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The Lourve in Paris is partnering with Nintendo to use the 3DS portable gaming system as a delivery system for an interactive guide to the museum. Across the blogosphere, people are voicing their thoughts. Lots of people are saying that a Nintendo gaming device is just too casual/childish for the Lourve. Others are asking why the the museum can't jus stick with smartphones & the iPad. Others are asking details of cost, what features will be available on the 3DS device, will visitors be able to bring in their own 3DS and use the guide software on it?

Love this!

I think the iPad is oversold to educators.

This article makes interesting references not only to our resistance to change (disruption), but also our inability to control media and not the other way around. "Human beings are creatures of habit and the introduction of anything new typically raises an eyebrow (at least) or pitchforks (more often). It's a somewhat common theme that is tiresome to me, but one that provokes debate throughout the times." And "There's a macro lesson here: If you think your kid is spending too much time on their iPad and not enough time outside getting some exercise, don't blame the iPad."

This New York Times article speaks to a growing number of schools across the nation embracing the iPad as the latest tool to teach. Given that it was published last year, do you feel like the concerns or objections raised are still relevant? Have some been debunked? Is it too early to tell?

This is a classic example of making a bad situation worse with a stupid response

Xu and I discussed this article in class/section. We had similar thoughts ;unfortunate as it is, this is a case of eliminating the effect and not the real cause. Perhaps this article does not fully reveal details but hopefully a real solution is being put into place...quickly.

Interesting video and snarky article.  Complex technology with a dead simple UI used for learning--or amusement?  Or Both?

A not surprising move on the part of educational publishers trying to keep from going extinct. But it does force us to ask, are they just in a rush to utilize the popular technology, or have they really explored its value for learning?

More than 70,000 school-age children wake up each morning for class and walk as far as the nearest Web-enabled gadget. If that's an iPad or laptop, they may not even need to leave their bed.

There could be some real potential here for use of grants beyond the television screen. I'd be interested to track how this money is allocated across platforms, especially emerging ones like apps for phones/iPads.

Nice to see the upfront PD that took place before this initiative as well as the thorough security in place for the devices themselves.

This is an editorial discussing how emerging technologies can help eliminate the need for annual standardized testing of students by tracking their progress constantly throughout the year through technology use. IPads, Khan Academy, data analysis, KIPP schools, the achievement gap, online courses and their innovations through emerging technologies are discussed.

As emergent as we seem to be (or as a society, WANTS to be), notice some of the deep-seeded thoughts around traditional educational practice that are sprinkled throughout the article.

"Jochim and Siddell's books converge a traditional children's book format, a CD-ROM, a webcam and a computer to create "the same interactivity you could have on an iPad or (a Hewlett-Packard Co.) tablet, but with paper," said Jochim, president and founder of the Tempe-based Digital Tech Frontier."

After School officias from Little Falls, Minn., visited Apple HQ, they decided to spend $1.2m on 1700 iPads. Late Mr. Jobs in an interview with Wired mangazine said, "what's wrong with education cannot be fixed with technology." "Mr. Jobs blamed teachers' unions for the decline in education." Walter Issacson, the biographer of Steve Jobs, writes Bill Gates and Steve Jobs "agreed that computers had, so far, made surprisingly little impact on schools - far less than on other realms of society such as media and medicine and law."

Here is a brand new competitor for iPad, the Jetstream from HTC. This tablet takes advantage of AT&T's 4G data network, but its price tag is a steep $849. However, AS WITH ALL DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES< THE MORE COMPETITORS THERE ARE, THE MORE THE PRICE IS DRIVEN DOWN. So, perhaps this is good news for the future of tablets in schools...

Thanks for this, Anna. I saw this group as part of an interview on ABC about iPads. Their data really gets me thinking about the educational and home space and how we need to design content to leverage the technology that is most accessible to them - and the iPad isn't the "golden ticket" (at least in this age span).

CommonSense is a strong organization - they have a comprehensive database of reviews of content, so if you are a parent looking for the low down on a media product (whether it be a TV show, video game, movie, etc.), commonsense is a good place to get an overview of the product. I have heard arguments, however, that their tendency is to be more conservative in their reviews. May not work for every parent, but definitely a good resource! For other groups like this one, check out the following: Temple's Media Education Lab, http://mediaeducationlab.com/ ; Children Now, http://www.childrennow.org/index.php/learn/talking_with_kids//television.html ; The LAMP http://www.thelampnyc.org/ ; and Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/