Jon Tienhaara has worked as a teacher, principal, technology director and business manager at the Naselle School District for eleven years. He has presented at the Northwest Council for Computer Education (NCCE) conference in Portland, OR and Seattle, WA; the Microcomputers in Education Conference (MEC) at Arizona State University; and has worked with several school across the country with iPad initiatives. Jon lives in Naselle, WA with his wife and three daughters.
If your students are taking their iPads home from school, there are several things that need to be considered. I have been amazed at how little parents know of technology. Specifically, many parents do not realize what risky opportunities are available to their children, especially when they use an unfiltered Internet connection. It is important to educate parents so they know some of the things to watch out for when their children utilize technology.
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Simple fact—technology that doesn't work is a waste of everyone's time. That being said, one needs to understand what it means for technology to "work." Too many times, school administrators, teachers, students and IT staff limit their definition of "working" technology to its mechanical functionality. This article speaks to applicable functionality, something that is directly impacted by my second point of consideration for a successful 1:1 iPad initiative: professional development.
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Do you want your school 1:1 iPad initiative to fail? Of course not! However, be that as it may, many teachers, administrators and schools set themselves up for failure without knowing or expecting. District offices, principals, teachers, and other education groups all have the best of intentions. However, without careful planning and thought, your 1:1 iPad initiative is doomed to fail.
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