I can see these as useful tools, but I guess my question is whose responsible for paying if these things get damaged, lost or stolen? How if it all does the school ensure that these are used exclusively for educational purposes?

i HAVE 2 OF MY SONS IN MILTON MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR WITH THE I PADS.....IS FANTASTIC....AND THE KIDS ARE GETTING BETTER GRADES...EVERY SCHOOL SHOULD DO THIS. IT TRUELY IS THE BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD

Fear and Walter -- not sure where you fall on this -- but if properly implemented -- and it sounds as though this was -- I am in favor of this and would pay more for it. What I see here is a chance for the teachers to become more interactive in the student educational process and for todays parents - technology savvy -- to become more engaged. I like this.. The only concern I have is we still need to teach penmanship and kids do need to actually write out answers and solutions, as our universities have not progressed yet to this level. But in general -- I like it and this is what I have been advocating when I talk about -- we need to re-think education and the way it is delivered. I would assume most of the teachers were excited about the change and were willing to commit to the effort and investment of time -- this was -- I am certain -- not a simple transition.

An ipad and free breakfast and lunch for every kid. What a beautiful thing when money just falls down from the sky.

There is so much hypocrisy on this thread I wouldn't even know where to start.

WOW...A COMPLETE WASTE OF TAXPAYER MONEY! With school decisions like this, is it any wonder why Apple has upwards of $100 BILLION in cash reserves and is valued at nearly a TRILLION DOLLARS!

This isn't education, it's entertainment. And let's see how long that $275,000/two-years technology lasts in the hands of middle schoolers, not to mention the 6-12 month turnover cycle in in Apple models and features.

Q: Where are all those APPLE IIs schools bought years ago?
A: Same electronics recycling place these iPads will end up - and in considerably less time considering their mobility! (And I won't even do more than mention the associated problems with recycling metastasizing mountains of quickly antiquated technology items and their batteries.)

Milton schools - SHAME ON YOU for wasting this money and earth resources! (Hey - and did any of your staff get a piggy-back deal or get comped out some iPads? Hmmmmm???)

Whoever made the decision to put these in the classroom should get canned.

concerned..you missed my point, and no, because most all teachers put in way more hours than they are paid for already...my point was this: the teachers should not be available 24/7 to the kids, and those who need extra help need to seek it during class hours or immediately after school...and IMO, encouraging kids not to write with a pen/pencil on paper is a great downfall of our modern society...so what if the kid can type? that's what computer class is for...and I'm not so much older that I don't use technology the way these kids do...most young people I've encountered in Rock County can't even count back change without a phone, and look at how many people you see walking with their noses in their devices, and not looking at the traffic when they step into an intersection or even engaging with the people who are right there with them...

great training!!! now our children will be properly programed to stand out in the rain for several days to get the new I-device du jour - 3,4,5......

dump apple and microsoft...teach the kids how to use linux...

It is called: Computer Vision Syndrome. Some people are really affected.
.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_vi...

Zoso,
The rich and upper middle class tend to pay more in property taxes than the lower classes, correct? Their kids aren't getting the iPads for free. They pay into the system, too.

My daughter goes to MMS and is her second year with an iPad. She uses it intensely, and well. I believe it is the future of public schools, and hallelujah!

I did some reading about John Taylor Gatto online and I don't disagree with all of his ideas. I do think that our education system needs reforms and is way too reliant on tests (no child left behind), however, I still don't think that homeschooling provides the best alternative. I think that making changes in our current system is the best way to fix the problems. As for the parents paying, there are a lot of fees that parents pay for their child to go to public school. They don't just have a bus roll up and they jump on for free.

concernedwi, I wasn't suggesting that public schools only teach the poor. My point was that the public shouldn't be paying to educate the non-poor. They could all be in the same school.
..
Can I suggest you read about John Taylor Gatto. He's a former school teacher who's actively critical of how the public schools work.
--
I'll admit that I may not be as well versed about a particular subject as a teacher that specialized in it, but the impact would be negligible on my child's education.
--

Can I suggest reading about Horace Mann and why our schools were designed the way they are today?

Zoso, by allowing everyone to go to school in a group it actually saves money. If you had an income limit and only let in the poor, it would cost more per pupil. By having strong public schools, we create a better education system. It also allows people from different backgrounds to be exposed to each other and grow and learn things like acceptance and tolerance. School is about more than learning how to add and subtract, it's about life lessons; learning how to be an adult and how to be an employee.

partarican1, is it lazy that the teacher was responding to questions and doing work at home after the normal school hours? Sounds like a pretty dedicated teacher to me. Every generation comes into school with new technology that the older generation dismisses as lazy, a passing fad, or worthless. Some people would say that a slide rule is much better than using one of those fancy calculators.

Zoso, as I stated I have a college degree, I also have an associates degree along with many certifications. I in no way am qualified to teach in any subject other than what my career is in. If I were to home school my daughter, I could follow a curriculum but I won't be able to push past it. Teachers that have training and expertise in subjects are able to answer questions with a better answer than, hmmm let's google. I am not a chemist, a scientist, or a mathematician, the teachers are. It's like saying I can read a book that explains how to do a physical, I guess I can be a doctor.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/20...

unplug these kids...as a society, we have some pretty strange ideas about teaching our kids, and it is reflected in our global ranking (26th of 75 participating countries)...giving kids ipads doesn't improve their scores; it gives them more reasons not to engage with their peers, leads to excessive eye strain, and encourages dependency on electronic devices...bad idea as a full time part of their education...sounds like lazy teachers to me...and a blind eye turned to the end result when these appliances need to be disposed of...

Stubby, You don't need an advanced degree to teach children. You follow a curriculum, put together by educators. You aren't winging it. A doctorate is wasted on teaching children. Home schooling isn't for everyone. Not everyone can do it, but I believe if you possess an average intelligence and you can still follow what you learned in school you'll do fine. If this isn't something you are able to do or feel comfortable with, there is nothing wrong with paying a professional with advanced degrees to educate your children if that is what you want.
--
I wasn't disparaging unionized teachers or unions in general. I was just addressing the prejudice that only public school teachers (which are all unionized) are the only ones qualified to give a child a great education.

Zoso wrote: "There is no reason to believe that a reasonably educated parent can't teach their child at least as well as a unionized teacher."

----

Define "reasonably educated". My kids teachers have (often advanced) degrees in Mathematics, Chemisty, Physics, Psychology, Social Studies, English, Spanish, German, Business and extensive training in how to effectively communicate that knowledge to students. Perhaps that last part is probably the most important. I know plenty of people who know their chosen field, but couldn't teach it if their life depended on it. Teachers and highly trained professionals with expertise not only in an academic subject, but also in pedagogy.

-----

Secondly - would you be happier with non-unionized teachers? What does the union have to do with their qualification to educate children. Your prejudice (and make no mistake - when you disrespect an entire group of people for something like union membership, it is prejudice) is clear and very distasteful.

Zoso - You'll probably change your mind when you grow up.

concernedwi, Homeschooling is not necessarily inferior inferior to sending your child to a public school. You follow a carefully prepared lesson plan. You can give your child the individual attention and cater your teaching style to what is most effect for your child. They don't have that kind of flexibility in schools. There is no reason to believe that a reasonably educated parent can't teach their child at least as well as a unionized teacher.

Secondly, I don't disagree that a well educated society isn't a benefit. What I do disagree with is forcing everyone to pay for the education of all children including those whose parents are not poor. I don't mind giving charity to help out the poor. What I have a problem with is having to subsidize the well off too. People who could easily afford to pay their own children's education if they were willing to make cuts in their personal budget. For example, they can choose to buy less expensive vehicles and wait longer to purchase new ones. They could eat out less, have less expensive cable or cell phone plans, not have to go out and purchase the newest electronics.

Can't we agree there is a difference between helping the less fortunate and subsidizing those with better means?

Troublemaker, you mention the Ipads being made in China. Do you know of a computer that isn't made in Asia? There are other savings other than textbooks. I remember buying a $90 calculator that would no longer being necessary because of apps. While I agree with you that netbooks would be an alternative, the Ipads do provide more portability.

Zoso, let me also say that I am a college graduate and consider myself pretty intelligent. I would never consider home schooling my child because I want someone that has gone to school and specialized in child development to teach my child way more than I can. When it comes to morals and values I am the best person to teach her, when it comes to math and science and classroom development a teacher with a degree in education is the best choice.

Zoso, you benefit when you have educated members of society. Instead of only having a few select people that got to attend real school, you have a larger pool. This students will go on to become the doctors, inventors, business owners, and employees of the local businesses. It's in everyone's bests interest to have well funded public schools.

jaxstaff3: The point is that the cost comparison is more complicated than $450 for an iPad versus $60/$80 per textbook. While we are used to much internet content being available for free, content equivalent to a textbook and tailored for a particular subject and grade level cannot be had as a simple and free download. There are other costs involved that will eclipse the price of the iPad hardware.

dtb, Those places tax.

Most of them are in the Middle East, but there's always the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and the Bahamas.

Don't forget to write.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/48054006/Countrie...

Reimbursing the school system doesn't even make sense. It wasn't their money in the first place.

dtb, no. I was a minor at the time I attended public schools and was forced to go by my parents. They can reimburse them if they want.

I pay all my taxes because I don't violence initiated against me. If you happen to know of country with a government that doesn't forcibly tax the people living there, please let me know and I'll look into moving there.

Troublemaker...if you are indeed an IT pro then you should know textbooks can be downloaded onto iPads.

I am outraged that my property tax money is being spent on this!! The devices will need to be replaced soon due to damages because they are kids and they got them free. No one ever takes very good care of something that belongs to someone else (like how you treat a leased car versus a car you own). Also, the cost is not comparable to a textbook. A textbook includes the content. Where is the iPad content coming from? From an army of teachers, IT professionals, and subscriptions that all add up to a much higher price than the devices themselves.
-
My kids graduated from Milton HS. The computer policy was a disaster -- very difficult for the kids to even get on school computers, then they were watched constantly by staff who where essentially incompetent. They should have fixed that problem instead of going this route. A real PC at every desk would have been a better option.
-
You can get a decent full-function laptop for $450. Why waste our tax money on this extravagance? Aren't iPads manufactured in China? You short-sighted, band-wagon jumping people lavishing praise for this just don't realize how ignorant you are.
-
I'm an Information Technology professional. This was a bad decision, and that will become apparent in about a year.

Zoso, does this mean that you'll be reimbursing the school system for the cost of your public education?

And if you feel it is wrong "to forcefully take the property of people even if it is to spend on the "public good." then feel free to stop paying your federal, state and property taxes and see how far that gets you. You may need to take your kids and move to a different country that doesn't tax if you feel that strongly.

Teach3, you say that education is a "have to." Even if that were a truth, that does not justify forcing others to pay for the education of children whose parent's actually have the money to fund their own children's education.

Yes, it is true that I was educated by taxpayer money. I was young and didn't know better. Now I understand that it is wrong to forcefully take the property of people even if it is to spend on the "public good." I just want to end the circle of violence.

Teach3, you seem educated, so I'm sure you would get that it would make sense to have the middle class and rich parents of students buy the iPads they will be using and raise the money to purchase iPads for the less fortunate students.

Saying I have a jealousy issue is just plain absurd. I think it's great that kids and teachers today have access to this wonderful technology. I'll be sure to use them when I home school my own children.

Great job, MSD!! Today's kids will be using technology like this in college so why not give them a taste of it now!! I can only hope that this idea will grow on parents and they will be more accepting! Way to go, teachers!!

Regarding cost: Apple has a completely separate price list for schools and government - what schools pay for these is considerably less than what you pay for one at Best Buy. I would imagine they get a quantity discount as well. Do you have any idea how much textbooks cost? Over time there is money to be saved here.

Regarding Apple: Yes they are an evil corporation but are they any more or less evil than IBM, Microsoft or others? Apple is continually on the fore front of new technology (ipad, iPhone, going all the way back to the Apple IIe and the Macintosh) and their products are better and easier to use than the competitors, who are years behind them.

Regarding screen time: We all know too much is bad. These are one of many tools that teachers use to educate our children. Does anyone really think they use them all day every day? If we can trust teachers to use their judgement to dress in a reasonable manner, we should be able to trust them to make sure to use these responsibly, just as parents must monitor computer and TV time at home.

Regarding innovation: Kudos to MSD for their commitment to using technology in education. They are hardly pioneers though. Other schools in other districts have been doing this for years.

Regarding education: This is how kids learn today. We need to join the 21st century and make sure students have what they need to learn. If the schools can't keep up with relatively new technologies and techniques they aren't preparing kids for the world they will encounter when they get out of school. There was a time that radios and TVs (or running water and electricity for that matter) were considered luxury items that only the wealthy had. Who here will berate a food stamp user for owning a radio? Technology becomes a part of our daily lives and it's doing so at a faster rate than ever. We need to try to keep up.

michellemt640 - I stare at a computer monitor 6-8 hours a day, its a huge 32" one too. My vision is perfect and its never bothered me one bit. This is an old wives-tail and is all false info that electronics are bad to stare at...lol. Just like porn makes you go blind, making a funny face will make your face stay that way if you keep doing it.. The logic (or lack of) from some of you people crack me up...lol.

@Zozo "There is no reason why middle class families can't pay directly themselves for the education of their children instead of forcing it on the rest of the tax payers." Paying for education is a "have to." It's not like a cable bill you can sign on to when you want it and when you don't. You seem educated, who paid for your education? TAXPAYERS. Now it's your turn to pay for someone else. It's just the way the country works. As far as IPads, this is the technology, just like overhead projectors, film strips, calculators, and copy machines were technology. The IPads will probably lower costs over the years due to the tons of paper and toner a school goes through. Also, children from all walks of life attend public school, therefore, all types of children receive the Ipads, not just middle class. Sounds to me like you have a jealousy issue because you didn't have them in school. Neither did I. I also don't have them in my classroom and I'm ok.

Sorry, you have to be smarter than a fifth grader to qualify for one.

I am very impressed. Hope more schools see the light.

Congratulations Milton Middle School on truly being pioneers in education. As these comments clearly show, it is not always easy or popular to try something new. Society is growing rapidly technologically, and these children are learning to adapt and grow with it. We need to invest in children rather than thinking of them as burdens. These children could have an edge when they enter the workforce due to their exposure to this type of technology, and isn't their future success the whole point of their education? Again, kudos Milton Middle School!

DwightKSchrute, I did read the article. You obviously did not read my comment. I said nothing about spending extra tax dollars on iPads. I was commenting on tax dollars being spend on luxury items like iPads.

There is no reason why middle class families can't pay directly themselves for the education of their children instead of forcing it on the rest of the tax payers.

We should be using refurbished laptops with labor from local workers instead of Apple's products which do not create jobs for Americans. For kids who don't have a computer at home due to income, they can keep a laptop at home. All homework should be on flash drives or available on-line. We should be trying to save money and if some is left over - how about leaving that in the account? I'm not impressed that you didn't raise taxes to do this. It's an illusion.

Better yet - lets stop all of the homework and the driving for success at the expense of teaching them that their lives should be balanced! This is the corporate model.

The Luddites on here are just amazing. The greed, wheres mine? Hard on eyes? Can you listen to long and hurt your ears? Progress? Progress? We don't need no stinkin' progress. Lincoln used a shovel and a piece of charcoal. That should be good enough for us.

Regarding the comments for home schooling. There is a lot of research on both sides of the issue, but schools do a better job of preparing a child for the day to day ups and downs of life. The classwork is always important, but the social skills / peer interactions are better for those in the school environment. The classroom provides kids with many opportunities to practice and develop these skills. Being with other students will help them to better face the overall competitions with others in life.

There is a big difference in reading from a computer/ipad than there is from a book. Go talk to an eye doctor. Electronic devices are hard on the eyes.

This makes my decision to homeschool my children more concrete. Less screen time, more hands on time.

Well, I'm sure if Scooter and the boys have their way the kids will be toting chalk board slates and sponge buckets like in the little house on the prairie days, after all, that's the level of education the "common folk" deserve.

Whether the student is reading from a text book or an Ipad I don't see a difference. As for the kids being on the Ipad and "required" to post all night long, it is up to the parents to monitor and set the limits for their use. If the student does their homework right when they get home then they won't have to be posting or working at 9 PM. Also, I don't think any one has mentioned yet, kudos to the teacher, who on her own time at home was doing work.

Zoso - you apparently didn't read the article. The ipads cost ZERO extra dollars to taxpayers.

My son goes to Milton Middle School. So he spends his whole day on an Ipad and then when he gets home wants to play on his Ipod-which I am now taking away from him. So how many hours per day does he have to be bombarded with electronic stimuli? I think with limited use it is a good for the kids. Mandating all day use is ridiculous. The other night he was saying that he preferred to do his math with good old fashioned pencil and paper. And one more thing. This country is on the verge of economic collapse and we are spending money on this? And then when this moves to the high school, multiply the cost for each new group. Good idea, but this is complete overkill.

People get up in arms because welfare dollars are being spent on steak by the poor, but no one is upset that tax dollars are being spent to buy luxury goods like ipods for the middle class?

Also with IMjustsayin, Apple is a HORRIBLE immoral company!! Foxconn? Suicide nets? Maybe we should be teaching them about slave labor in China as a civics lesson?

Going to have to agree with.....wislady? Oh my God I just threw up in my mouth!

Feeding the evil Apple. Way to go Milton.
I'd rather have a Google Nexus running open source Android for $250.
I'm just funny that way.

how and why is too much screen time bad? what is the difference between it and book time???

It is good that they learn how to use the IPad, but it should not be exclusive. Some of the concerns others voiced.....too much screen time.

Love it! Way to go, Milton!!!

You guys all sound old... technology haters. 100 years ago people had a similar conversation "My horse never ran out of gas". get with the times people.. books are nothing more than kindling.
-
I see they teach the same garbage... division of fractions...they never tell kids why they need to know it so only like 2% remember it as adults. Knowing how to do it is a waste...there is an app for that HAHA!

My daughter lost her keys, baseball glove, etc. on a regular basis. Now she's grown, not so much my problem. After a year, I'll want to know how much this will cost me in lost, broken, and stolen devices.

I have a few questions here, do the students get to keep the ipads at the end of the year, or when they move on to HS? What happens if a student breaks his/ her ipad, accidentally or otherwise? Does the school monitor these ipads to ensure that the students are staying on task? If so, how, and is the program turned off at night? I could go on here, but I mean come on. These are some basic questions that should have been answered gazette...

JoyM, I have to agree with you. It does seem pretty cool, but students need time away from the computer screens!

never had a textbook crash on me or break if I dropped it.

That's fantastic! Great to see a local school taking the initiative to integrate technology to both stimulate learning and curb the budget.

I'm not liking the idea of kids working on a screen on homework up until right before bedtime. All kinds of studies say to eliminate screen time at least an hour before bedtime to prevent sleep difficulties. I already have a kid who has trouble getting to sleep (just wired that way like her mom - me - and grandma), and this won't help when she hits middle school next year. I'm sure there are plenty of positives about it, but I don't think they should be using them 7 hours a day at school and another 2-4 hours at home at night. Even I get to walk away from my computer when my work day is done.