Wireless devices enrich and enhance learning with iPads at Milton Middle School
Wireless devices enrich and enhance learning with iPads at Milton Middle School!
Wireless devices enrich and enhance learning with iPads at Milton Middle School. Be sure YOU read the feature front page article in today's Gazette, "Look what iLearned today: At Milton Middle School, every student, teacher gets an iPad"! Every student in every Middle and High School should have a wireless device for learning! What do YOU think?
The start of the school year was extra exciting for my grandson Jordan who is a 7th grader at Milton Middle School. WHY? He was highly motivated with anticipation of receiving his school iPad!
Jordan already knew how to use an iPad and even taught me to use our iPad. Jordan’s family had an iPad. My wife and I had an iPad. We had the benefit of our grandsons, Jordan (12) and Zak (8) as our iPad technical consultants teaching us how to use our iPad!
Do NOT miss reading the very informative and significant front page feature article, “Look what iLearned today: At Milton Middle School, every student, teacher gets an iPad" in today's Janesville Gazette! (I am not allowed to provide a link to the article. If you subscribe to the Gazette, you have access to the e-edition online. If not, you will have to buy a p-edition. Whichever, I urge that YOU not miss this very meaningful article describing the FUTURE of education!)
GRATITUDE & COMMENDATION to the Milton School Board and Administration for the outstanding leadership and management which allowed this 21st century upgrade of education at the middle school!
I note the article’s report on the ways in which the Middle School under the leadership of Principal Tim Schigur was able to creatively manage funds to provide for the purchase of the iPads. That kind of flexibility is NOT usual in such a bureaucracy! That puts the spotlight on the Board and Superintendent Dr. Michael S. Garrow demonstrating OUTstanding management and leadership.
The article appropriately identifies several persons who have been directly involved with the Middle School iPad project. Having heard from my grandson about some of the start-up experiences earlier this month with the tsunami-like wave of iPads going online at Milton Middle School, I am keenly aware of the special IMPORTANCE of the district’s Technology Director John Holt. So, SPECIAL GRATITUDE & COMMENTDATION to JOHN HOLT! No school district can manage such technology improvements without the kind of conscientious and committed work of a person like John!
The article provides valuable perspective on the developments going on in our Milton School District with John articulating the GOAL of the district to find ways to make wireless devices such as iPads more of a tool in the classrooms.
NO ONE knows what the technical developments will be over the next 6 – 8 – 10 months, so the planning for the next step with the high school depends on what comes out in future months. It is reassuring to learn in my phone conversation with John that there is keen awareness of the “techies” who are coming into the HS from the Middle School and even some who were part of a Beta project at Northside Intermediate School… they come to HS with 3 years of wireless device experience.
Consider the way John states it in the article, “it’s exciting to see at least one school embrace a new model in teaching in which the school day never really stops.” We all know, LEARNING never stops… this is the reality of the DIGITAL 21st century!
I am proud to be a long-time citizen of the School District of Milton. Both of our children attended Milton Schools K – high school graduation. They had excellent K-12 educational experiences. Our daughter is an attorney because of the OUTstanding commitment of the late Linda R. (Schroeder) Laumann through her 29 ½ years teaching at Milton HS. She developed a LAW CLUB which regularly participated in the state-wide MOCK TRIAL program of the WI State Bar and won awards. Our daughter, Beth gained valuable experiences through LAW CLUB and participating in the MOCK TRIAL program. That motivated her to graduate from UW-Madison Law School. She is an active attorney.
The Milton School District has long provided OUTstanding educational programs. The move with the iPads is aligned with that commitment to excellence which the School Board has consistently supported. THANKS for the public service of our Milton School Board members!
Be sure you read this Gazette feature to understand the very significant ways the iPad enriches and enhances education. I have been involved with the virtual/online education movement since the 1990’s and more and more convinced that it is THE FUTURE! Among my virtual/online education experiences is teaching AP US Government & Politics for the “Wisconsin Virtual School” starting in 2000. WVS provides virtual/online courses to students through ALL school districts throughout WI. Use the link above to learn more about WVS.
Val Crofts, Social Studies Teacher at Milton HS and founder of Discovering Democracy, is one of the social studies teachers for WVS. He teaches AP US Government & Politics online.
There are distinct advantages and disadvantages with every educational situation, strategy, technique. Virtual/online education was frustrating to me because I did NOT have face-to-face interaction with the students. Students are really tested on their ability to manage their own learning when they take a virtual/online course. PROCRASTINATION is always a dangerous risk for all human beings and, I think, especially students. That risk is greater for students taking online/virtual courses. ALL students should be forewarned and thereby forearmed.
The benefit of the Milton Middle School iPad program is that there are the distinct benefits of the Internet to enrich learning and the electronic networking via WiFi complemented by the face-to-face environment. I would assert that the face-to-face is very significant for ALL learning! All human beings need encouragement and pressure; again, young persons need it the more. There is an important responsibility on the part of the educator to “kick butt” as part of the learning process. Online/virtual classes do NOT provide that direct discipline which 95% of children and youth (and, most likely, all human beings) NEED. What do YOU think from your own experience for self-discipline/self-motivation?
I am reassured by the article and my phone conversation with John Holt that the Milton District is moving with all deliberate speed to integrate wireless devices into the learning at Milton HS.
AND LET’S MAKE SURE THE DOORS ARE WIDE-OPEN in the college-university environments: There MUST be appropriate professional education for ALL instructors at the college-university level so they are PREPARED for the students coming from the school district of Milton and other 21st century school districts. I was shocked to hear an instructor in our UW system articulate his REFUSAL to use online/virtual resources in his classes. To my mind, that instructor needs to be appropriately disciplined so that he either moves into the 21st century educational world OR IS REMOVED from the UW system as an instructor. What do YOU think?
We live in a DIGITAL WORLD! This is the 21st century. In truth, THE WORLD IS FLAT! I agree with Thomas Friedman. If you have not read his outstanding, long best seller, “THE WORLD IS FLAT” (be sure you get latest edition), YOU should read it with all deliberate speed to tune-in with the 21st century. I KNOW it really did awaken me to our 21st century! IF you have read the book, what is YOUR comment?
Here we go…
Mr. E.
John Eyster lives in the Edgerton area. He is an adjunct professor of political science at UW-Waukesha and an advocate for democracy/civics education in Wisconsin high schools. John is a community blogger and is not a part of The Gazette staff. His opinion is not necessarily that of the The Gazette staff or management.
Sep 23, 2012 at 10:53 a.m.
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You can probably learn more through an electronic device in one day than you can through books in a year. We should have a national book burning day....I hate them things, they are like rotary phones....cumbersome and time consuming.
Sep 22, 2012 at 8:19 p.m.
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That's interesting, John. Since wireless electronic devices such as IPads can also vitually simulate every kind of musical instrument, do you also advocate that music teachers use IPads instead of Trumpets, Violins, etc. or face discipline and/or removal for holding to such antiquated methods? Imagine, an entire Orchestra of IPad musicians playing flawless music as if they were all highly trained in music rather than IPad operation. Sure, we may never hear another sour note in such performances, but will Musicians ever be what they once were? Will Writers? Artists? Mathematicians? In an educational environment, if our machines do all the thinking and creating and educating for the student, how will that enrich our students? By giving them even more free time for entertainment and self-indulgence than they already have in excess now?
Sep 22, 2012 at 11:54 a.m.
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"I was shocked to hear an instructor in our UW system articulate his REFUSAL to use online/virtual resources in his classes. To my mind, that instructor needs to be appropriately disciplined so that he either moves into the 21st century educational world OR IS REMOVED from the UW system as an instructor. What do YOU think?"
I am shocked you would make such a statement.
I'm right with you on that one, wis.
Sep 22, 2012 at 9:37 a.m.
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I wonder what the commentary was when we went from writing in the dirt with a stick to chalk on a slate board. Bet some of you know...
Sep 22, 2012 at 7:16 a.m.
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Oh - and this is not a political discussion everyone. You can be from any side of the aisle and have a disdain for flagrancy and waste! And isn't anyone tired yet of funding the parents? Hey - you 50% who are without multiple tax deductions and free Ipads - aren't you tired yet of funding families - both rich and poor? Like I always say - don't mind it with the poor.
Sep 22, 2012 at 7:11 a.m.
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I think schools should use inexpensive refurbished wireless laptops - hopefully donated by businesses. You don't need enormous power or speed in the school setting (which are needed for big databases and video games). There is no reason to be buying brand new equipment, especially in this economy.
In addition, now they need a laptop and an Ipad, right? Because Ipads are not good enough alone, so we've just doubled our expenses. The value added is not justified!!!
This is the kind of over the board stuff that drives people to vote for republicans. Schools should show some restraint if they don't want to be under attack. I'm a progressive and find this repulsive. The world does not revolve around parents - 50% of households right now don't have kids. Have some consideration for half of the population before you go on another spending spree people.
Sep 21, 2012 at 8:41 p.m.
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"I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors." – Thomas Jefferson
Sep 21, 2012 at 5:11 p.m.
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It’s hardly surprising you would endorse Thomas Friedman, a man who eschews all things conservative and mindlessly despises Bush. But he’s part of the “intellectual elite”, so let’s see what he has to say. In this book, he holds up Ireland as the “good” example of thriving in our modern economy. Indeed, they were doing pretty well until their economy tanked and the EU had to bail them out. It’s sort of like holding up GM as the “good” example of how to run an automotive company in the 21st century. Oh wait, you probably *do* think GM is the “good” example. How’s your taxpayer-subsidized Volt working out?
“To my mind, that instructor needs to be appropriately disciplined so that he either moves into the 21st century educational world OR IS REMOVED from the UW system as an instructor.” Ah, the modern liberal mind! So open, so willing to embrace and examine other’s viewpoints. Unless those viewpoints diverge from their own myopic mindset, that is. Why stop with simply having him “REMOVED”, why not put him into stocks to serve as an example, or have him publically flogged?
Sep 21, 2012 at 3:31 p.m.
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"I was shocked to hear an instructor in our UW system articulate his REFUSAL to use online/virtual resources in his classes. To my mind, that instructor needs to be appropriately disciplined so that he either moves into the 21st century educational world OR IS REMOVED from the UW system as an instructor. What do YOU think?"
I am shocked you would make such a statement.
Sep 21, 2012 at 1:52 p.m.
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This is great, hopefully they will learn that today is National POW/MIA Recognition Day.
http://dva.state.wi.us/pa_powmia.asp
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