Tech in the classroom: We’re doing it wrong

In 2014, Apple joined Obama’s ConnectED program and pledged $100 million in hardware to 114 US schools in an attempt to bridge the tech gap between rich and poor districts. The program was met with resistance from teachers, like fourth-grade educator Blanca Rivera in Arizona who felt the tablet computers were “just for games” and wondered how they’d contribute to students’ educations.
There was also the issue of a high-profile failure in the Los Angeles Unified School District. The initiative — a $1 billion pact that sought to outfit every student with an iPad or laptop computer through a partnership agreement with Apple — suffered numerous setbacks before ultimately being suspended in August, 2014 after teachers couldn’t figure out how to stop students from removing security measures on the devices.

Ultimately, the district decided the iPads proved more of a distraction than educational tool.