RSU 9 students utilize iPads in classrooms, tools that Director of Technology Kevin Bremner emphasizes are designed to prepare them for modern workforce demands. The RSU 9 board of directors regularly meet at the Mt. Blue Campus, seen here. Franklin Journal file

FARMINGTON — Regional School Unit 9 Director of Technology Kevin Bremner has addressed questions regarding the district’s use of iPads, teacher feedback on Apple Classroom, and efforts to resolve technology challenges in classrooms. Bremner emphasized that the tools provided to students are designed to prepare them for modern workforce demands.

Responding to concerns about whether iPads adequately prepare students for “real-world technology” use, Bremner stated, “The idea that iPads aren’t adequately preparing students for ‘real-world technology’ use isn’t accurate.” He highlighted how mobile devices, including iPads, are widely used in industries such as retail, hospitality, technical services and sales.

“Business is less about coming to the office and more about bringing your office to them,” Bremner said, explaining how mobile devices are integral to many professions. He added that workers in fields such as engineering, sales estimating, commercial arts, and insurance adjusting often use mobile devices in addition to desktops or laptops.

While acknowledging that workers in traditional office settings may use desktops or laptops more frequently, Bremner noted, “The work they do on that will not be different from what they are doing on iPads in school.” He pointed to common tasks such as managing email, word processing and working in proprietary web-based or cloud-based applications, saying, “The form factor may be a little different but the usability experience will be similar.”

Bremner reported that teachers have shared “largely positive” feedback about Apple Classroom and Managed Apple IDs. “Depending on the grade level, the app gives the teacher the ability to monitor student work habits [see what’s on their screen]; direct students to specific apps or resources so everyone is working on the same page [this cuts down on wasted time waiting for all students to find their way]; share documents from the teacher to all students at once, instantly, and project a specific student’s iPad to the classroom projector for sharing,” he explained. He also highlighted the convenience of allowing teachers to reset students’ Managed Apple ID passwords when forgotten.

On the topic of stylus usage, Bremner confirmed that there are “no plans to expand the use of styluses at this time.”

He noted that the district has extra styluses available for teachers to distribute as needed, but compatibility issues with newer iPads have limited their use. “Because of the recent switch from Apple to move from using a lightning port for charging to USB-C port charging for the 10th gen iPad, the charging cables with the iPad models at the elementary level aren’t compatible with the styluses we purchased,” he said.

Printing challenges and compatibility with Google apps are being addressed through education and trial-and-error, Bremner explained. “After examining the pros and cons of using the iPadOS app versus the web interface for each of the Google Workspace applications on ease of use and available features, we pushed out the app or webclip based on those discussions so end users are using the most appropriate form without extra effort on their part,” he said.

While printing from the web interface presents some challenges, Bremner pointed to an unexpected benefit: “The steps now in place have also created savings in previous wasted printing, which is a significant benefit to RSU 9.”