Final Post: How Can Schools Keep Students Engaged in their Education?

One of the biggest challenges educators face is keeping kids engaged in class.  Kids have a lot of different excuses for why they do not want to work in class, whether it being it's too early, too hot, or they just don't feel like doing it.  With the introduction of iPads next year, there will be new challenges to keep kids on track and prevent them from being distracted.  As long as time with the iPads is being used effectively kids will do their work.  This site has multiple ideas for how to keep students engaged with iPads, and as more schools go to 1:1 environments there will only be more ideas. 

This video tells about a first grade class that has already begun to use iPads.  This could be the way schools go in the future, introducing technology to kids at a very early age.  If a class of first graders can handle the responsibility of iPads, then high school students should be more than capable as well.  People often do not like to get used to change, so if media devices are implemented at a young age, more kids will most likely be comfortable with them.  Even next year at BHS kids who are not comfortable with technology and do not wish to use the iPads for all classes will still have the option of books. People tend to look at change too radically.  The new devices do not necessarily mean the way we learn will be completely different.

The main reason kids get discouraged with their education is that they lose sight of the future.  It is understandable why someone who is going to be an engineer has little interest in taking so many foreign language and history classes.  Athletes often do not see the point in having gym class instead of another free period.  The best way to keep kids interested is to keep them learning about things they find relevant.  Some classes must be mandatory, but more freedom in class choice would gaurantee more students in classes they were interested in.  Another positive to that would be reflected in performance.  Kids tend to do better in classes that interest them, and keeping grades high is the key to going to the right college to receive a degree.  Everyone wants a chance to earn a degree so they have the chance to land a job that can buy things they have always wanted.