The first year of the iPad Pilot is coming to an end. The MBUSD Board of Trustees and I have observed the year carefully, and we have surveyed all of our participants three times. The data has been very, very encouraging. Students find classrooms more engaging, collaborative and creative. Teachers have also reviewed the program well. The data at MBMS has been particularly encouraging.
Because the data is so encouraging, I have recommended that the MBUSD Board of Trustees consider having MBMS be our first ever school where each student is assigned an iPad, beginning next year. One of the big lessons learned this year is that this device is much more powerful if each student has her or his own device. It is amazing tool for learning, organizing and teaching. We are not the first district to do this, but we are among the first few. Many other districts have actually sent representatives this year to MBMS to see what we are doing with iPads in the classroom.
Clearly, this is a very big step. Financially, we are going to follow the lead of other districts and see if we can have a blended financing model, where the district provides iPads to students, but many parents choose to buy or lease an iPad for their child. To further explain why I am making this recommendation, I am asking our parents to come to two meetings where we will show what we have done with iPads this year and what we hope to do next year. May 21st at 6:30 PM at the MBMS Multi-Purpose Room is for incoming 6th grade students. May 22nd at 6:30 PM in the MBMS Multi-Purpose Room is for incoming 7th and 8th grade parents. I am excited about the possibility of MBMS being a leader in 21st century teaching and learning. I hope you can come to learn about this recommendation and give us feedback that I can bring back to the MBUSD Board of Trustees as we consider our plans for the 2012-13 school year.
Thank you for all of your support.
Mike Matthews
Michael D. Matthews, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Manhattan Beach Unified School District
325 S. Peck Avenue
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
310-318-7345, x5900
[email protected]