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EAGLE POINT iPads for all at Eagle Point schools this fall All students in the Eagle Point School District will use the devices this fall Comment By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 27, 2015 at 5:19 PM Updated Aug 27, 2015 at 5:26 PM By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 27, 2015 at 5:19 PM Updated Aug 27, 2015 at 5:26 PM » Social News Marsha Lee has seen the benefits of students using iPads for learning in both her kindergarten class and with her own son. So she says she's excited that all students from kindergarten through high school in the Eagle Point School District will be using the devices this fall. After purchasing more than 1,000 iPads since 2009 and conducting trial runs for entire classrooms last year, the district decided to lease another 3,100 iPads from Apple for the next three years. Annual cost of the Apple lease is $492,500. “They are another tool for me to help my students,” said Lee, who teaches at Shady Cove Elementary. “The buzz word in teaching is to differentiate instruction to provide support for different levels.” Most exciting for Lee was that parents in Shady Cove saw the value of the iPads in their children’s learning and bought the devices for their own homes. Lee’s son Jacob, who enters high school this fall, used an iPad for social studies at Eagle Point Middle School. “It brought a lot of motivation to actually complete assignments, because (the students) interacted in their studies on the iPads and they created projects on them,” said Lee. “He actually enjoyed it.” “One reason we chose the iPad as a technology is that it is a format for being creative,” said Tiffanie Lambert, district director of school improvement. “Everything from content to creative projects to many of their textbooks are on iPads.” Students can receive assignments and turn in their homework electronically using the devices. One study showed that students who used mobile devices for learning spent an average of 40 minutes more per week on homework, Lambert said. Eagle Rock Elementary third-grade teacher Heather Marrs already has a year’s experience with students using the iPads in a trial. Eagle Rock had one cart with 30 iPads that could go from class to class in 2013-2014. They added a second cart last year that was shared by Marrs and another third-grade class. “I had to learn a lot with the iPad as to how to troubleshoot,” said Marrs. “If the computer isn’t working, we have a plan B. For 8-year-olds, we also had to talk about not freaking out if it’s not working.” The iPads offer a huge advantage in the ability to determine whether students are working above, below or at grade-level expectations, said Marrs. “I was able to assess the students a lot quicker and get feedback more rapidly,” said Marrs. “I was taking stacks of papers home to grade previously.” After assessments, Marrs must figure out how to move students to the next level. The iPad allows that to be done across the curriculum with class assignments or projects tailored to their progress. Higher-level students can get extended tasks, while lower-level students might get a scaled-back version. “It gives me a wide range to work with,” said Marrs. “I think the biggest thing is that we can really individualize education when the students have an iPad. They can have it through different courses,” said Lambert. “Also, when kids are ready to expand and excel, they have a device with all they need.” Tony Boom is a freelance writer living in Ashland. Reach him at [email protected]. By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 27, 2015 at 5:19 PM Updated Aug 27, 2015 at 5:26 PM » 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. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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