First Day of School in Belmont: Pencils, Paper and ... iPads?

Will incoming freshmen at Belmont High School be the first district students who will be using iPads for everyday learning just like a pencil, book or calculator? 

According to Belmont School Superintendent Dr. Thomas Kingston, the district is "strictly in an exploratory stage investigating" a pilot program where current Chenery Middle School eighth graders could be using iPads when they arrive at the High School for their freshmen year in September. 

This summer, 25 teachers will undergo professional develop on incorporating the portable tablet computers in the classroom, said Kingston.

If this single-grade effort is deemed a success, the town could see a major fund raising push so all students – from first graders to graduating High School seniors – are equipped with the Apple product as a regular education tool.

If adopted, Belmont will be joining an ever increasing number of school districts using the devices.

In a New York Times article from 2011 reported:

A growing number of schools across the nation are embracing the iPad as the latest tool to teach Kafka in multimedia, history through “Jeopardy”-like games and math with step-by-step animation of complex problems.

The iPads cost $750 apiece, and they are to be used in class and at home during the school year to replace textbooks, allow students to correspond with teachers and turn in papers and homework assignments, and preserve a record of student work in digital portfolios.

Because of School Department’s staffing limitations and the support infrastructure, all students would be required to have one of the following Apple devices: iPad 2, iPad3 or iPad4.

The move, according to Kingston who spoke after Tuesday's School Committee meeting, May 7, is an attempt to encourage innovative instructional practices and to bring district classrooms fully into the 21^st century.

He said the district is partnering with the Foundation for Belmont Education to explore how efforts to improve instruction might better employ available technology.

According to a release provided to parents, the iPads "will allow students and teachers to improve research, engage in one-on-one and small group instruction, access most current and relevant information and materials, reduce reliance upon print textbooks that are invariably out-of-date and expensive, and otherwise discover better ways of teaching and learning."

"The end is not to learn how to use a device; rather, it is to learn how to be better organized students and more effective instructors," said the release. 

While current department budgetary challenges does not allow the district to fund the initiative from its own operating budget, Kingston said there are two "external partners" that will support the program going into the six Belmont schools.  

Kingston said the district has received a $50,000 grant from an anonymous donor that will allow teachers and administrators to do the kind of substantial research and development that promises improvements in instruction. 

The district will also lean on the Foundation for Belmont Education – the independent citizen's group which promotes excellence and enrichment in the schools – which is currently debating the possibility of "mounting a new fund raising initiative to allow us to lease and sustain iPads for various classrooms at all levels (from) elementary through high school," said Kingston.

Adding to SmartBoards

The Foundation has some experienced in bringing innovative technology to the town's six schools having spearheaded the funding of the district’s SmartBoard program.

"If our plans come to fruition, we would need to have all of next year’s 9^th grade students have available an iPad for all-day use in and outside of school," said Kingston. 

If the all-freshmen iPad program becomes a reality, parents will have the opportunity to:

• Purchase an iPad for their student with a retail cost is about $400.

• Use an iPad already owned by the student’s family.

• Request the student be provided a district-owned iPad.

The advantage of ownership is that the device would be the student’s to keep, said Kingston. The advantage of having an assigned and leased instrument is that families would not need to bear the $400 cost of purchase.

The district is asking eighth grade parents to take a survey as the schools need to know if families would be inclined to purchase or use their own iPad or would be inclined to have a device provided by the district through grant funds. 

The district is asking all eighth grade parents or guardians their preference in a brief survey by Monday, May 13.

Whether purchased or held on loan, families will be responsible for appropriate use of the device and insuring the device. Families who will be buying their own device will need to do so through licensed providers since there is no substantial discount available through the School Department. 

Prior to the beginning of school, students would need to have devices loaded and formatted by the Belmont Public Schools Technology Department.