San Diego school district buys 26K iPads for students
The San Diego Unified School District has purchased nearly 26,000 iPads that it will provide to students in classrooms this fall, making it one of the largest programs of its kind to date.
The district has bought $15 million worth of iPads for use in 340 classrooms this fall, according to San Diego`s 10 News. The money has come from a voter-approved funding program known as "Proposition S," which sets funds aside for up-to-date technology in the classroom.
The district has bought iPad 2 units that retail for $400, but a $30 education discount from Apple means the district will save hundreds of thousands of dollars on the purchase.
The district has not indicated exactly what software students will use, though a likely candidate would be Apple`s own iBooks software, which was enhanced for digital textbooks with the release of iBooks 2 early this year. The iPad 2 units will be utilized in 5th- and 8th-grade classrooms, as well as some high school classes.
San Diego`s investment in the iPad was first noted by Apple`s chief financial officer, Peter Oppenheimer, during his company`s quarterly earnings call in April. At the time, the district had purchased a total of 10,000 iPads, and was planning to secure 15,000 more — a purchase that has now become finalized.
Oppenheimer noted that Apple`s U.S. K-12 customers had purchased twice as many iPads as Macs during the March quarter, despite the fact that the company also set a record in Mac sales for the quarter.
"iPad continues to open doors for new customers with whom Apple previously had no relationship," he said. "As we enter the K-12 institution buying season, we`re hopeful that iPad will be a popular choice."
The district has bought $15 million worth of iPads for use in 340 classrooms this fall, according to San Diego`s 10 News. The money has come from a voter-approved funding program known as "Proposition S," which sets funds aside for up-to-date technology in the classroom.
The district has bought iPad 2 units that retail for $400, but a $30 education discount from Apple means the district will save hundreds of thousands of dollars on the purchase.
The district has not indicated exactly what software students will use, though a likely candidate would be Apple`s own iBooks software, which was enhanced for digital textbooks with the release of iBooks 2 early this year. The iPad 2 units will be utilized in 5th- and 8th-grade classrooms, as well as some high school classes.
San Diego`s investment in the iPad was first noted by Apple`s chief financial officer, Peter Oppenheimer, during his company`s quarterly earnings call in April. At the time, the district had purchased a total of 10,000 iPads, and was planning to secure 15,000 more — a purchase that has now become finalized.
Oppenheimer noted that Apple`s U.S. K-12 customers had purchased twice as many iPads as Macs during the March quarter, despite the fact that the company also set a record in Mac sales for the quarter.
"iPad continues to open doors for new customers with whom Apple previously had no relationship," he said. "As we enter the K-12 institution buying season, we`re hopeful that iPad will be a popular choice."
Comments
Also would be curious to know the breakage/theft rate of the iPad in schools.
In any case... Dats allota iPads!
Now, that's what I'm talking about. That amount is a fairly decent number. I know there aren't many school districts throughout the country that can afford iPads in that quantity, but it's a nice start. Apple is the one company that has the money to grow production capability to keep up with demand. Sweet. We say it's a lot of iPads, but what does Wall Street say? Probably not so much even though the potential may be there for really high sales.
And do they have funding for the ongoing IT infrastructure required? Do they have a curriculum strategy? Are they providing training for the teachers?
Sorry, but color me skeptical. Shiny toys are nice, but schools (at least in my area) are consumed with drilling students to pass the standardized tests. Actual education is secondary to assuring the kids can pass the tests.
- Jasen.
Quote:
Originally Posted by boeyc15
A while back (i think at AllthingsD )Both Jobs and Gates were quoted as surprised that technology had not helped(or large affect with U.S) education so far.
Academic success is a function of eagerness. Wanting to do well (and cultivating the necessary discipline) has nothing to do with technology.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quadra 610
Academic success is a function of eagerness. Wanting to do well (and cultivating the necessary discipline) has nothing to do with technology.
Yes, and no tech in the world can inject eagerness where it's not
Someone determined to become a somebody will do more with pen, paper and an old 386 that a spoiled, "I'm boored" kid with a retina iPad...
San Diego is not an area that buys just to buy. They will have a plan. That they are starting small with just two grade levels gives them the chance to refine that plan over the year before it goes large.
Just because they have explained every last detail doesn't mean they don't know it themselves.
As for this purchase, this is part of why the Surface Lite is doomed. Schools are willing to buy with a crappy less than 10% discount at huge amounts. There's already a huge 3rd party app store. Apple has pushed usage like textbooks to encourage such buying. Plus familiarity breeds sales. If you are thinking about a tablet you are more likely to go with something you know and have seen, like your kids iPad. Compare this to the Surface which hasn't even got a known price or release date. Had Microsoft done this a year ago they might have had a shot, now not so much. They might be able to take second place but to grab the crown, not likely by a long shot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jasenj1
And do they have funding for the ongoing IT infrastructure required? Do they have a curriculum strategy? Are they providing training for the teachers?
Sorry, but color me skeptical. Shiny toys are nice, but schools (at least in my area) are consumed with drilling students to pass the standardized tests. Actual education is secondary to assuring the kids can pass the tests.
- Jasen.
This is the problem here in NC. At my wife's school, they bought roughly 30 iPads per grade level (shared between the classes) for grades 2-5. They had no infrastructure, no curriculum for using them, and only some basic training (one class that lasted about 2 hours for the teachers, which was basically nothing more than "How to use an iPad" and nothing on how to integrate them into classroom).
Then they threw the iPads in the classroom and expected the teachers (including my wife) to be able to integrate them into the curriculum with no guidance whatsoever. The school/district doesn't even have a suite of apps for the grade levels to use.
It was basically a case of "Hey, we got some money... what do we do? Hmm, LET'S BUY iPADS!!!!!"
I guess if you can't figure out how to teach kids with books, it is probably necessary to use computers/tablets. That is what they will keep telling everyone until this becomes common place in all schools and the kids still don't do better academically.
What do tax dollars and my morning crap have in common? They always get flushed down the toilet.
-kpluck
While the first part is true, the last part is wrong.
There have been studies showing the effect of technology on education. A well-executed technology plan most certainly can have a positive impact on educational results. In particular, some studies concluded that students using iPads did much better than those who did not. For example:
http://www.hmhco.com/content/student-math-scores-jump-20-percent-hmh-algebra-curriculum-apple-ipad-app-transforms-class
Quote:
Originally Posted by jasenj1
And do they have funding for the ongoing IT infrastructure required? Do they have a curriculum strategy? Are they providing training for the teachers?
Sorry, but color me skeptical. Shiny toys are nice, but schools (at least in my area) are consumed with drilling students to pass the standardized tests. Actual education is secondary to assuring the kids can pass the tests.
- Jasen.
You need to find a school district where they educate then -passing standardised tests is a nice side effect of that.
As for curriculum strategy and training for teachers, even if they are using the iPads (initially) for text book replacement, then it is a win/win.
You may find in the end that is not true.
I myself was a largely bored kid in school. That's what happens when you take a kid with well above average reading and math skills and a well above average IQ and can't or won't challenge her. I barely paid attention in class but got straight As because the grades were all on our homework and tests. It wasn't until I got to a middle school that had a computer lab etc that I had something that made me actually want to go to school. something that ultimately lead to my career
Kids just this decade later are just as smart and just as in need of something to make them want to be here. Yes a shiny 'toy' might kick it off. But if the teachers do it well, they can make a multitude of both educational and practical lessons out of that toy. They can even find ways to bring back some level of art and music to schools that had those cut.
It's all in how they choose to use the toy. Same as those old books and such. Because some teachers (and I had them) thought teaching Huck Finn meant showing you the movie in class while they filed their names or read a book. So much for books being better.
Without knowing the specific quote I say that it is axiomatically false that technology has not helped education. Even if you exclude the technology of printing from the equation and only look at personal computing and the internet there is so much opportunity for children to learn and absorb at rates previously not possible. If anything I think the problem with US education is not the lack of technology but the lack of government funding and parents personal responsibility to encourage and focus children to learn the way other cultural do in comparison.
That last bit is a bit wrong itself. It's not the tech that's raising scores, but how it has been utilized. Poorly utilized tech is as useless as no tech.
I wouldn't say as useless but I would say that tech can often just as easily be a great tool for learning as much as it is a great distraction from learning.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kcartesius
Yes, and no tech in the world can inject eagerness where it's not
Someone determined to become a somebody will do more with pen, paper and an old 386 that a spoiled, "I'm boored" kid with a retina iPad...
Obviously you come from the lower tier of your own school with such a clueless statement. Someone determined to become somebody will do just as well or better with an iPad. And any student would do better with a tool that provides an interactive approach to learning, and which can provide immediate feedback. It is not just about the top tier of students, but engaging students at all levels. Duh!
Unfortunately when it comes to US public schools that is a beast that basically doesn't exist. If you go homeschooling or private, you might find teachers that want kids to learn to think and actually engage, but current funding laws are so tight that such things aren't possible in public schools. If you want your kids to be educated you might be better off home schooling
That may be true, but the argument that technology is useless is just plain wrong. When appropriately implemented, it has been demonstrated that technology contributes to significantly higher results.
Then I'd suggest that you run for school board. Or complain to the school. Or find a magnet school. Or home school your kids. Or send the kids to a private school. Or provide for extracurricular educational activities.
In any event, even if the school is simply working to ensure that the kids can pass the tests, some education occurs - and is beneficial. For example, anyone who has taught math understands that students today are horrible at basic math skills (addition, subtraction, etc). Extended drills are needed to ensure that the basics are firmly entrenched. Technology can make those drills less painful - and maybe even enjoyable.