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Our elementary school provides iPads in all grades, taking them home starting in 3rd. I was horrified to see my 5th grader zooming into math worksheets and usi

Our elementary school provides iPads in all grades, taking them home starting in 3rd. I was horrified to see my 5th grader zooming into math worksheets and using her finger to work out the problems between the text. We put a stop to that and had her work it on paper, then submitting a photo. Now in 8th grade, at least it is more paper based, but they are still provided laptops. She told me one of the teachers pre-records the lectures, and they watch those in class, instead of live instruction. I suppose the teacher thinks she can record it once and use it for several years. Now I know why IQ peaked in the 90’s and has been dropping after the introduction of the smart phone.

CDSlice 7y ago
Why is it horrifying that a 5th grader solves math problems by drawing on an iPad instead of drawing on paper? Why is paper always better than tech? Would you be horrified to have her write an essay or report on a laptop instead of handwriting it? If not, what is the difference?
topkai22 7y ago
Having students watch lectures at home and focusing on individual problem solving during class time is an educational approach called the “flipped classroom” and is supported as effective by research. I wouldn’t worry too much about that methodology. On a different note, the classroom technology that seems really important as the parent of young kids is the parent communication tools. Comparing notes with my parents, we both agree the communication about expectations, curriculum, and homework is really enhanced by technology
- linuxftw 7y ago
  This is basically how modern homeschooling works. I'd argue over 90% of traditional in-class time is a waste after kids are literate.
vo2maxer 7y ago
What’s being used in your child’s 8th grade class is the flipped classroom strategy [1], as already mentioned. In my own experience through two graduate degrees, I rarely saw the benefit of attending a live class. I now come to find, many years later, that students’ class attendance in some graduate programs is at an all time low [2], and seems not to make a difference [3]. I encourage my 5th grade daughter to do both. She’ll workout problems with pen and paper or on a white board, and complement her studies with online tools [4,5,6]. Based on this regimen with a sample of one, she’s done very well. ;-) [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flipped_classroom?wprov=sfti1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flipped_classroom?wprov=sfti1 [2] https://www.statnews.com/2018/08/14/medical-students-skipping-class/ https://www.statnews.com/2018/08/14/medical-students-skippin... [3] https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2018-06-19/study-medical-student-attendance-doesnt-mean-better-grades https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2018-06-... [4] https://beastacademy.com/ https://beastacademy.com/ [5] https://aopsacademy.org/ https://aopsacademy.org/ [6] https://www.curriculumassociates.com/products/i-ready https://www.curriculumassociates.com/products/i-ready
- yorwba 7y ago
  > flipped classroom >> She told me one of the teachers pre-records the lectures, and they watch those in class, instead of live instruction. That's not flipped classroom, it's some weird cargo-cult hybrid combining the drawbacks of pre-recorded lectures with the drawbacks of in-classroom lectures. The whole point of flipped classroom is to move mostly non-interactive stuff like lectures out of the classroom by assigning them as homework, while moving exercises that were previously considered homework into the classroom where a teacher is available to answer questions. I hope OP's daughter at least gets a copy of the video she can re-watch later.
  - vo2maxer 7y ago
    I am sorry I missed that essential detail in your sentence. I agree, that’s not the flipped classroom strategy. You’re right to be uneasy about that teacher’s approach which does sound like a class on autoteacher for a few years. I had a teacher in 10th grade that would ask us to read any book we had, while he put his head on his desk and “meditated.”

CDSlice 7y ago

Why is it horrifying that a 5th grader solves math problems by drawing on an iPad instead of drawing on paper? Why is paper always better than tech? Would you be horrified to have her write an essay or report on a laptop instead of handwriting it? If not, what is the difference?

topkai22 7y ago

Having students watch lectures at home and focusing on individual problem solving during class time is an educational approach called the “flipped classroom” and is supported as effective by research. I wouldn’t worry too much about that methodology. On a different note, the classroom technology that seems really important as the parent of young kids is the parent communication tools. Comparing notes with my parents, we both agree the communication about expectations, curriculum, and homework is really enhanced by technology

linuxftw 7y ago
This is basically how modern homeschooling works. I'd argue over 90% of traditional in-class time is a waste after kids are literate.

vo2maxer 7y ago

What’s being used in your child’s 8th grade class is the flipped classroom strategy [1], as already mentioned. In my own experience through two graduate degrees, I rarely saw the benefit of attending a live class. I now come to find, many years later, that students’ class attendance in some graduate programs is at an all time low [2], and seems not to make a difference [3]. I encourage my 5th grade daughter to do both. She’ll workout problems with pen and paper or on a white board, and complement her studies with online tools [4,5,6]. Based on this regimen with a sample of one, she’s done very well. ;-) [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flipped_classroom?wprov=sfti1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flipped_classroom?wprov=sfti1 [2] https://www.statnews.com/2018/08/14/medical-students-skipping-class/ https://www.statnews.com/2018/08/14/medical-students-skippin... [3] https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2018-06-19/study-medical-student-attendance-doesnt-mean-better-grades https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2018-06-... [4] https://beastacademy.com/ https://beastacademy.com/ [5] https://aopsacademy.org/ https://aopsacademy.org/ [6] https://www.curriculumassociates.com/products/i-ready https://www.curriculumassociates.com/products/i-ready

yorwba 7y ago
> flipped classroom >> She told me one of the teachers pre-records the lectures, and they watch those in class, instead of live instruction. That's not flipped classroom, it's some weird cargo-cult hybrid combining the drawbacks of pre-recorded lectures with the drawbacks of in-classroom lectures. The whole point of flipped classroom is to move mostly non-interactive stuff like lectures out of the classroom by assigning them as homework, while moving exercises that were previously considered homework into the classroom where a teacher is available to answer questions. I hope OP's daughter at least gets a copy of the video she can re-watch later.
- vo2maxer 7y ago
  I am sorry I missed that essential detail in your sentence. I agree, that’s not the flipped classroom strategy. You’re right to be uneasy about that teacher’s approach which does sound like a class on autoteacher for a few years. I had a teacher in 10th grade that would ask us to read any book we had, while he put his head on his desk and “meditated.”