iPads in the Classroom

What were the benefits of having a class set of iPads in the classroom?

The iPads were very helpful during class. It allowed every student to look up anything they wanted and have a mini computer at their fingertips. It was assisted me in class because I could look up anything I wanted instantly. It personally saved me time because teachers want everything to be typed up so it allowed me to get a head start on my assignment. It allowed me to ask my teacher things that I would normally wonder at home. They were also useful in terms of having a camera and making videos. It opened up the possibilities of projects that we could do in class. The iPads also were environmentally friendly, as our papers that we would receive in class were instead put into Dropbox. I liked this concept because most of the time, the papers that we receive in class are just used once and then they started cluttering up in my binder. Having the papers online also helped me access them on any computer. I even downloaded the apps on my phone do that I could reference them quicker. The iPad's also allowed us to have eBooks. These were helpful in class because it was possible to highlight them in class. I could also leave my book at home.

What were the limitations or problems with having a class set of iPads?

Although, the iPad’s helped me, they were only beneficial to a certain extent. When having an eBook, it was confusing because I could not read the book at home. The notes that I highlighted would not be on my book at home so it did not help if I was writing an essay at home. We only got to use them for one class period so it they did not have a big effect on my classes. I still had to write notes for other classes and it did not have a big effect on my grades because they were only used for one class. I also noticed that although there were a lot of applications installed on the iPad, we used very few of them. I think that there are more apps out there that we could use that would help in the classroom. We just did not utilize them. The iPads were very useful during the class however, I don't think they were used to their full potential.

Do you think the school district should have more iPad carts for students to use or move to a 1:1 environment where all students would have access to an iPad they would be able to take home and use during the school year.

I think that iPad’s would be beneficial to the school environment. They would provide every student with an equal opportunity to succeed in school. As we transition through school, more teachers are requiring their assignments to be typed up. It would save those kids who have to go to the library to work on their projects. I don’t think the iPad’s should be provided to elementary kids or middle school kids. It’s still important to have a strong penmanship and having iPad’s at such an early age would limit how much they would write. Writing out on paper has the advantages of letting students think before they write and they don’t have auto correct fixing their spellings. The only way the iPads would be successful however, is if the WiFi connection is available all throughout school. If it is not strong, students would spend most of their time trying to connect to the server instead of working productively.