Glasgow spunks 300 million quid on ipads for schools

[noblegiraffe]

www.tes.com/news/rollout-52000-ipads-begins-glasgow-schools

I hope they’re insured, have they never looked at the screens of the kids’ mobile phones?

What a total waste of money.

[EvadeHer]

My son's school has them. They use them for allsorts of stuff. Had them a few years now without major incidents, in good condition.

Even the local nurseries have pcs, ipads and those clever whiteboard things. I'd assumed it was the norm now.

[GrammarTeacher]

It certainly isn't the norm as schools don't have the money to work it properly. We currently have an IT support team of three but there is still no one available if something goes down in your lesson and you need help. Hate computer lessons.

[PaulGalico]

Every child in my sons school has had an iPad for at least the last 7 years (one if first schools to have them). Really useful - classwork, homework and communication between home and schoo -l it was brilliant. Very few problems. Also (if it matters) a school with some very disadvantaged pupils and teachers were coping with many other problems. Certainly not leafy or selective.

[LoreleiRock]

Our kids school did this, I would have preferred they spent the money on more teaching staff to be honest. They are scaling it back now though because it just hasn’t been successful.

[Ligresa]

Dds new private school does most if the learning via laptop/pen enabled tablet. They seem to whisk through stuff and she gets instant and useful feedback.

[JoyceJeffries]

My DCs school did this and it was a total waste of money. It did not detract from the high staff turnover and lack of teachers in core subjects.

[Oblomov19]

Looks like a waste of money then!

[DrDreReturns]

Total waste of money imo. A friend who is a teacher says it's pointless as they still have to use pen and paper in the exams, so they obviously need to be used to doing their work without tech for their GCSEs etc

[Ligresa]

Total waste of money imo. A friend who is a teacher says it's pointless as they still have to use pen and paper in the exams, so they obviously need to be used to doing their work without tech for their GCSEs etc

Well, several private schools near me use tech (ipads etc) daily and seem to get fabulous results.

I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss it. Obviously if youve got kids who don't take care of them, and parents who think its a load if bollocks then it's not going to work.

I had the same reservations re exams and writing but then i realised that was a bit stupid. I spend all my time on screens ans haven't lost the ability to use a pen.

[BelleSausage]

We have them at our school and they are a waste.

It is extremely telling that all the silicone valley CEOs send their kids to a school without computers where kids do manual tasks and churn their own butter.

I suspect they know something we don’t

[Ligresa]

Yes belle it tells us that silicone valley ceos have enough money and influence to get their dcs any job they could possibly want, so what they do at school is irrelevant .

[avocadoincident]

@Ligresa but you were probably brought up with pencil and pens and paper so you've laid down those skills already.

[avocadoincident]

@BelleSausage yes and I believe Bill Gates went to a Steiner school with no screens and very hands on learning.

[noblegiraffe]

Let’s not forget that a similar large scale project in LA was an expensive disaster.
www.wired.com/2015/05/los-angeles-edtech/

[Ligresa]

That was because the platforms didn't work properly.

Using tech to work together in classrooms and letting teachers correct and mark as they go along works really well. I've seen it!

[noblegiraffe]

Ligresa I need more than ‘I’ve seen it’ before I accept that 300 million quid is going to be worth it.

I correct work and mark as I go along too. It involves me and a pen.

[SummerPlace]

300 mill Pounds for 32 000 ipads works out at more 5700 Pounds (sorry, don't have a easily found pound sign on my keyboard) per iPad. It must be a super duper iPad or someone's making a nice profit.

Although my calculations might be right off. I'm using a calculator and find pen and paper to be easier and more accurate, but I can't be bothered to go find some.

[GHGN]

I teach in a school that all students use iPad. It does have its place, make things quicker for students to access resource, easier communication and save paper but it is not worth the hassle policing their social media use or the trouble when it is not working. Most importantly, it is too expensive for what it is.

Because the students have it so I use it with them. If they don’t, it won’t make that much difference. I don’t think It does make results better, just make life easier.

[Ligresa]

Ok, well, it can work! Maybe smaller classes help when you have tech.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

It's a total waste of money imo - if they really want to give kids transferable skills something like a Chromebook would be much cheaper and at least has a keyboard

[EvadeHer]

5700 Pounds (sorry, don't have a easily found pound sign on my keyboard) per iPad. It must be a super duper iPad or someone's making a nice profit.

I'd assume that figure included running costs, staff training, software, insurance etc?

[TildaKauskumholm]

My local council (rural area of Scotland) did this, about £15million I think, and got a lot of flak, much of it from the parents involved. I suspect there's massive backhanders behind this.

[PaulGalico]

A deal worth £300 million pounds over 7 years as outlined in the article. However let's keep to pen and paper, soaking up information to regurgitate onto an exam paper. Let's not worry too much about equipping our young people for a digital future.

[Potatoduster]

Why not get android tablets that are way cheaper for the same specs and more open?

[musicinspring1]

I’m just impressed if they manage to get them all working at the same time without any issues ... and if they have a fully staffed it support team that are available to trouble shoot ... and if they all try and use the internet at the same time it works without problem .... and if they want to upload an app they can do so without issue .... (teacher here who tries to use iPads in class but comes up against all those problems regularly ! Really disrupts the flow of lessons and is frustrating. Good luck to them!)