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Saturday, January 30, 2010

Yes, I want an iPad. No, I want 15 iPads (for my classroom)

Mac guy that I am, I love my laptop. I am a second generation type of purchaser: second iterations of so many different models of Apple Computers (way back to the 512 with internal floppy disk), second gen of iPod and finally, of the iPhone.

I will likely be a first gen purchaser of the iPad.

Wish it had a camera. Wish it had a lot of things. But, as I consider all I do and enjoy on my iPhone, seems to me that the iPad will be a fantastic addition.

Most of all, though, I think I want a class set of iPads. I want my students to access the wide world out on the Internet in a fast and easy way. I want them to stop lugging around text books and printing out reams of paper. I suspect that the iPad will provide us (finally) the adequate platform to get the job done.

So, yes, I want an iPad.

Don't you?

4 comments:

Unknown said...

No, I don't :)

Here's my post on the iPads in education http://bit.ly/aIt2L6

Russ

ERKO said...

Thanks for the comment.

I read your post with great interest.

I can see your points clearly, but I don't necessarily subscribe to all of them.

Students can still be creators of content on other platforms, but they can be researchers and interactors with an iPad. I see room for both and I see the advantages of open source text books and the billions of fascinating websites as the future of libraries and text books. I see the iPad as the first serious platform to entertain their use easily and affordably.

The iPhone (or iTouch) has been amazing, but the screen is too small. The iPad, with large screen and more capabilities, will do a great job.

But let's take care not to let Apple dictate the entire market.

BK said...

I don't think I've made a decision on this yet. I definitely want this for me, but my classroom? Not sure.

I see both sides. The cost is prohibitive. For that price point, much more could be purchased.

On the other hand, the apps available make it so simple to give students what they and the opportunities they need. With the addition of the keyboard, I think it is near perfect.

Hmmm...I've got some thinking to do.

ERKO said...

I think we all need to think about this, but we also have to leave aside our "romantic" attachment to paper. If we looked at the costs, every 5-7, of new textbooks, we would begin to consider the iPad as a potentially "good deal". For example, I think a new math textbook runs around $40-$50 per student, not to mention the materials that go with it. But the iPad would be able to hold all the text books, either as an app or in access on the Internet. The lower costing iPad, in the $350 range, start to seem like a reasonable exchange for the books and paper materials we currently purchase. I am speaking, though, from an upper elementary and beyond perspective.

I still don't think I want the lower elementary kids so tied to technology just yet. It is a developmental thing.