the device as an influence, the presence or absence of a physical keyboard could be considered a valid consideration.
Most parents dont pay any taxes or dont pay their fair share. Here is a clue dont have kids you cant afford to support.