Ipad Use In The Classroom

Seeing that we have discussed technology being use in the classroom, I wondered what "new" technological items were beginning to pop up in schools today. Below, I posted a video on how schools are mixing new technologies, such as Apple's Ipad. The video in short, shows a school that recently decided to add up to thirty Ipads, but wondered what the Ipad could really do in the classroom environment. 


For starters, the school hopes to use them to help in reading and math. However, several teachers could not figure out how to properly use the Ipad and said that they were not trained on how to incorporate its use within the walls of the classroom. It was comical to see how students were able to figure out how to play games with the new technology, but the teachers and even the principal could not figure out how to get on the internet with it. 


I wonder if there is cause for concern here. Does it seem logical to purchase the technology (in this case the Ipad) and not know how to use it to better the educational experience for these students? Is there any proof that allowing Ipads in the classroom would be beneficial? 


Before you think that I am bashing the Ipad and feel that it is silly to use it in schools, check out this article about Seton Hill University (a college located in PA) that is bringing about the use of the Ipad. 


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39686060 


The essential part of this article is that the Ipad provides a way in which students can work together, take notes, or purchase texts online, instead of hauling around expensive and heavy books. There are other concerns with the use of the Ipad though, as some professors at Notre Dame and Rutgers University feel it can be distracting to some and hard to use for note taking because there is no physical keyboard attached to it. New applications also bring about issues because people may constantly need to update them in order to keep up with certain classroom activities or assignments that require their use.  


If the Ipad can help to engage students and provide ways in which their education can be enriched, I am all for it. However, there is no point in spending millions of dollars so each student can have their own Ipad if there is no benefit to the educational process. Teachers also need to be trained on how to use them and how to bring about positive experiences in the classroom through the use of the Ipad. 


Jordan