Fifth and sixth graders in the Neshaminy School District will have a new tool at their disposal this year.
District-purchased Apple iPads – 1,300 in total – will be distributed to fifth and sixth graders this fall. The devices will follow the students through their middle school careers.
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The iPads are expected turned over to students in November and December, according to a district timeline.
While officials have stated the tablets are not intended to replace textbooks, they have noted the devices will offer students more educational opportunities.
The new program, pushed forward by former Superintendent Robert Copeland and school board member Mark Shubin, will allow students to work on the tablets at school and at home. Teachers will decide what apps and content will be on the devices based on their classroom needs. Students will also be looped into the popular Google for Education platform and can even use email to receive assignments from their teachers.
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The iPads, chargers and protective cases will be provided to students at no cost to the parents. However, insurance is offered in case the iPad the students are responsible for is damaged or broken.
After questions from several parents, officials have explained that the devices will be connected to Neshaminy’s website filter both in and out of school.
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Along with Neshaminy’s IT Department, several dozen middle schoolers, called the iTeam, will be assisting their peers and parents with use of the new devices. The hand-selected group of students recently took a bus trip down to the Apple Store in Center City, Philadelphia to train with Apple employees. The students learned more about how the devices work and how they can help their fellow students use them.
The training gave the students a “good introduction on how to work with their peers and teachers on how to troubleshoot the iPad and give direction,” Neshaminy IT Director Kathy Christie said in a district-produced video.
Spokesman Chris Stanley said teachers have taken part in train sessions on iPad use earlier this summer. Each teacher will be able to make classroom-level decisions on use of the devices.
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The district plans to evaluate the program to see how to improve it and whether is can be expanded to other grades, officials have said.
