The iPad Paradox: Why it Can’t Really Teach Kids to Code

Swift Playgrounds for iPad.

Thanks to the recent Apple “Field Trip” education event, there were many really thoughtful and well-researched articles about Apple in education this week. They may not have even been published if there hadn’t been the backdrop of what Apple announced to trigger further discussion.

Here are four that I thought were really good.

• Tech Crunch: “As Chromebook sales soar in schools, Apple and Microsoft fight back.“


• 9to5Mac: “Making The Grade: Why Apple’s education strategy is not based on reality.“


• New York Times: “Apple Unveils New iPad to Catch Google in the Classroom.“


• The Verge: “The Xcode cliff—Is Apple teaching kids to code, or just teaching them about code?“

These four articles provide a great overview of Apple’s education standing, how the company fell behind, what it’s doing to catch up and some sober assessment of why the most recent initiatives may not be enough.

The iPad Paradox

However, I want to briefly discuss the last one from The Verge. Overall, I agree with the author about Swift Playgrounds. Apple is in a bit of a pickle with programming on the iPad thanks to the way it’s designed. I have pointed out before that, in the eight years of the iPad’s existence, precious little progress has been made turning it into a code development platform. The security of iOS gets in the way—a double edged sword.

And so when it comes right down to it, macOS is where you want to be to really learn to code. So Apple has had to wade through that conundrum carefully. The iPad is not yet the tool of the future for kids learning to code at a moderate level. That’s why inexpensive MacBook Airs are a crucial augmentation when kids arrive in middle and high school.

That said, I want to offer a (mild) counter argument. And that’s in the form of toy trucks for kids. When a 5 year-old plays with a toy truck, there are some learning elements going on. Imagination, visualization, interaction with sandbox sand, etc. That’s exactly what we want to happen. Later, as a young man, the person may learn to drive a real truck. (Pizza delivery!) Eventually, the former child may become a mature engineer and design trucks for GM.

In a similar fashion, Swift Playgrounds is exactly that. Play. An introductory toy that engages the mind of the child. Sure, no Java enterprise Java code will be written. But the point is to engage the child early in creative play in a fun, productive way.

Later, Xcode will come along soon enough. And that progression, that logic, seems notably lacking in Apple’s focus, perhaps, because it highlights the very limitation of iPads and iOS. It’s confusing to the casual observer unless one thinks it through.

Next Page: The News Debris For The Week of March 26th. Windows 10 security—no longer a laughing matter.

Page 2 – News Debris For The Week of March 26th

Windows 10 Security No Longer a Laughing Matter

 

Image credit: Microsoft

If you had any doubts about migrating from Windows 7 to Windows 10, let the U.S. military be your guide. “US Military Close to Completing Windows 10 Upgrade.” Rich Mogull, one of my upcoming guests on Background Mode told me that Windows 10 security is far superior to Windows 7 and is now on par with macOS. If you haven’t yet migrated, ask yourself what’s holding you back from this more secure OS.

This is far cry from the days when Windows XP (2001-2008) was a security nightmare. Microsoft has made significant advancements in Windows security, according to Rich Mogull. While Windows 10 may have its frustrations and idiosyncrasies it’s no longer so easy to dismiss its level of security as grossly inferior compared to macOS. We can probably thank the U.S. military for that.

More Debris

• If you were a bit overwhelmed by all the new services and tools Apple announced at its “Field Trip” education event in Chicago, here’s a great rundown of each. “Here are all of Apple’s new tools for the classroom.”

• I have written a lot about Apple TV 4K and the HDR technologies called HDR10 and Dolby Vision. But these post-production techniques don’t work with live broadcasts. For those, the Apple TV 4K supports a third version of HDR called Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG). If you want to learn more, here’s a great overview by John Archer: “Hybrid Log Gamma explained: the new HDR TV broadcast format.”

• The co-leader at DigiDNA, the developers of iMazing, is Gregorio Zanon. Because he’s intimately involved with the internals of iOS, he’s in a great position to provide guidance on backing up your iPhone. Here’s his stellar article. “Why Backing Up iPhone Still Matters.”

• Finally, you know it’s true. Some entrepreneur is always thinking about how to offer cool accessories for popular Apple products. But can it go too far? In this case, it would seem so. See: “Apple accessories have gone too far.”

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Particle Debris is a generally a mix of John Martellaro’s observations and opinions about a standout event or article of the week (preamble on page one) followed on page two by a discussion of articles that didn’t make the TMO headlines, the technical news debris. The column is published most every Friday except for holiday weeks.

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