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Central Point police make arrest in assault with pipe ... State warns that fire danger is still a threat ... Wagner Creek work would restore streambank ... Central Point police make arrest in assault with pipe ... State warns that fire danger is still a threat ... OUR VIEW Tablet computers are a tool, not a frill MailTribune.com Writer Posted Sep. 9, 2014 @ 12:01 am Posted Sep. 9, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Social News When the Eagle Point School District announced it had purchased hundreds of iPads and iPad minis for students to use in class — including kindergarten class — the reaction from some members of the public was swift and predictable. Why do kindergartners need fancy computer devices? What's wrong with crayons and pencils? It was good enough for us. Nothing is wrong with those traditional writing and coloring implements, and they still have their place. But they are no longer sufficient, by themselves, to prepare students to function in today's world — even kindergarten students. School districts have been adopting new curricula in recent years that rely on digital devices for assessments and class work. Medford and Eagle Point have adopted a language arts curriculum for sixth- through 12th-graders that relies on tablets. This does not mean teachers are no longer important. They are as vital as ever. But just as the world outside the classroom is changing, so are schools, incorporating new tools just as workplaces have become transformed by computer technology. As Allen Barber, Eagle Point's human resources director, points out, the tablets are just another tool, not one that replaces teachers but one that enhances their teaching skills.      Students who are comfortable with tablets, laptops and other devices will be better prepared to succeed in upper-level classes, college and, ultimately, the workforce. Students entering college have been expected for years now to show up for freshman classes packing a laptop. The news that kindergartners are just now being provided with tablet computers shouldn't come as a surprise. If anything, public schools have been a little slow to adopt the latest technology, largely because of cost.  Laptops started showing up in schools more than a decade ago, but the advent of lower-cost tablets means schools can afford to provide them to more students. The Washington Post reported that U.S. schools are expected to purchase 3.5 million tablets by the end of this year, and worldwide, spending on tablets is up 60 percent over last year. Perhaps the most compelling argument in favor of providing a tablet for every student to use — at whatever grade level — is that some students have those devices at home while others do not, placing them at a disadvantage. In our increasingly digital world, it's important that all students have access to the technology that they will be expected to use for the rest of their lives.     MailTribune.com Writer Posted Sep. 9, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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