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iPadsforparentspilotprojectgetsmixedreviewsTuesdayApril14201513EDUCATIONEARLYCHILDHOODTHISYEARCelebrateWildlifeWeek2015ParticipateinageocacheinyourcommunityandwinprizesDETAILSONLINEForinformationandgeocachecoordinatesvisitwww.enr.gov.nt.cawww.geocaching.complayoremailwildlife_weekgov.nt.caCONTESTRUNSApril102015toApril102016ByDALICARMICHAELArecently-launchedpilotprojectthatsdistributingtab-letstonewparentshasraisedbotheyebrowsandhopesasavarietyofexpertsquestiontheprosandconsofthecon-troversialproject.ThedepartmentofEdu-cationCultureandEmploy-mentECEhassoldtheini-tiativeastechnobabybagsofthefuturewiththeideathattheiPadswillgetfami-liesactivelyengagedinhelp-ingtheirchildrenhitdevel-opmentalmilestonesintheirrstyearoflifethoughsomehaveexpressedconcernsovertheprojectsmonitoringfund-ingandimpactonchildrenssocialdevelopment.ECEbeganacceptingappli-cationsfor100newiPadMinisfromparentswithchildrenbornbetweenApr.12014andApr.30ofthisyeartobetestrunoverthesummer.Theyrenotforthekidsitsnotatoyitsforinterestedparentstoaccesspracticalandimportantinformationover-allaboutbeingaparentECEministerJacksonLaffertytoldTheJournal.WhenwersttalkedabouthavingtheseminiiPadsortabletsweddonealotofre-searchwewantedtomakesurewehadtherightprod-uct.Weveengagedwithel-derstheearlychildprofes-sionaleducatorsevenasfarastheparentstoshowtheminformationthroughtherightchannels.TheiPadscomestockedwith21pre-loadedparentingappsincludinginformationoneverythingfromrecipessafetyannouncementsandproductrecallsworkouttipsformomsandeveneightappsgearedtowardteachingsomeoftheNWTsofcialAborigi-nallanguages.Additionallyabout13web-siteswithrelatedinformationwillbebookmarkedonthede-vicethoughLaffertysaidpar-entswillbeexpectedtofundtheirowninternetuseage.Additionallyanyextraappsthatdonotpertaintotheproj-ectsmandatewillhavetobepaidforbythehousehold.AdocumentreleasedbyECEstatesthattheprogramwillrelyonself-reportingmonitoringtechniquestogainfeedbackfromthepilotprojectbeforeasecondwaveofiPadsisreleased.Ifthereareanyglitchesim-provementsanyideasthatwehavemissedwecanintegrateanddistributetheremaining1500inthefallthisyearLaf-fertysaid.ThoseiPadswouldstartrollingoutinAugust.BenefitsdependonuseeducatorBrentKaulbackassis-tantsuperintendentwiththeSouthSlaveDivisionalEducationCouncilhashelpedtodevelopnumerousAboriginallanguageedu-cationappsandisastrongsupporterofusingnewtech-nologiesintheclassroom.Hebelievesthatdonecor-rectlytheprojectcouldbebenecialtofamilies.iPadsaresomethingthatcanbegreattoysorgreattoolsalldependingonhowyouuseithesaid.Thetechnologyopensuplotsofpossibilitiesintermsoflearningbutitisamatterofteachingthestudentorpar-enttouseitinawaythatfos-tersgrowthintermsoftheirownthinkingandlearning.Itseasytoipthroughpagesandneverreallyinteractwithanythingandthattomeisawasteoftimebutiftheyreusingitinawaythatitsin-tendedanddelvingmoredeeplyintoissuesortopicsthenIthinkitcanbeagreatlearningtool.ByusingtheiPadspar-entscouldalsobesettingthemselvesuptobettersupporttheirchildreninthelongrunKaulbackindicated.Itsaverymotivatingwaytolearnhesaid.Kidsareexcitedbecauseofthetechnologytheresanatu-ralmotivation.Wehavetorecognizethefactthatkidslearndifferentlynowthanperhapseven15or20yearsagoanditsbecauseofthetechnologyandtheconnect-ednesswehaveinoursoci-etyandourcommunities.IthinkinsteadoftryingtoresistthechangeyouwanttosortofsayHowcanweusethistechnologyinabeneficialwaysothatitdoesbecomeatoolratherthanatoyforourstudentsandforparentsFundscouldbebetterspentMLAAtthesametimeWele-dehMLABobBromleyhasactivelyvoicedhisconcernsabouttheprogram.Hebelievesgovernmentfundingcouldbebetterspentonpreparingearlychildhoodeducatorsandfosteringacommunity-basedapproachtoraisingchildren.Wehavealotofpeoplethathavecomefromasitua-tionwheretheirnormalchild-hoodsweretakenfromthemandtheywereraisedinresi-dentialschoolsorarechildrenofpeoplewhowereraisedinresidentialschoolsBromleysaid.ThegovernmenthasaresponsibilitytohelpbuthandingthemaniPadisnotreallythebestwaytodothat.Inmyopinionthebestwaytodothatistoprovidehumaninteractionswheretheycandeveloprelationshipsthatre-allyfosternotonlytheprovi-sionofinformationonearlychildhoodbuttheincorpora-tionofitthedemonstrationofittheassistancepartici-pationandsoon.Healsoisworriedabouthowthe1.6millionproj-ecthasbeenfundedwitha410000contributionfromChevronCanada.InreturntheiPadshavebeenbrandedwiththecom-panyslogo.ItsbeingsponsoredbyChevronafossilfuelcom-panywhichIthinkinthisdayandageisinappropri-atehesaid.Againalotofstudieshaveshownhowdevelopmentalkidsmindsareandthiswouldbeob-viouslyinthepresenceofsmallchildrenandweretellingthemthatthisisatrustworthyentitywhenweknowwhattheyhavedonetoobstructarespon-sibleapproachorresponsetoclimatechange.Laffertysaidthereisal-readyanexistingpatternofresourcecompaniesfund-ingeducationalprojects.HepointedtoEnbridgesup-portingyoungAboriginalentrepreneursthroughitsSchoolPlusprogramandHuskyEnergycontribut-ingtoTulitasChiefAlbertWrightschoolbreakfastprogramasonlyafewofmanyexamples.TheiPadprojectisjustonemechanismofECEsplantoimproveearlychild-hooddevelopmentintheterritorywhichkickedoffin2013headded.WevebeentoldthatweneedtogiveparentsthetoolssotheycanteachtheiryoungoneswiththedevelopmentstagesLaf-fertysaid.Mostnewpar-entswontbeabletoaffordacomputeroriPadortabletssowefeltthatthiswasanopportunityforustopro-videthetoolsneededfortheirchildsdevelopment.AreiPadMinisthetechnobabybagsofthefutureECEMinisterJacksonLaffertysaysyes.Newparentscannowapplytoreceiveoneofthesedevicespre-loadedwithparentingappsandwebsitesaspartofanearlychildhooddevelopmentpilotproject.PhotoChrisKellyCC