Way back when you were in school, it was considered a real wow when you could use a calculator in class and didn’t have to rely on your brain anymore. Gone were the days of learning math; now you just applied the information you had learnt. Times have changed and soon your children will be expected to take their iPad or tablet to school or get left behind.
The problem is going to be whether the school will choose an iPad or another tablet computer. Whichever the choice, this will likely dictate what computers our children will use in the future.
Really, that future has already arrived. Not only entire classrooms, but entire schools are using iPads as important learning tools. Steve Jobs said he would change the world and education has proved one of his positive successes.
Entire School Goes to iPad Lessons
Take one example of a school in Scotland. This example could be anywhere in the US or even worldwide, such is the proven use of the iPad. Cedars, in Genock, Scotland, has 105 students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. They considered laptops for the children, but the weight was the main problem. The iTouch is too small and doesn’t have a useful word processor.
Every student – and every teacher - has been issued with an iPad. The children keep the iPad with them all day long. For those over ten, the iPad goes home after school. They expected the tablets to be used for podcasting and learning about computers, perhaps video editing.
Instead, they’ve found art apps and Photoshop to be great for experimentation. The children can draw and wipe out their work if it isn’t good enough, then draw again - a great boon for crafting and design activities. That wasn’t so easy on paper, especially with other students and teachers watching their progress.
Use of ebooks on the tablet has encouraged the children to read more and write longer essays. They don’t use keyboards and most teachers have refused keyboards as well.
This is one device the school can't threaten to take away when children behave badly, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to participate in school work.
Why Tablet Computers?
Wi-Fi in schools makes transferring documents from teacher to student easy. It also allows the teacher to mark and return work to the student in a timely manner.
The math applets available have grown quickly. Students have the opportunity to download applets which mix playing games with learning math. We all know that children learn easier by having fun than by learning tables by rote, so this is a great way to engage them.
Using an iPad allows the teacher to see the work of an entire class as they learn rather than waiting for books to be handed in at the end of lessons. The teacher can catch any problems earlier.
Games as Rewards?
There was a worry that students would spend all day surfing the internet playing games like Angry Birds. This hasn't proved to be the case, although giving students a few minutes to play a game can be an easy reward or a timely break from other heavy workloads.
Music teaching has benefited considerably as teachers can send music information direct to each iPad. Writing on a stave has become easy for students who can have their work checked immediately before moving on to the next bar. This enables them to write notes perfectly, perhaps direct from a keyboard on the screen, try the music straight away and have it posted on the school's website in minutes.
Auto save is a useful feature of the Apple systems. Students were worried they might lose work, but automatic backups have removed that concern. Battery life was against laptops in the classroom. The iPad can work all day before it needs recharging.
Technology has now become a total system as opposed to just a standalone lesson where students would move to a specific location for that one session. Now all students are able to spend time learning about technology as they use it and becoming computer experts at the same time. It won't be long before math tests will be taken on iPads – but with the Wi-Fi internet access temporarily turned off!
