(The Reguligence Weblog, 2014)
Source: The iPad is an Apple product. You can view apple products by visiting their official website http://www.apple.com/ipad/
iLearning with the iPad
Has there ever been a piece of technology that has entered the classroom with the same level of excitement and interest that the iPad has created? If so, when did it happen? Did the SmartBoard enter the classroom with this level of excitement? What about the classroom computer? I remember my father telling me that in the 1970s they brought tape players into the classroom and had them listen to educational tapes. He said that, “we were considered technologically advanced as a school.” He also told me that he put tapes of Led Zeppelin into the tape player instead.
The iPad has burst onto the scene, and classrooms will never be the same. How do I use an iPad in my classroom though? Like any piece of technology, the iPad is only helpful and impactful in the classroom if the educator knows how to properly utilize it. First of all, you need to understand the basics of using an iPad. If you do not know how to use an iPad, you can use this good site to learn more http://ipad.about.com/od/iPad_Guide/ss/iPad-101-New-Users-Guide-Install-Move-Delete-Folders.htm
iPad Apps
An iPad has much of the functionality of a computer. You can access the Internet, do email, create written documents, and much more. Where an iPad becomes powerful in learning is when you have the right apps downloaded on an iPad. Apps, or applications, are both free and for purchase. Not all apps are right for every grade level and/or content area. Choosing the correct app is the responsibility of an educator. Ensure that you are familiar with an app before allowing your students to use it.
There are many websites and blogs that you can use to identify good apps for download. I will supply those websites below. The use of an iPad is not limited to teaching purposes. You can use an iPad as a teacher in many ways. There are apps designed for classroom management, attendance and grading, student profiles, and much more. The iPad is a great tool for both students and for educators.
Many companies nowadays have created apps so that you can use their product on the iPad. Companies such as Pinterest, Dropbox, Amazon Kindle, Webster’s Dictionary, Adobe Reader, Remind101, and various blogging websites all have iPad apps. Further, you can find tools such as running record calculators, traditional and scientific calculators, voice recording devices, timers, and various maps for teaching about the world and geography. You can also buy Apple’s Pages, Numbers and Keynote apps. These apps work just like Word (Pages), Excel (Numbers) and PowerPoint (Keynote). With these apps, you can open documents from their Microsoft counterparts, and save in a file format that allows you to open the saved work back in Microsoft.
Great Websites for Apps and iPad Learning
- Using the iPad in the classroom by Apple: http://images.apple.com/education/docs/L523172A_EDU_App_Guide_062013.pdf
- Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything iPad: http://www.schrockguide.net/ipads-in-the-classroom.html
- List of Apps: http://www.teachhub.com/20-amazing-ipad-apps-educators
- Another List of Apps: http://www.edison.k12.nj.us/Page/3092
Educational Impacts
Value:
Upside: The iPad is part of the future of the education, and it gets students excited about learning. Educational apps, in general, are built to keep the students engaged (albeit with the iPad itself and not with others). There are also apps like Kindle that will allow your students to read in a fun and technologically savvy way.
Downside: The iPad is expensive, so you will likely need to wait on your school to supply them for you. That said, it is possible to get grants to help fund the purchase. Another downside is that students are engaged solely with an iPad when they use it, so there is a social downside. The usefulness of educational apps can also be questioned.
Standards:
The iPad is very diverse. There are apps that cover every content area; educators just need to learn which apps work best for their grade and content area. For this reason, nearly every standard can be taught using the iPad, though math, writing and reading are among the most represented content areas in the app store.
Assessment:
There can be some assessment built into the iPad through specific apps, but the iPad, at this point, is more for practicing skills than for being used as an assessment tool. Still, it is part of the future of education and it is essential for educators to embrace technology.
Conclusion
The iPad is a great tool in education – and like any tool, you must learn how to use it properly. The iPad represents the future in technology, and the future in the way students will learn. The iPad and the apps have a long way to go before maximum benefits will be reached, but those days are on the horizon. It is time to learn how to properly utilize the iPad in you classroom. As educators, it is our responsibility to embrace new technology and to teach it to your students within the content standards. Are you ready to be an iEducator?
Resources
Apple’s iPad Trade Mark Bumped In China « The Reguligence Weblog. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2014, from http://reguligence.biz/trademark/infringement-trademark/apples-ipad-trade-mark-bumped-in-china/