BROTHER RICE
VOLUME 55, ISSUE 2
Chieftain
OCTOBER 2015
Jury Still Out on the iPads
Plenty of pluses, minuses
with new program
Oh, the iPad: “an innovative way
of learning.” But define innovative. The
definition of innovative means something that introduces new ideas. So, we
could look at the term “innovative” with
both positive and negative conotations,
couldn’t we?
As we are all aware, Brother Rice has
made the transformation to an electronic
school where we all have iPads. Two
months into the school year, students and
In a common scene this year, Mr. Sanders’ class is fully engaged in an iPad activity
Charlie
Beauregard
Students, faculty adjusting in early stages
By Jack Farrar and Kordell Smith
Chieftain Staff
In a world filled with technology,
there are endless resources for learning
at our disposal – be it a laptop, tablet, or
teachers are adjusting to the change in
smartphone. This year, Brother Rice has
different ways. There is appreciation for
the effort to improve the school; however, implemented iPads into the classroom
and, in the very early stages, both stusome argue that the results of the new
dents and staff are working to make the
program have been negative.
transition process as smooth and effecLast week, I overheard a conversative as possible.
tion in my Theology class between three
The iPads have been an idea for the
students. They were discussing how
school
since the release of the first iPad
reading on the iPads causes headaches. I
about
fi
ve years ago, but it wasn’t until
found this interesting because, earlier in
last
year
that Mr. Birney, the school’s
the school year, I experimented with why
President,
felt the student body and staff
I felt abnormally wired.
were
ready
for the technological shift.
In the first two weeks of school, I had
There
have
been
many steps since then
found myself going to bed much later
to
bring
iPads
into
the curriculum for the
than I did in any of my previous three
2015-16
school
year.
years of high school. I wondered if it may
In August 2014, a group of 10-plus
have been because of late-night hometeachers,
along with Mr. Birney and
work on the iPad. I found that using the
Brother Segvich, took a trip to Silicon
See BEAUREGARD on Page 2
B ROTHE R R I C E H I G H S C HO O L C H I E F TA I N
PAGE 1
Valley, Calif., where they visited Apple
headquarters and a school that had
already implemented the iPads to learn
more about the device and its uses in the
classroom. Mr. Birney recalls that they
knew from that trip, “We’re ready, we
can do this.”
The iPads themselves were distributed to faculty in March, to allow them
to get accustomed to the devices and for
professional development training. Also,
prior to the first week of school, the
teachers and staff spent a week in training to further develop their knowledge
of the iPad for the school year.
See ADJUSTING on Page 3
INSIDE
Breaking News on the new
Wednesday schedule
See Page 8
O C T O B E R 2015