I was recently forwarded a few news articles about a growing number of high schools introducing iPads into their curriculum. The sender assumed that I would be excited about the idea, but was surprised to hear I had a number of reservations. My response, although long and a bit grandiose, was originally intended for a single-person audience, but has since been forwarded around to a number of people. So far, it has generated some positive discussion among high school faculty members and I thought I would reproduce it here to generate further discussion:
I've been reading about iPads in schools a lot lately and, honestly, I don't know how I feel about the idea. I think that computers and emerging technology should definitely have a place in the high school curriculum. However, I'm not convinced that the current iteration of technology facilitates or otherwise improves traditional methods of learning.
In my own experience, I have found that a pen and a pad are far superior to a laptop (or an iPad) in a classroom environment. This is most likely true because I, like most anyone of my generation or younger, am much faster at typing notes than writing by them hand. Because the note-taking process is much slower by hand, I am forced to put more thought into what I actually write down.
To illustrate my point:
In a typical law school lecture, I could easily sit with a laptop and absent-mindedly transcribe every word spoken in the class. However, when using a pen and pad to take notes, I was forced to listen to the in-class discussion, synthesize the information, and then commit the most salient points to paper. The extra steps involved in the writing process, I think, are critical to developing a deep understanding of subject matter. Quickly typed notes may be comprehensive, but they are rarely ever considered more than superficially. At best, students give typed notes a re-reading come exam time and then never look at them again.
My second reservation about using iPads in the classroom is that they are primarily a closed system. iPads, like most modern technology, actively discourage tinkering. iPads work so intuitively that most owners use them every day without giving a single thought as to how they actually work. This is absolutely the wrong way for children to learn about technology. Computers are tools that can be used by anyone—children and adults alike—to drastically reshape every facet of the world around us. Consider the average smart phone. Not only has the smart phone largely replaced the landline, but also, through applications, it has replaced the alarm clock, the notepad, the point-and-shoot camera, the flashlight, the level, and a whole host of other devices. Individuals with the ability to write software are fundamentally changing the way the world works. We need to encourage students to become these individuals.
When we give students iPads for taking notes and running educational software, we reinforce the idea that they are consumer products. We show them how to use software, but not how to use the underlying hardware. By treating technology as nothing more than a consumer good, we forget that it is a tool and what we are capable of creating with it. We look at the device with wonder instead of wondering how we can use the device to change the world. Without obtaining the knowledge necessary to program our devices, we risk turning the computer—one of the most powerful tools man has ever created—into nothing more than an expensive television.
Many of the forward-thinking schools introducing iPads are full of exceptionally bright and malleable minds. For this reason, I think the approach to introducing technology should be handled with heightened care. From what I have heard (and I could be mistaken), the interest in programming courses at many advanced high schools has dwindled since I was in my teens. This is troubling. Introducing technology to the classroom is one of the most important things a school can do, but a strong programming curriculum must be in place first. If I were to introduce iPads into a school, I would attach the following requirement: Any student wishing to obtain an iPad for use in class must enroll in a relevant programming course.
I would be shocked if many students didn't accept that offer.
I have little doubt that a current high school student could change the world with a great idea and a few lines of code; I just fear he or she will never realize he is capable.
Note: The text above has been slightly modified from the original. The original email discussed a particular high school in the final two paragraphs, but I have changed it to be more general. Otherwise, the text is presented as originally written, warts and all.
