A second look: Please don't buy your students iPads

+Matt sent me a note saying he'd be interested in an update to this post from two years (and three iPad generations) ago: Please don't buy your students iPads.

The conclusion of that post was this:

But I can get students a creation tool (netbook) and a consumption tool (iPod Touch) for the same price as an iPad. Another is that the next version of the iPad might have a webcam. The next iPad OS might have multitasking. Apple might allow Flash in Mobile Safari at some point. These things might come true, but they aren't true yet. 

Schools cannot be beta testers for Apple's newest projects. Not when there are better alternatives already out there.

I told him it would be a short update:

iPads are now faster, better, have webcams, multitasking, are creation tools, etc. go for it!

Are there better devices than the iPad? Sure. Get a Chromebook and an iPod touch. Or get them a real computer. Or maximize their use of the iPads. Seriously, I'm all for devices in students' hands. Just get them in their hands.

At that point, I didn't think there'd be a need to update the post. All the concerns I had in the original post have been fixed by Apple or app developers.

A few minutes later, I sent him this message:

I think the updated post would be about how 1:1 is the wrong 'equation.' OK so maybe it would be worth an update.

I've got an iPad within arm's reach of me. I'm typing this on a MacBook Air. My smartphone is in my pocket. I live my life 3:1. I'd be shocked if the majority of people who read this post aren't at least 2:1. I'd be surprised if you're not living life at the same equation as me.

And yet 1:1 is our goal for students.

I understand some of the arguments against this 3:1 idea.

1. Schools are working to "get every student on a level playing field."
2. Schools shouldn't provide everything. They're essentially a social program. They provide a baseline and families provide the rest. 

I'm sure there are more. I don't think I'm saying that the school should pay for every student to have a smartphone, tablet, and laptop. I don't think that's what I'm saying. I'm not really sure. 

Again, I'm all for devices in students' hands. Just get them in their hands.

Let's look at one of the most fashionable ways to -- seemingly -- do just that: the Bring Your Own Device program/policy.

BYOD makes me scratch my head. There are no good reasons we should stop students from bringing their devices to the place where they learn during the day in the first place, so not stopping them from doing that isn't a policy.

BYOD is just not having a policy that restricts students.

Of course, I'm happy when schools do reverse restrictive policies and open up "BYOD" programs. Perhaps their existence will push other decision makers to rethink they're own restrictive policies. I'd really like to see the conversation shift from "We're opening this up to students" to "We've decided to stop restricting our learners."

This isn't nearly all there is to say about this conversation. Not by any stretch. I do hope I can push the conversation forward a bit, though. There's still plenty to talk about.