By now most of you have read that the Los Angeles Unified School District has announced a contract to purchase $30 million worth of iPads for student use in 1:1 implementations throughout the district. This is only phase 1 of a multi-phased plan to roll out devices to all students K-12 by 2014.
The article I read: LAUSD Approves Phase 1 Districtwide 1:1 iPad Initiative — THE Journal
Wow.
My first reaction was, frankly, awe. Whatever you think about public schools, or 1:1 implementations, or iPads, it can't be denied that this is one big gutsy idea. When I announced that the schools in my diocese would have a 1:1 implementation by 2015, I thought I was hot stuff. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I'm pulling out my napkin, because I got served!
My second reaction was irritation, because I didn't see this coming. I believed that this was one of the advantages we had over public school districts, that we could put in place fee structures to pay for programs like this when public schools couldn't charge parents. I thought that public schools could never generate enough funds to give devices to all students. I still don't know how they are doing it, whether by title funds, bonds, or extortion, but this is an ongoing cost of many millions every year forever. I have cried my last tear for “underfunded” public schools.
Third was more practical. In one single stroke, the definition of school has been forever altered. Years ago I claimed that education technology was an arms race. Once one school put in (fill in the blank) computer labs, teacher machines, projectors, Smartboards, or document cameras, other schools had to follow or fall behind in the minds of the public. While this led to lots of wasted money and many mistakes along the way (both true for Smartboards), it also has forced a school system, too in love with status quo, to participate in contemporary (not 21st Century) media. LAUSD, with nearly 700.000 students is a self-contained tipping point for the entire educational community. No school district will long be able to ignore this development or stand on the sidelines. 1:1 learning is the wave of the future, for good and bad, and there is no turning back.
Finally, I was interested that iPads were chosen as the sole device. In my initiative I tried to build flexibility, always stating that many platforms and devices will be used. While I intend to continue to embrace flexibility, this massive choice may be a shot to the heart of other student devices. People may argue that other devices are superior to the iPad, and this may be true, but becoming irrelevant. The bulk of development from publishers, the availability of apps, and the institutional knowledge from thousands of school sites will be directed toward the greatest number of machines, and this has just been re-computed. I agree that the future of computing is cloud based and platform agnostic, so maybe this won't matter…but it will.
Who knows, I might be wrong again. The entire program might flop and disappear. However, with probably $100 million at stake, I don't think anyone will let it go easily. 1:1 education and the preeminence of the iPad in the classroom are here for a while.
As always, I welcome your comments.
Image: 'Row' http://www.flickr.com/photos/33869420@N00/5205361522 Found on flickrcc.net
Posted with Blogsy
I don’t know whether to be smug that we got to 1:1 first or disappointed that LAUSD caught on.
It would seem that the Orange County Districts would have to follow soon. Most schools in OC are BYOD because of funding. How can they explain that they can’t afford to provide devices when LAUSD can? And…more pressure on us.