100 iPads delivered to select Hays USD 489 teachers this week

On a UDS 489 Talking Tour prior to Monday's Board of Education work session, Roosevelt Elementary teacher, Penny Parker demonstrates iPads her classroom utilizes. The iPads were paid for by the school's Home and School Association this year. — On a UDS 489 Talking Tour prior to Monday’s Board of Education work session, Roosevelt Elementary teacher Patti Park demonstrates the iPads her classroom uses. The iPads were paid for by the school’s Home and School Association this year.

By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

The 100 iPads approved for a trial by the Hays USD 489 Board of Education have been delivered to Hays and will be passed out to selected teachers at each school in Hays this week.

At Monday’s board work session at Roosevelt Elementary School, Technology Director Brian Drennon said members of the district’s technology committee have formed subcommittees at each school in Hays to not only help train the teachers, but measure if the iPads are effective teaching tools.

“The biggest thing is creating the justification, the use, and the three questions we are asking people are what do you want, what do we need, and how much are you going to use it,” Drennon said. “Those are the burning questions for everybody.”

Although Drennon admitted he is “just a tech guy” and not a teacher, he believes tablet technology has significant potential.

“We are looking at transforming our classrooms to be a digital learning experience, whether it is looking at an app for science or making a movie. … That is what we are trying to do, just get the digital environment into the classroom and see how that works,” he said.

Director of Curriculum Shanna Dinkel told board members an evaluation tool used last year could also help measure the iPads success in the classroom.

The evaluation tool, called an E-Walk, is a five-minute walk through a classroom in session. Dinkel said the tool was used last year, and the district scored low in visual and spacial learning — just one of several scores she thinks will climb in classrooms using iPads.

Drennon said teachers who have already adopted the tablet technology are excited about the possibilities.

“It is amazing when you start digging into it, and people are learning the same thing, ‘Wow you can do this,’ ” Drennon said. “For example, for the lower grades, you can put a book on (the iPad screen) and you can have kids in different reading area and you don’t have hold kids back at that point. You can let them keep building and then you have the options for the kids who are having issues or struggling, and it is not affecting the whole class because they have that device in front of them.”