Libor Kubín Every weekday we meet small schoolchildren who squirm under their stuffed bags. For many years there has been talk about how they could carry fewer textbooks and notebooks. It seems that they solved this problem in Česká Kamenice. Are the stuffed school bags coming to an end?
Two pupils from the 4th B primary school in Česká Kamenice are preparing for a mathematics lesson. Instead of exercise books, they pick up iPads. The elementary school in Česká Kamenice is the first in the Czech Republic to fully use iPads for teaching. But this is not a short-term experiment.
"We had the opportunity to test the inclusion of the iPad in teaching for a month already before the holidays. We found that the children are more active and enjoy their work," says Daniel Preisler, the school's director. "With the consent of the city, the founder of the school, we equipped the classroom with 24 tablets and adjusted the teaching for all grades at our school according to interest. I see the greatest use in mathematics, English and computer science, but we also plan to create a school magazine on the iPad," adds Daniel Preisler.
"It's about diversifying the class. The apps we use are great for summarizing or practicing the material. Children work at their own pace and level of knowledge, as the difficulty of the programs can also be set," explains teacher Iva Preislerová.
I also welcome parents of pupils using tablets. "We encourage the use of iPads, interactive whiteboards and computers to enrich teaching. However, it should not be at the expense of mutual communication. It's great that they manage to balance it," says the mother of a third-grader, Irena Kubicová.
And what do pupils use in school iPads? Play and learn with mat-ufoons (colors, numbers, letters), First English Words, Preschool Bag for iPad or MathBoard. For the time being, however, there are no textbooks available in the Czech language. Let's hope that some clever Czech developer takes up this idea.
iPads for every school?
The school in Česká Kamenice, with its approximately five hundred pupils, is one of the largest schools in the Ústí Region. It is known for its active approach to the use of information technology in teaching.
"We are pleased that the students who attend this school continue to be very successful," says Martin Hruška, mayor of Česká Kamenice. "Therefore, we certainly support the focus on technology, quality education contributes to increasing the prestige of our city."
The school uses grants and its own resources to secure teaching with computer technology. According to the director of the school, Daniel Preisler, the equipment with iPads corresponds to any standard computer classroom, only the method of operation is different and requires more intensive preparation for teaching from the teachers.
"Operating the tablet is very simple, but the preparation is a bit more difficult for the teacher," admits teacher Iva Gerhardtová. "We're looking for new solutions and usable applications," he says.
The school is not alone in mastering the technology and relevant programs. It works with a device supplier, an authorized provider of Apple education solutions. "The school contacted us regarding the possibility of including iPads in teaching. We discussed the options and lent the tablets for testing, including a case where they are charged en masse," says Bedřich Chaloupka, director of 24U.
Czech schools are beginning to show interest in these services. Currently, a similar service, including training, is offered in the Czech Republic by six companies authorized by Apple for solutions in education, namely iStyle, AutoCont, Dragon Group, Quentin, 24U and CBC CZ.
The iPad has been used in education around the world since its launch in 2010. In the US, most schools are implementing tablet-equipped classrooms as a supplement to the standard curriculum. Some schools have begun replacing textbooks with lightweight interactive tablets, such as Woodford County High in Kentucky, which equipped all 1 students with iPads this September.
It is super.
Unfortunately, here in Slovakia, we don't know what an iPad is. Now we use calculators with three balls and after the new year we plan that whoever will have a university degree should be able to read and write.
in Slovakia, the iPad is the thing that every proper auparkian must have. even if he only looks at emails on it like on his iPhone and Macbook.
and then that a person has to explain to everyone that it can also be a useful and (paradoxically) cheaper replacement for a smartphone or a laptop for certain people. for example, students at school don't really need large desktops, which are then acquired slowly, cheaply, or secondhand, simply inappropriate, for financial reasons. on the other hand, students will appreciate the fast interface and touch controls.
an important part should be enough E textbooks, of course also PDF versions of the classic ones, the production of which is almost free, the students will not describe them and they will not depreciate, it will save money for the ministry, time needed for logistics and, last but not least, the environment. I'm not a fan of all kinds of interactive textbooks, the production of which is overpriced, teachers don't know how to work with them, etc.
I don't know if it is appropriate to give small children devices that I will only play with 90% of the time (but we know how we drank PCs "for learning", i.e. Diablo) and it has been proven that children who use such devices at an early age have problems, e.g. with communication etc.
It's great for students, but for teachers the preparation is really not easy, especially since everything worked on Win until now.
wow new http://notebooky.idnes.cz/prvni-zakladni-skola-v-cesku-zacala-ucit-matematiku-na-ipadu-pln-/tech-a-trendy-nb.aspx?c=A111025_161603_tech-a-trendy-nb_vse