http://www.ksla.com/Global/story.asp?S=13880126
iPad use in schools is on the rise and very rapidly, I even had a class fall semester where each students were given an iPad for the semester to us. It was a wonderful experience and I am completely convinced that the iPad is a game changer in education. A few years agao, everyone was excited about those little PC netbook computers of various brands. But many schools quickly discovered that they just weren’t good enough, sturdy enough and just like the the price, cheap. Seems netbooks fall into the category of “ya get what ya pay for.”
In Tennessee, for some students iPads are a requirement.
Webb School, in Knoxville, TN is requiring all fourth through 12th grade students to have an iPad for classes next year.
“To be able to use that technology whenever they need it, rather than, as it is now, they have to check out a cart, a laptop cart, or schedule lab time to take a class to a lab,” said Jim Manikas, technology director at the school.
The school will offer leasing deals at around $20 per month. In time, it wants the iPads to replace text books — and promise sites such as Facebook or Twitter will be blocked on campus (good luck with that last one – herding digital natives just isn’t easy).
Here is what the school is saying about the iPad project:
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| iPads at Webb School
Webb is very pleased to announce that starting in August 2011, all students and teachers in grades 4-12 will be provided with an iPad to use both at school and at home. We firmly believe that the iPad will enhance teaching and learning at Webb. We have been committed as a school for several years to finding both a digital reading device and also a mobile computing device that best suits the needs of our students. In that context, our goals are:
- To provide teachers new and enhanced ways to engage students
- To open the classroom up beyond the physical constraints of the building via a web-enabled device
- To replace bulky, expensive textbooks, readers, books, and other written material with a mobile digital platform
- To provide all students with a mobile computing device that meets most of their day-to-day academic needs
- To provide a set of tools to our students that will encourage them to interact with instruction materials in new and better ways and collaborate with each other and teachers
After evaluating many devices, including laptops, tablets, netbooks, and digital readers, we have chosen the iPad. This device is a wonderful combination of physical and interactive design. Combined with a rich and burgeoning array of Apps, the iPad is our preferred choice to engage our students in collaborative, creative learning and prepare them for their lives in the 21st century.
Here are some additional resources to learn more about this program:
Why iPads – highlights why a student iPad program is the preferred choice for Webb
iPad Program FAQ – Answers to specific questions that we have been asked or might be asked regarding the iPad program. This FAQ will grow as new questions are asked and details are finalized.
Ask a question – Here is a form for you to submit any additional questions you might have regarding our iPad program. |
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Interesting. I suspect once you get to using an iPad regularly you might just be surprised. And there are more text book that my realize. Additionally, Do we really need textbooks?
I go to school there and I think it’s completely ridiculous that they’re requiring ipads. Most of our textbooks aren’t even available on the ipad, and 1 school requiring ipads certainly won’t change their minds. I believe the only reason they are even requiring ipads is so the rich moms have just another way to show off their wealth and to prove that they are better than every one else.
[...] Netbooks und Tablets ist entschieden: In Knoxville, Tennesse, USA, verlangt der Unterricht an der Webb School ein iPad – wer sich keines leisten kann, soll eines leasen dürfen. Dieser teure Spass [...]
I think that this is a really good idea for schools. Children who do not have access to technology at home now have the chance to play with it at school. However I do not want schools to become solely dependent on technology. Human interaction and communication are important and can be hard to interpret over the internet.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Paulo Simões, Cyndi Danner-Kuhn and Dean Schaff, janinelson. janinelson said: RT @cyndidannerkuhn: Tennessee school requires iPad for class http://goo.gl/fb/r0vP9 [...]