MVCS iPad Integration Coordinator

[thomaswhite@mvcs.org]

Monte Vista Christian School was first to integrate iPads into the classroom in April of 2010, but since then, they've realized they need someone with a plan to make for a real and productive integration before going 1:1. I'm that someone: Thomas White. But I'm not an iPad expert, and not even an Apple expert (but long time dabbler), and certainly not an IT expert. I come from the education and planning side of things, but I can understand the basic IT gist of things when our IT people talk with me. I guess you could say I fall somewhere under that vast new umbrella that people have been calling "Edtech" as it applies to iPads.

Being first to do something means there aren't too many people you can go to for answers. I'm hoping this forum might give me some insight that can help direct my policy decisions for MVCS.

 

[Hasty]

Check out Fraser Spiers blog. As the IT teacher for his school in Scotland he instituted an iPad for every pupil and detailed his problems during the roll out. Well worth a read. It should be easy to find think it's just http://spiers.org

 

[Hasty]

Rats it's Fraser Speirs - Blog
Apols for my crap spelling.

 

[thomaswhite@mvcs.org]

Thanks! I have checked him out. But his 1:1 initiative was only 100 iPads. We've already got 400, and we're going to have the entire student body covered by 2012. The larger numbers create some unique problems with regards to logistics and management.

 

[Hasty]

To misquote Stalin the first hundred are difficult and the remaining thousands mere statistics

After contacting Apple I'd look at individual business's which have procured large numbers. I believe Box.net ran a competition regarding iPads in business which was featured on TUAW.

Regretfully there is nothing else I can offer but to wish you luck with your endeavours.
Lets know how you get on, and as a suggestion why don't you blog as you go.
Who knows it could open up a new career for you

 

[thomaswhite@mvcs.org]

Thanks for the Welcome

Thanks Hasty,
Our Headmaster is very much about sharing information. I don't know what he thinks with respect to forums, but we have already hosted a number of visitors from various other schools on our campus, and shown them everything we're doing. We hope to build positive connections with other educators who are willing to give the iPad a try, thereby learning from one another.