Got Ammo?

I know I am preaching to the choir when I extol the benefits of using IPods and IPads with kids in today’s classrooms.  Unfortunately, there remains a disturbingly large number of naysayers who view this influx of technology as another fad or simply a distraction from tried and true methods of education, like that’s really working for all of today’s learners.   While there are a number of trailblazing school systems out there, we as a group of forward thinking educators have to mobilize to move this new wave of connecting, engaging and creating with kids past the “pilot” stage and into more systemic approaches.  How?  Ammo!  That’s right.  We have to empirically prove technology has an impact on student achievement.  The problem?  The disconnect between what we are currently measuring on high stakes tests and the 21^st century skills.  Until the powers that be align assessments with what we know kids are going to need to be successful throughout their lives, we need to pull together any data we can to support the use of technology to increase student achievement.   In the latest edition of ESchool News, I came across this article about middle schoolers using IPads in San Joaquin, California:

 http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/05/09/schools-see-rising-scores-with-ipads/ 

When you come across other articles or studies containing empirical data to support the use of IPads, IPods or one-to-one mobile computing, send the links my way and I will start posting them on my blog.  Please share this link, my blog, and your thinking with other like-minded educators and let’s move past pilots, trials, and begging for funding and make this an integral part of every American classroom.  Pass the ammo….