While some students see the possibility of receiving a personal iPad next year as a positive, others fear it will not serve the purposes educational technology is aimed for. The KSD school board will purchase iPad Minis for 625 selected students from elementary through high school. The unanimous decision was made at the board meeting Tuesday, Jan. 22, where they established that the iPad Minis will be given out in about a month.

“I think that with having a technological device, whether it’s an iPad or a laptop, you are pushing teaching and learning in a direction that’s more 21st century,” Michael Gavin, senior class principal, said. “That’s going to cause teachers and students to think differently about learning, what we learn, how we demonstrate, and understandings.”

The decision was broadly discussed among the board before the decision was made. This first phase of the initiative will cost the district more than $213,800, taken from the technology fund, and covers the purchase of the devices, cases and two classroom iPad carts.

“As quickly established by our Technology Leadership and Technology Visioning teacher groups in 2010, this has never been an iPad versus laptop decision,” Nick Strecker, district technology facilitator, said. “They are complementary resources each best suited to different needs and neither is a substitute for the other.”

KSD is the first district to take the one-to-one technology initiative into action in St. Louis County. The 625 students who receive them will serve as a test group for the district. Those students in third grade and above will be able to take the iPads home. The younger students can only use them inside the classroom.

Luke Backer, junior, felt the money the district spends on technology could be used for a device different than an iPad, such as a laptop. The lack of keyboard accessibility and Flash support among other things are cons that have been addressed relating to the iPad.

“Basically the idea that we could all get technology to use as an asset as students is a great idea, but the thing is with the iPad, there’s just such a lack of functionality for so many things,” Backer said.

By verbally expressing his ideas to friends and classmates, Backer received more than 100 signatures within the first three hours of creating a list to support laptops instead of iPads through this petition. His goal was to prove that students have a different idea of what device would be best for them, and that they care about the technology they use.

“I think that any time students feel passionate about something that pertains to them, whether it’s in the classroom, school or community, it’s important that they voice those concerns and find the means in which to productively share that,” Gavin said.

Distribution of iPads or iPad Minis is unclear at this point in regards to next school year. The district will present to the board at the end of this school year after observing the test group this semester.