iPad Post

What were the benefits of having a class set of iPads in the classroom? It allowed easy Internet access to research information at the touch of a hand.  We were able to complete projects at school without having to wait until use of this technology at home.  By having multiple iPads, this allowed simultaneous use instead of having to use one group iPad and have to wait to do different types of work.  The ability to take notes quickly was appreciated as well as how legible these notes were instead of a hand written mess.  Exposure to this new technology allowed us to be on the cutting edge of iPad use in an academic setting.  In addition, it was convenient to work on papers utilizing the Word Document on the iPad to then work on papers at home or another workday.  The iPads also allowed us to save paper and therefore decreased the loss of trees.  This benefited the environment and us health wise.  Thus, ease, convenience, accessibility, and saving time were important benefits seen with the utilization of iPads in our classroom. What were the limitations or problems with having a class set of iPads? For those who don’t know how to type in a rapid manner, it was a barrier for effective note taking.  Some people didn’t plug in their iPad when they were done using it so the next person suffered the consequences of not having the iPad available when needed.  Also, the school district had to pay a lot of money for my class to have the use of iPads.  When trying to access files from home, it was challenging to go through multiple steps in order to reach the needed document.  This was cumbersome and time consuming.  It would have been a lot nicer to just take the iPad to and from school.  At other times it would have been nice to print documents from the iPad, which is not part of its functionality.  Also, it would have been nice to have an actual keyboard to type on instead of a touch screen.  Another downside was the fact that the Wi-Fi in the school was down at times we needed to use the Internet so the iPad was of no use.  Due to these disadvantages, these are things that should be considered for possible solutions or corrections in the future. Do you think that the schools district should have more iPad carts for students to use or move to a 1:1 environment where all high school students would have access to an iPad they would be able to take home and use during the schools year? I think that the school should move to a 1:1 environment where all students have access to an iPad that they would be able to take home and use during the school year.  One benefit from this is having online books at hand all the time.  The school would save money and students wouldn’t have to worry about paying a fine for a schoolbook they lost during the year.  This will have benefits down the line with the use of new technology that is being created today.  Our society is so technologically advanced, focused, and depended on such equipment that by utilizing this first hand will benefit us in the long run.  It allows us to have the experience with these tools before reaching college and will be valuable.  In the future it may allow for us to obtain jobs that need such a background and previous experience with these devices will help us.  Thus, one on one iPad use is a necessary tool and medium for all students to assist in their education and further technological advancement.