L.A. Unified School District to Give Students 640,000 iPads by End of 2014

The Los Angeles Unified School District is planning to give all of its students free iPads by the end of 2014 as a part of a program launched by the district, reports CITEWorld. The program, which will see a total of 640,000 iPads handed out, is part of an initiative to improve education for students and to ready them for the workforce by enhancing their technological skills and comprehension.

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The district plans to distribute 31,000 iPads to 49 of its 1,124 K-12 schools to begin with during the first phase of the program, with plans to begin distributing the rest throughout 2013 and 2014. Each of the iPads will come preloaded with digital textbooks from educational books publisher Pearson.

"The most important thing is to try to prepare the kids for the technology they are going to face when they are going to graduate," said Hovatter. "This is phase one, a mix of high school, middle school, and elementary students. We're targeting kids who most likely don't have their own computers or laptops or iPads. Their only exposure to computers now is going to be in their schools."

Apple has long had a heavy focus on the educational market, discounting its product lineup for students. Last month, Apple announced that it had been awarded a $30 million deal from the LA Unified School District to bring iPads into its schools and the company has also been in talks about a huge educational deal with the Turkish President.

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ps45

85 months ago

I would imagine most kids already have an iPad in their home...

You are kidding right? People can't really be that sheltered, and haven't been since Marie Antoinette!

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Let's keep something in mind. They're giving them to students who don't have computers at home?

When they say give, are they letting these students take these home? If so, this is a terrible idea.

Students who cannot afford computers at home are probably the poorest and least likely to treat this property with care.

Wow, what an obnoxious comment. So you'd be happier if the program restricted access to those who already own a computer? Your disdain for those kids who happen to be born poor... mindblowing. And ignorant.

I don't think this is money well spent, but not because it's being targeted to help those in need, just because I think it should be spent on other things.

Rating: 4 Votes

Shrink

85 months ago

I'm sorry, but I have two things to say about that:
2 - It's inefficient. Most teachers can handle class sizes of 30-40 students - I seriously doubt that they have class sizes larger than that right now, given most schools aim to have 12-18 students per teacher.

I'm assuming you are a teacher, or the assertion highlighted might be considered ridiculous.

Giving those students in need of some additional attention is impossible in a class of 30-40 students.

Perhaps the teachers you know feel a class size of 30-40 is a good size...my ex, who was a teacher, and the other teachers I know say different. Giving the kids enough individual attention requires a class size just a bit smaller than 30-40.

I believe there is more than enough research to support the assertion that a class size of 30-40 is way too large for effective teaching.

(Since I don't have a research source for that statement, take it for what it's worth.)

Rating: 4 Votes

Shrink

85 months ago

When I was in school, we were given stuff, too. A stone tablet, hammer and chisel to take note. Pretty advanced stuff for us!

It seems to have changed a little over time...:p

Rating: 4 Votes

MonkeySee....

85 months ago

What is a kid going to do with 31,000 iPads?

Rating: 3 Votes

charlituna

85 months ago

Oh why oh why oh why doesn't the LAUSD hire more teachers and improve the current state of the schools in the district, especially in the poorest of areas, instead of buying 31,000 iPads?

They can't. Not with this money. It came from a bond that was voted on by the tax payers and has very firm restrictions on how it can be used. Hiring teachers isn't one of those approved uses. To change it would require a whole new vote etc.

Rating: 2 Votes

Shrink

85 months ago

Stone tablet huh? Did you go to school with Moses? :p

That guy with the beard? He was a year behind me in school.

Not sure if he made anything of himself...he was a cut-up in school.

Rating: 2 Votes

mrsir2009

85 months ago

Man I remember when my school got iPads...everyone just played with Photobooth.

lol

Haha, that's what happened when my old primary school got MacBooks :D

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An iPad is simply not good for a school.
Real paper textbooks > displays.

Why? Most other industries are being computerised... Why not education?

Rating: 2 Votes

Shrink

85 months ago

An epic waste of taxpayer funds. Like all initiatives in public education that only live to serve the parasitic public employee unions and are meaningless in terms of actual education.

No sweeping over generalizations here...nope.

Rating: 1 Votes

Chupa Chupa

85 months ago

Absurd to GIVE these to students. Loan them like normal text books, yes, but for the school system not to reuse them (as normal text books are) is an insane waste of $. If I were an LA property taxpayer I'd be a bit incensed.

And what happens to these iPads when a student drops out, gets expelled, or has a persistent pattern of not doing their homework, reading, etc. If they don't need the iPad b/c they aren't doing the work they don't need the iPad. It shouldn't be an unqualified gift for doing nothing.

Also when a student breaks or loses the device, what then? Is it replaced gratis and ad infinitum? So many questions to be answered.

Rating: 1 Votes

Laird Knox

85 months ago

Students who cannot afford computers at home are probably the poorest and least likely to treat this property with care.

Seriously, who let those filthy vagabonds in the building with civilized people?!

Rating: 1 Votes

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