Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, Calif. Credit: Jae C. Hong/AP
Last week, the Beverly Hills Board of Education witnessed a presentation on the future of technology in the Beverly Hills Unified School District. As with other school districts all across the country, Beverly Hills is focused on the use of iPads in the classroom.
Ever since its introduction, the device has been utilized by students in a variety of ways to enhance the learning experience, and now educators and administrators predict that one day the tablet will completely revolutionize the way teachers teach and students learn. However, it’s difficult to make long-ranging plans for how to use this technology, as within five years the newest iPad today might be completely obsolete. Also, there’s no correct way to roll out the iPads, so schools have to look at the sparse examples already out there and basically use trial and error to figure out their own schema. Beyond these initial problems, though, educators are absolutely blown away by the ways in which their kids can use the technology, as well as the positive impact they’ve seen in the classroom.
How is Beverly Hills already using iPad technology in the classroom? How successful has it been thus far? What challenges does the school district face? What effects will this type of technology have on students down the line and throughout their academic careers? What will it take for iPads to be in the hands of every student in the country?
Guest:Janet Lambert, Beverly Hills Unified Middle School History Teacher at Hawthorne School, which has been running a pilot program for the use of iPads
Brandon Martinez, assistant professor of clinical education Rossier School of Education at USC