Mineola fifth-graders getting iPads in classroom

When fifth-grade teacher Dee Wojis found out she would be using Apple's iPad in her Mineola classroom, she was a little nervous about her own ability to handle the newfangled device.

Meanwhile, most of her students at Jackson Avenue School had no qualms about getting their hands on them.

"At first, I can say I was petrified," Wojis said Monday of that summer meeting when Superintendent Michael Nagler introduced his idea to bring iPads to the fifth grade.

"It's surprising" Wojis felt that way, said student Flabio Anjo, 10, because, even though he had never held the device before, he knew he would be comfortable using it.

The generational difference in attitude is one of the reasons Nagler wanted his fifth-graders to have iPads, with the hope the cutting-edge technology will engage kids to learn. Next week, the district will begin giving out iPads to the school's 80 fifth-graders, who will be able to take the devices home with them.

The district paid $500 for each of 100 iPads, Nagler said - a total of about $50,000, including enough for teachers. Because the iPads were purchased through Nassau BOCES, the tab can be paid over time. From this school year's $80-million budget, about $10,000 will go toward the iPads, Nagler said.

"It's an expense, but when you think about it . . . for a computing device, $500 is not bad," trustee John McGrath said of the school board's decision to approve the purchase. "It's multifunctional."

Nagler said fifth grade seemed ideal for the pilot program because the students are young enough to be shaped by the technology, yet they're the oldest kids in the building.

Fifth-grade teacher Matt DeLuca said he envisions using the iPad and its multitude of applications for every subject, from graphs in math to learning to play a piano in music. "It's almost like putting the world in their hands," he said. "Textbooks will be a thing of the past."

Yet, pointing to a set of encyclopedias in his classroom, he noted that the challenge will be teaching students to use iPads in a way that gives them accurate information while online.

There will be other challenges, said Matt Gaven, principal at Jackson Avenue. In school, filters on the wireless system prevent students from accessing inappropriate sites. But at home, parents will need to monitor students' use carefully, he said, if they have a wireless connection. School officials will still be able to check what sites have been accessed on it, Gaven said.

"Children today are so tech-savvy. This is native to them," said Dara Perlow, president of the Jackson Avenue parent-teacher association. Meanwhile, some parents who aren't as comfortable with technology are a bit nervous, she said.

"There's a leap of faith here," said Sid Burgreen, a fifth-grade teacher with more than 25 years in the classroom who calls himself "old school" when it comes to technology. "Just be gentle with us," he joked with students."The best part is we get to teach the teacher," said Chloe Katinas, 10. "It's awesome we get this opportunity and chance."

Other districts using iPads

West Babylon: The district's 140 English-language learners will be using iPads in school to help with areas such as language acquisition and fluency, said Carol Varsalona, director of language arts and testing. The iPads are also ideal for helping with translation and phonics, she said.

Deer Park: A pilot program districtwide will allow students to use iPads in school on a borrow basis, said Jared Bloom, a district administrator for instructional technology and English language arts. There will be about 25 devices, including some for special education students. One second-grade class will get two iPads as part of the pilot program.

Amityville: The district purchased 10 iPads for ESL students to be used at the high school. The iPads are especially ideal for ESL students, said Kathleen Gulbin, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. "Visual and auditory methodologies are very well-suited for English-language learners," she said.