iPads in my library!!
Nov 30th, 2011 by Cathy Jo Nelson
iPad Photo by Tom Raftery
Recently I submitted an requisition to order five iPads to be used in our library. Now mind you I’ve had serious reservations about the use or usefulness of an iPad in a school setting at all if they were not going to be implemented as a one-to-one program. In my mind, the device is meant to be a personalized device. So how can it function as a class by class “loaner?”
They’re here!
Well, I’m about to find out. Instead of allowing me to purchase the five I requisitioned, I was given five from another department. I am to use them from now until the end of January to gauge how they can be used. I am to collect stats showing their use as well as try to show they can enhance the library program. If it goes well, we will revisit the idea of a library purchase at the end of January.
The App store is “closed.”
I do have some ideas for how to use them, and I can’t wait to let kids know they can check them out for “in-library” use. I expect a lot of kids will want to use them before school and during their lunch. We will allow student to check them out during class, but again they will have to stay in the library for now. This is not a huge problem as the library is the only place in the building that has wifi. Our wifi is secure for JUST school owned devices. I wonder if this will change in the coming school year? We also cannot freely allow students to download their favorite Apps, but instead will have to do the “app” shopping for them.
Limitations?
What limitations will we have? I expect limitations. I already know students will not be able to personalize the devices so much, beyond changing the wall paper and taking photos or recording videos. So we as librarians will be the “controllers,” the “gatekeepers” of apps added to the devices. It seems silly, but right now that is the way it is.
Apps?
What free Apps can we get — ones that don’t require personalization? I really want to make them work for my situation so I can show how they can be used. Right now all I can think to do is put website shortcuts on them for things like Dropbox, Evernote, and others, etc.
Management and Use?
What management techniques will help? Do you have any ideas for managing them? Anything from circulating to updating to general care in terms of tips will be much appreciated.
I too am the keeper of the iPads at my school. We have just purchased a class set of 30 and an extra set of 10 for one of our special needs classes. I am responsible for purchasing Apps and tracking the use of the devices. It has been an interesting journey – they arrived today – and I have started tracking it on my blog. (I am new to writing a blog as well). I have asked the staff for input on the Apps but still have to do quite a bit of research. Now that the devices have arrived the principal is starting to take control of who can sign them out and how they will be used – after training – I assume led by me. I will try to keep everyone informed. BTW – I never used Apple before this school year when I was given an iPad and told to get up to speed. I love it and cannot go one day with out it! Good luck in your journey.
Stuart Prevost´s last [type] ..I Must be Crazy
What a quick response!! I will be following your blog to learn from your experiences!! I really want my school to graduate to a one-to-one ipad setup, but with almost 2600 students, I just dont see that happening soon.
But I HAVE to start somewhere. So five is my start. I sat in on Steve Dembo’s webinar on Ipads in the classroom just this evening, and wow i REALLY need my principal to drink the koolaid!!
I’m a firm believer a leader cannot have a vision for these things without first having some personal experience, so i really need to get him to see why we need to go this route. Thanks for visiting my blog!! I lok forward to learning through your experiences.
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I so totally agree with you on the limitations of students not being able to personalize the devices. I’d love to know how your students use them. I’ll send you a list of the apps I personally have/use that I think the kids would like and/or that I feel would be useful in classrooms.
Keep us updated!
Heather
Heather Loy´s last [type] ..Book Review: Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay
I have been using a loaner iPad the school got from the TIPs award and it drives me crazy I cannot get certain apps on it. The main apps that I don’t have that would be useful are a word processor and presentation creator. The school does not have the $ and I don’t want to invest in a tablet I don’t get to keep. Make sure students can create basic documents, presentations, and media with the iPads. Good luck!
John Woodring´s last [type] ..Nook App Love
Cathy,
WE’ve been charting the process as our school has gone from a few iPads in the library into a 1:1 iPad environment on this blog: http://eaneswifi.blogspot.com.
I’ve also written about it a lot last spring and how we were using iPads in the library on my blog if you are interested!