With or without spycams?

Really? This is my money and this is how it's spent in Lower Merion...It wasn't enough that they just built 2 new high schools that cost about $3 billion a piece...Get a freakin' grip Lower Merion...what happened to crayons, a sheet of paper and promoting creative individual thinking? Jeeesh..ridiculous...lots and lots of better ways to spend the residents' money

Totally agree Kurt, this is kind of ridiculous. I can't even justify the purchase for self yet, the school district is purchasing them for 5 year old? Pretty crazy.

Totally for the iPads for kindergarten kids. This is how kids learn today.

Gee, when I was a kid all we got were crayons and paper. And nap time, which as an adult I sincerely miss.

Wow - i think it's great, yet I can't help but also think about the kids in the Philadelphia public school district who are being terribly shortchanged by the new PA Budget. Perhaps there's a way to use our children's good fortune to help "level the field" for all school children in the region? Maybe a fundraising app?

Cradles to Crayons - The Giving Factory is one local org working the problem.
Here's a list of their most needed items:
Pants sizes 7/8 – 14/16
New socks and underwear
Sneakers, sizes adult 2-8
Baby toys and board books
Baby carriers (Baby Bjorn, Snugli, etc)
Carseats with base (no older than 5 years old)
New baby hygiene supplies
Crib & bassinette bedding
Diaper bags
Notebooks, binders, and filler paper, and folders
Pencil sharpeners, scissors, rulers
http://cradlestocrayons.org/

Wow, this is insane. Lower Merion has more money than they need, they should think about the kids (my children) who will be starting elementary school in Upper Darby School District next year WITHOUT art, music, physical education and foreign language classes. Myself and my husband are from Belmont Hills and hearing this is just ridiculous.

To children in kindergarten this is the "usual" way to do your "work" They can be just as creative as we were with crayon and paper, there's an app for that. There are quotes from To the editors in the 1800's complaining about school children leaving their chalkboards for pencil and paper, paper and pencil for typewriters, typewriters for computers. This is kind of going back to a 20th century chalkboard. If it gets them to learn and compete in this global environment, then way to go.

For those of you that have no idea how fantastic Ipads are for education, please go to the Apple store and learn. My 5 year old has known how to use my Ipad since she was 3. They have apps that help them learn to read, write, enhance math skills, the list is endless. It has been thrilling to watch my now 6 year old use the Ipad and read along with the book or hear how excited she is when she gets the correct answer "playing" a math game. By no means does using an Ipad take the place of crayons and fine motor skill tools. You need to understand where education and technology meet. You should be happy that your tax dollars are being spent on giving our kids the opportunity to be in the forefront of leading education. This is why I moved to Lower Merion... to give my child an opportunity at a great education.

1. It's a shame that a child's education depends on his zip code.
2. I worry that this will make kids even more isolated than they are now.

hey JCKWCS...not that easy for folks to move...I'm not saying that kids shouldn't have the tools to succeed. God Bless Them. It's just overkill and resource gluttony

I can volunteer to show them stupid stuff like long division and how to diagram a sentence.

Ginny, My point is EACH KID does NOT have to have their own!...Share with less fortunate and I'm okay with it all. It is not the I pad itself! The classes continue to separate with the upper having no regard for the lesser...shameful.

I look eagerly to my next LM school bill...hopefully it will be my last!

A great move, two years too late. The problem they will face- they don't have the right personnel to facilitate the right way to use them. This new group of technology leaders are stiffs. I know that sounds harsh, but just ask the staff. They have no vision where this is going. Have you ever watched those board meetings? They are always, "testing" and piloting. They never have answers. There is a reason why Lower Merion and Harriton have fallen in the rankings- significantly. It's not the technology, it's the ones leading it. Fix that, and you will see an enormous impact.

For those of you who don't agree with the use of iPads—is your concern primarily that the money could be spent better (i.e. the same learning could be achieved with crayons), or that this may teach children to be more reliant on technology, and very isolated, like Kate and some other commenters have said?

All this fuss recently about how high Lower Merion and Harriton are ranking in the country; yet when I was there in the early sixties we were third in the country.

As a recent graduate from Lower Merion and a student studying to become a future teacher, I find this idea very entriguing. I believe that like many ideas, this one has it's pro's and cons. Even while reading this article and all of the comments, I have changed my mind multiple times regarding whether this is a good or bad idea for the future of education. The conclusion I have come to is that the educational benefits provided by Ipads make this idea worth while, however the fact that some schools are lucky to even have enough textbooks and the endless negative social implications (that can be seen in the youth of today) of the idea make it a terrible idea. Therefore, I believe that a resonable compromise would be to provide maybe 3 ipads per classroom, and use them as one station of learning rather than the main learning tool of the classroom. Though they may provide many benefits, every child learns differently and a variety of teaching methods still need to be used. I am not against the use of technology in the classroom, however variety is important or soon ipads will become another boring classroom tool.. however a much more expensive one..

I had this article emailed to me and was so excited to think about how this amazing technology will change, and evolve the way that our children learn. Then, I read the comments posted. Bummer.

There will always be those in the world that have less. We could all get just as outraged every time we drink a glass of clean water or open our refrigerator to find it full of food. For every positive moment in our lives, there is someone in the world who will never know that feeling. If we feel that the issue is that the district could better allocate funds within the district, that's a separate issue. But to allow yourself to let that frustration cloud your ability to see the intrinsic value of the iPad as an educational tool is, sorry to say, short sighted. Just because our parents parents walked to school 10 miles, backwards, uphill in the snow doesn't mean that our children should. Right? That's why we do the things we do. Right? It's for our kids. That's why we live where we live, work where we work and pay the taxes we pay. So our children's future is only limited by the choices they make. Not the choices that we make for them.

I have mixed feelings regarding this topic. I feel the iPad could be a very useful educational tool, yet I also worry we will become too reliant on technology and that it will hinder the future generation. I've tried finding an article I read many months ago (maybe in October) that highlighted some of the negative effects of too much technology. It said young children are losing their imaginations (and with that creative thinking and problem solving skills) and spatial awareness. Children are doing everything on tablets, smartphones, computers, etc. and are having issues physically working through problems and puzzles with their hands. I probably over simplied what the article was saying, but it definitely made me think about my gifts at Christmas time. I made sure to buy the children on my list games that require critical thinking and using their hands and puzzle pieces to work through a problem.

For iPads to be a useful classroom tool, it is absolutely necessary for teachers to have in-depth professional training on how to use these gadgets, how to engage students with them as a learning device and NOT a toy and how to come up with their own creative ways to teach students using this technology. Just purchasing iPads, giving them to teachers and students and assuming that kids are now "more engaged" in the classroom is a common mistake in educational tech spending. I have worked for many years in education and getting teachers to adapt to MINOR changes in instruction- let alone a completely new way of instruction- is an uphill battle. For it to work, there must be buy-in from the teachers. (My school spent thousands on smart boards that have largely been unused.) I am not bashing the teachers. Kindergarten teachers in Lower Merion are among the most stretched teachers in the district. These professionals have 18 children in the morning and 18 students in the afternoon- 36 kids! They develop personal relationships with these children and have to know their different levels of educational and social development. It is a tremendous task. I would hope that the request for these iPads came from the "bottom up" and not the "top down" and that along with them comes the needed time and compensation for professional development. I think that iPads in the classroom could be an excellent tool, but I hope that the district planned carefully for this classroom change.

@Joe Darsh--One example of other Districts using iPads with younger children.
http://www.convergemag.com/classtech/CPS-iPad-trial.html

It was already years ago when our children were in elementary school. But at that time I had a mother tell me that she thought it was a foolish waste of time to teach spelling to kids because they could just run Spell Check on their computers after writing something. I made a good living writing for the federal govenment before retiring because today's college graduates are so poor at it. It's not an indictment of technology. But perhaps we are being lulled and mesmerized by today's technology and forgetting the basics. As far as iPads for kindergartners, that seems a bit over the top. It must be nice to be rolling in unlimited quantities of taxpayer money.

I think Mark Price has it right. Edging more and more computers into the classrooms is producing a greater dependence on it, and will continue to. What I've valued about my children's education in LMSD so far is their interaction with skilled, human teachers, who really get to know how their students think and how to capture their imaginations. Greater emphasis on computers as teaching tools is eroding those values quickly, and will likely continue to produce adults whose writing, math, spelling, and even music and art skills require computer enhancement.

Spellcheck? seriously? That's your concern? That's not a technology issue, dude. That's a teacher failing to assess the student appropriately. If you want your kids to learn with crayons, homeschool them. Be sure to compare test scores with those who have technology access in a few years. It's not the technology folks, it's about the ones who can facilitate it. That's the big investment!

@Joe Darsh Joe, Do you own an iPad? Tell the truth... My bet is NO. I know, everyone is an expert because they went through some kind of system. The truth is, quality education is not understood by everyone so I will give you a free pass.

It's quite simple Joe. When you see a kid on an iPad having the time of their life, there's something to be said about it. It's called "engagement". This is something that has been the hardest challenge in education for decades. Now mix in a device that completely consumes a child into learning and connect it with good solid, curriculum. Make sense now?

Now imagine those kids who have a difficult time reading words on paper. How about the ones who have a difficult time writing words because they can't process fast enough. Now enter a device that completely captivates kid's interest. You now just leveled the playing field for all students.

Is it worth the investment now?

Joe, go buy an iPad and load it up with some free educational apps.

Can someone explain what happened to the technology supervisor? There was a job posting for it. It doesn't sounds like there is a visionary plan in place to me.

@Joe, Sorry Joe, you sound like a very sensitive guy. I hope I didn't hurt your feelings.

Here's just a few resources to support that "latest fad" you claimed above.
http://www.palmbeachschooltalk.com/groups/ipadpilot/wiki/4cede/iPad_Research.html

Try this one on for size...
http://www.blogher.com/ipad-nearmiracle-my-son-autism

Now, I would like to see your evidence on (1) parents who suffer a nervous breakdown anytime something disrupts the veneer of LM being at the cutting edge of everything, and (2) district officials who act like meth dealers, feeding parents' fears. Or are you just "insinuating"?

How about your evidence on where the iPad in NOT making a difference in education?

Your opinion matters. Just back up what you say.

When I first heard about this story I was outraged. Now that I have read it and the comments that followed, I'm just flat out ashamed to live in Lower Merion. To the person who mentioned Lower Merion and Harriton being top schools in the nation, where did you get this information? Last list I heard out on the news (repeated on KYW) mentioned only two PA schools and neither were in Lower Merion.
My main issue is not with the fact that it's a waste of school money. It is. They could have gotten a grant like the schools in Chicago.The fact of the matter is today's kids are not truly "engaged." Parents rely on TV, computers, and video games to raise their children and now teachers are relying on technology to do their job for them. No wonder today's kids have weight issues and more and more of them are becoming isolated. Parents and teachers are just plugging them into a monitor instead of making them interact with other people.
Soon our world will indeed look like the one from Wall-E. It's sad that people are debasing the human experience, claiming that it's for the sake of our children's education. When they get out in the real world and actually have to deal with real people face to face, they will have no clue how to because they were brought up to stare at a screen.
I refuse to pay a tax that supports bringing a child up this way. Children need to interact with one another face-to-face and be taught how to function in the real world, not in cyber space.

I don't believe that anyone is suggesting that students only interact with the iPads. The best teaching and learning environment is a mix of many modalities. iPads are not the teacher--they are a resource--a tool. I don't believe that anyone envisions that pens, crayons, manipulatives and interacting with other children will be eliminated. The question that should be asked is what is it that we want the students to know, do and understand and how can this tool help the students to that end? Today's children need to learn to think critically, be creative, work in teams, gather information. There is less of a need to memorize the teacher's lecture and regurgitate the factual information. The iPad is a tool that can help children collaborate, solve problems and be creative. Every new technology needs to prove it's worth. Computers are no longer a thing of the future. They have been with us a long time and have proven their value in the classroom. More professional development is needed to support the use of iPads in the classroom. iPads can be used to research basic facts, analyze, collaborate, and aid problem solving. I haven't seen one posting here where someone is promoting using the iPad to bring up a child who does not interact with other students and the teacher face to face.

Lots of good points on this thread. I would be interested in hearing from parents of those whose children have used the iPads as part of the pilot program. What do they think are the benefits and the pitfalls?

Here's a thought. Fire all the teachers and use the money from their salaries to pay for the iPads. If a teacher is having trouble "engaging" a student, then they're not doing their job. I fail to see the point of paying these teachers their hefty salaries if their job is simply going to be to manage the technology that the students are using.

@Fred I think that you are suggesting that teachers are relying on the iPads to teach the children while they just hand them out. That's a very extreme extrapolation which is an unfair and unrealistic characterization of these teachers. No one in the District would permit that.

I have a daughter in K in a class that was not part of the pilot program. She has an amazing teacher, who teaches, engages, respects the students. They use pencils and paper and crayons and circle time. They speak in front of their classmates and have recess, and circle time. She is on top of communicating with me whenever I have an issue big or small. I am trilled with my daughter's learning this year. My son will be in K next year. The idea that he could have a teacher as fantastic and the latest technology on top of that makes me giddy.

With a power outage at Belmont Hills School, how were the kids able to still use their Ipads? Wi-Fi doesn't work without electricity.

Barbara not all software runs on wifi. Many programs once downloaded onto the pad works with or without wifi. Do you even know how an iPad works?.. And one day off of the iPad is not a disaste.

What about the childrens creativity and fine moter skill? What about the harzadous radition from the wireless internet and the iPads in classroom? I think this is crazy and those schools participtating in this program are sample groups for stupid technology experimentation.

Graduates from high school one hundred years ago were better prepared to be productive members of society than today. Just listen to any "man on the street" poll regarding civics, math, government, geography, etc for the embarrassing results. The federal governments control of public education has a dismal and dangerous record. Never have so many paid so much for so little. The increasing numbers of home schooling parents, especially in Pennsylvania, speaks volumes. These devices for six year olds have more to do about guilt than anything else and do nothing to address the root problems in the public schools today.