FAQ iPad 1:1 Program
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What are the goals of the 1:1 program?
The primary goals are to improve student learning and personalize and differentiate the student’s experience. Additionally, the intent is to provide teachers and students with a consistent platform to use inside and outside the classroom. This program means a device is in the hands of students daily with all the same applications that teachers can count on for their technology integration.
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Why was the iPad the selected platform?
We began piloting iPads in 2011 and have found that they meet the needs of students and teachers with ease of use, application availability, portability, engagement and support. No tool is going to be perfect, but the iPad currently meets our needs and there is a growing community of schools that have implemented 1:1's along with us that we can learn from.
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How are tablets being used in the classroom?
Tablets are being used in a variety of ways. including but not limited to: formative assessment, audio and video recording, multimedia projects, electronic text access, research, note taking, presentations, word processing, electronic, etc. Examples of how the iPads are used in our classrooms can be found in E-Connections publications.
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Where did the funding come from?
The funding comes from the Technology Levy. More information regarding the 2016 Technology Levy can be found on our District Budget page.
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How is the 1 to 1 iPad Program Evaluated?
While evaluation is ongoing, during the 2014-2015 school year and at the Superintendent’s request, a formal outside review of the program was initiated given the lack of empirical data in the literature, utilizing two educational researchers from University of Washington – Tacoma, Jarek Sierschynski, Ph.D. and Marcy Stein, Ph.D. Their program review was completed in August 2015 and the full review is available here, with an Executive Summary available here.
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Do we evaluate other tablets within the school district?
Yes, we continually evaluate technology and how it can be used within the district. Our main criteria for selecting devices is ease of use, manageability, applications and support available. While there have been great improvements and examples of how Kindles, Chromebooks and Surface tables have been used in the classroom, we feel that the iPad continues to provide our staff and students with a easy to use device that allows us to distribute content reliably.
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What are the student rules and accountability regarding iPad use?
The district’s acceptable use policy and student-parent-district agreement can be found online. iPads are a learning tool. Students are accountable for using iPads appropriately as such. Students in violation of the signed agreement will be held accountable and appropriate consequences will be applied by the building administration. -
How can I manage these devices in my house?
Information and resources to help parents manage these devices in their homes can be found here. We support each parent's rules regarding technology use in their home. Parents should manage these devices the same way they manage other technology in their homes (ex. family computer, cell phone, other tablets, etc…). The district can also remove the ability for the student to install personal applications or filter their internet traffic at all times. Parents who are interested in learning more about these options should contact their building principal or Technology TOSA. -
Why are students allowed to bring the devices home?
Being able to continue working on a project at home ensures that the workflow process is not interrupted and students aren’t trying to complete or save work from multiple devices. There are also a number of textbook and study guide apps that help students practice skills, complete homework and prepare for assessments. -
Are all teachers required to use the tablets every day?
iOS devices are encouraged to be used by the teacher and/or students when it makes sense within the curriculum. Sometimes they are the right tool, sometimes a pen and paper will better meet the objective of the lesson. -
What is the Apple Distinguished Program award and why was MISD selected?
Apple recognizes outstanding programs worldwide for innovation, leadership, and educational excellence. Being selected means that Mercer Island excels in the five areas of best practice as defined by Apple: Visionary Leadership; Innovative Learning and Teaching; Ongoing Professional Learning; Compelling Evidence of Success; and a Flexible Learning Environment. Selection required an application, and the award is valid for two years. -
What is the lifecycle of the devices and how are they being refreshed?
The lifecycle of the device is 4 years. Students will be given a new device as they enter grades five and nine. Fifth grade students will keep their same device through eighth grade, similarly ninth grade students will keep their same device through twelfth grade. Tablets in grades kindergarten through 4th grade and staff devices are also refreshed over 4 years. -
How are apps evaluated?
Apps are typically recommended by teachers for a specific educational purpose. The Technology TOSA then researches, downloads and tests the app to see if it effectively matches the intended purpose without undue duplication of apps with similar purposes in the app catalog. Apps are continually being developed, and the district evaluates and culls the app list as necessary to ensure the best possible apps are available to our students and staff. -
Will we have “loaner” iPads for students who forget theirs or have them available if one breaks?
Just as students forget other materials, classroom teachers will need to adjust when students are unprepared for class. There will not be any loaner iPads available for student checkout simply because they forgot their personal device.
If a student’s device is stolen, damaged or lost, the district will provide a temporary loaner until the replacement device is available. -
What is the plan for initial and ongoing professional development for effective integration of iPads in a 1:1 program?
Prior to the inception of the 1:1 iPad program and continuing to this day, teachers have been receiving ongoing professional development on technology integration in his/her classroom. This includes an annual one day Summer Technology Institute, multiple monthly courses offered during the school year, just in time support from Technology Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSAs), and access to online support such as Atomic Learning and locally developed online courses. Classes are grounded in best practice research on integration of technology in curriculum.
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Are students allowed to purchase and read e-books on their school iPad?
Absolutely! The App catalog includes e-readers like iBooks, Nook, Overdrive and Kindle. A student may read books they have purchased or checked out from a library on their school iPad. There are restrictions on downloading books. High school students are not allowed to download books rated/labeled graphic violence or erotic or books with the age restrictions of 17+. At the middle school level, students are not allowed to download book rated/labeled graphic violence or erotic or books above the 13+ age restriction level.
These ratings are set by the book seller/distributors, not MISD. If you have concerns about content your student is accessing via his/her iPad, please contact the administration at your student's school. -
Are laptop cart and computer lab classroom being phased out?
Laptop carts and computer lab classrooms are not being phased out. The laptops are the best tool for many existing projects and will still be an available tool for students and teachers. However, we will continue to re-evaluate technology decisions in the upcoming years. -
Can my student opt out of the iPad program?
Yes. If the family provides an iPad for the student to use and pays for the apps that are available and used by their teachers in the schools’ App Catalog, then the student can opt out. Having a consistent digital platform that teachers and students have in common is one of the biggest goals of the 1: 1 program. -
Is the family/student really responsible for $400 if the iPad is stolen?
Yes and no. If the iPad is stolen from a locked car, home, etc. It will be covered under the MISD insurance, with a $100 deductible. If the iPad is lost, left on a public bus, taken from a backpack when left unattended the family/student will be responsible for the full replacement cost. -
What capabilities does the management program have?
The MaaS360 management tool has the following monitoring abilities:
- Track the location of the device. By default this setting is enabled; however students have the ability to turn this feature off.
- Monitor the amount of free and used memory on the device.
- Monitor the list of apps on the device, the version of each app and when the app was installed.
- Push messages and transmit documents out to the devices (an e-book might be an example of a document, the user has to accept the documents.)
- Keeps a record of how long it has been since the device reported its status to our management solution (this will help us identify when devices are lost or stolen.)
- Remotely erases all data on the device (this would be used in the event of a theft or if the device is reported lost.)
It CANNOT do the following
- Read app data or usage (this includes passwords entered on any of the apps.)
- Control the cameras of the device.
- See the actual data stored on the device or data that is transmitted through the device. This includes passwords that are entered into the browser.
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Can the students delete apps from the device if they don't use them?
Students can delete apps from the iPad. The only restrictions to what they cannot delete are the apps that Apple includes in their default image (example Camera, Photos, Calendar, Contacts, etc...), the MaaS360 management app and the MaaS360 app catalog. -
Why put restrictions on the device at all?
Federal law (CIPA) requires protection of students in school from certain material. This is one of the principle reasons that web searches are filtered on the campus networks.
The restrictions placed on what High School students can install on the iPad are:- No movies rated higher than PG-13
- No explicit music
- No apps rated for users 17+ years of age
- No books categorized as erotic or graphic violence
- No games rated as Mature
Middle school students can not install apps. Additionally, they are restricted to:
- No movies rated higher than PG-13
- No explicit music
- No books categorized as erotic or graphic violence
In addition, we have disabled Facetime and iMessage as we felt that the possible negative uses of these applications outweighed the positives. Evaluating appropriate apps is an ever moving target and we continually work to ensure that students are not able to access inappropriate material.
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Can students sync or back-up essential school documents?
Students can sync documents through many services: Google Drive, Office365, Dropbox, Evernote, and others.