[gorickey]

I ran across this video in regards to one of the nation's largest 1:1 educational deployments of iBooks and thought it would be good to share since it's pretty awesome to say the least...

District 54: Schaumburg, IL

[G4ME]

Yup I have hear wondrous stories from relatives around maine about the ibook deployments, the only complaint was that my cousin can't load any of his games on to it or install any software for that matter.

[gorickey]

Originally posted by G4ME:
....the only complaint was that my cousin can't load any of his games on to it or install any software for that matter.

That's a GOOD thing within education, especially since students don't own the computers, they are owned by the district and their property and the students are basically "renting" them...

[vcutag]

Originally posted by gorickey:
That's a GOOD thing within education, especially since students don't own the computers, they are owned by the district and their property and the students are basically "renting" them...

My partner did his observations (he's student teaching this semester, hopefully to be employed in Hanover County next year) in Henrico County, which was (if I remember correctly) the first school district in the country to try the iBooks, and had quite a few... vehement opinions about them. Say what you will about the educational merits of the program, but Henrico's definitely gotten the bugs ironed out of their system. Another friend of mine substitute teaches in Henrico (heads up, CrazedVW) and can't even get outside the filters & security systems on his personal iBook, it's locked up that tightly.

[gorickey]

Originally posted by vcutag:
Another friend of mine substitute teaches in Henrico (heads up, CrazedVW) and can't even get outside the filters & security systems on his personal iBook, it's locked up that tightly.

Which is exactly the way it should be IMHO. The iBook should ONLY be used for educational purposes, and the only way to do that is to lock it down so you can't install things onto it, boot off CD's on it, and of course the internet filters have to be top-notch....sounds like Henrico is doing a very good job....

[vcutag]

Originally posted by gorickey:
Which is exactly the way it should be IMHO. The iBook should ONLY be used for educational purposes, and the only way to do that is to lock it down so you can't install things onto it, boot off CD's on it, and of course the internet filters have to be top-notch....sounds like Henrico is doing a very good job....

Oh, don't get me wrong, they've got that network locked up tigheter than a virgin in a convent. But there's been a huge debate about the iBook as a teaching tool in Henrico. Combine w/ the push to "justify" the expense with teachers having to utilize the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs, or "**** out of Luck" tests as we called them in my day), the teachers themselves aren't very big fans of them. There's also logistical problems, etc, especially since they've extended the program to middle school (essentially grades 6-12 now.)

I can't imagine a 6th grader with their own laptop. I graduated high school in 2000, but that's still long ago enough for me to have learned typing on a typewriter. When I was in 6th grade, we had 5 LCII Macs and a lab full of Apple IIGSs in our school, and that was it. What a difference 10 years makes, eh?

/un-necessary reminiscing

[gorickey]

Originally posted by vcutag:
I can't imagine a 6th grader with their own laptop.

District 54 is each 4th, 5th, and 6th grader gets their own iBook...can you imagine that?

[vcutag]

Originally posted by gorickey:
District 54 is each 4th, 5th, and 6th grader gets their own iBook...can you imagine that?

Craziness.

[typoon]

This is pretty amazing. It's definitely a nice story to hear about.