Here’s something I haven’t seen much of yet – administrators starting to use iPads. In this case, Principals are using iPads to evaluate teachers. It’s really just enabling them to ‘fill out a form’ but hey, that could be the start of something more couldn’t it?
Lyon County School District policy requires principals to spend at least an hour a day in classrooms to observe and evaluate teachers, and according to Scott Lommori, the District’s Director of Testing & Educational Technology, the new iPad program allows them to fill out the evaluation form and upload information immediately, giving the teacher immediate feedback into what they are doing right or wrong.
Here’s a link to the article that spells it out in more detail (including the fact that some parents aren’t happy about the district spending money on iPads for Principals!). This could get interesting!
New program allows principals to use iPads to evaluate teachers
I think swift feedback is important. We expect it from our teachers for our students, so why shouldn’t we model this same behavior? The problem is that people see Ipads as a social device, something to play games on and interact on Facebook. The image that tablets have are more recreational than business. I do not believe districts would face the same scrutiny if they were supplying laptops. Maybe a demonstration on the how the device would be used would be helpful, and how the device would be used to improve student achievement. However, there are always going to be those who would rather see the money spent on textbooks.