Parent Ipad / Homework Hints

IPAD MANAGEMENT

We want the iPads to be a benefit to instruction, not a distraction to your family time! At first, your student is going to be just a bit obsessed with the iPad, but as the newness wears off, it will become more of a tool and less of a toy.

After doing some research on the web about how other districts are handling a 1-to-1 program, we have compiled a list of suggestions for our parents.  

(Thanks to http://edtechsandyk.blogspot.com/2012/10/parent-concerns-in-11-ipad-initiative.html for the ideas!)

Communicate With Your Child’s Teachers

If you see your child spending excessive time on the iPads while doing homework, please let us know. Ask what kinds of activities you should be expecting to see him doing for homework on the iPad and how much time you should be expecting him to spend on homework. Having new technology should not increase the amount of time spent completing homework. The skills/standards are not changing, only the method being used.  Check http://akers7.net to see if the iPads are needed for the night’s homework.

Check to See What Apps Are Open

Double click the home button.  The open apps, in order of most recent usage, will appear in tile fashion.  See if those open apps were truly needed in order to complete the assignment.  It’s possible that your student might be getting sucked into other apps which he or she finds entertaining.  If this is the case, be sure the iPad is being used in a place where you can monitor its usage.

Set Limits

Please limit screen time if you feel your child is spending too much time with the iPad. He probably does need it for homework, but if he was not spending four to six hours on homework pre-iPad, he should not be doing so now.  You may have to make a rule that at 8:00 PM or 8:30 PM (or whatever you feel is a reasonable amount of time before bedtime) the iPad gets put on the charger for the evening and doesn't get used again until the morning. You may have to be firm on the deadline; your child may have to suffer the consequences of a few incomplete assignments or low test grades before time management improves. (If you choose to do this, please contact the teachers so we will understand why some assignments may be incomplete.)

Move the Charging Station

The charging station should not be in your child’s bedroom. Place it in an open area of the house, and one where he or she will be certain to see it in the morning as they are getting things ready to go to school.  A rule like this will hopefully help your child focus on getting homework done before the "put the iPad away" deadline, as well as being sure that when they are supposed to be sleeping, they really are!

Control Internet Access

You might consider setting a password for your wi-fi connection.  By doing this, you can monitor when your student accesses the internet.  Maybe you only want them to have access when you are home, or perhaps you want to turn the password on at a certain time each night.  It might be a good idea to allow them to use the internet only when they are in an open area of the house where you can see what they are doing.

And Finally...

In the past, we have had parents revoke the use of the iPad when they needed to punish their student.  We do not recommend this, as it makes completing homework more challenging for your child.  Instead of taking it away, try setting up a wifi password, or require your student to use the iPad only under your supervision. 

“What does my 7th grader need to complete tonight?”

Technology is your friend in this area!

First, check akers7.net.  This is where we put our plans for the week.  Now, sometimes situations cause us to have to change plans and we don’t always get a chance to update the page.  If you have any questions, please contact the teacher (or have your student contact the teacher) via email as soon as possible to get an answer.

Second, check your child’s email.  Many of us email our lessons and assignments to our students.  (You might need to check their deleted mail or trash!)

Third, check an app called Showbie on your student’s iPad.  We use this app to both assign and collect work.  Each class period is listed.  Tap on a class and you will see a list of assignments, both those collected (past the due date) and assigned.  Below the assigned work you will see the due date.  If there is a paperclip next to an assignment, that means that your child has modified or already turned in the work.  If there is no paperclip, he or she has not yet turned it in.   BUT, please take the time to look at the actual assignment.  A paperclip simply means that your child has modified the document; it doesn’t mean that the assignment was fully completed.  Tap on the document to open it and see.

Fourth, contact the teacher.  We are all available through email, and many of us have given our text numbers to our students.  When in doubt, please ask! We have found that email has given our quietest students a chance to ask questions of the teacher, since they don’t have to worry about what other students might think…nobody knows they are asking!

If your student needs extra help, please just let us know and we will make individual team to meet:-)