iPad in Education

Survey Says Schools Will Have More iPads Per Student than Computers in 5 Years

by on in iPad in Education

iPadinClassroom

A new survey, reported on recently at Apple Insider,  offers new evidence of the iPad’s growing momentum in education, and in particular in schools.

A new survey of technology directors in U.S. school districts found that all of them are testing or deploying the iPad in schools, and they expect tablets to outnumber computers in the next five years.

Analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray revealed the results of the small survey of 25 educational technology directors at a conference on the integration of technology in the classroom. The poll found that all of them were utilizing Apple’s iPad in schools, while none were testing or deploying Android-based tablets.

More interesting points from the survey:

– The directors who took part in the survey expect to have more tablets per student than computers in the next five years – and in this case the word tablet might as well be iPad.

– They also expressed the view that the iPad allows for individualized learning better than a traditional computer.

– iPads are being used to supplement computers – not replace them.

My 8 year old daughter’s class is using netbooks this year. I’m sure you’ll be shocked to learn that I think iPads would be much better for them.

What do you all think? Will we be seeing more iPads and fewer computers in classrooms over the next five years? If so, is that a good thing?

Image Source: http://www.good.is

Share this:

Review: ABC Magnetic Toys for Kids for iPad

by on in Games, iPad App Reviews, iPad in Education

Did you ever wish you could just rewind time to a place where building blocks and stacking towers was your only worry for the day? ABC Magnectic Toys for Kids for iPad lets you step right into that role as a child.

It has a simplistic design, easy enough for any little hands to work. This was one of the first games I got for my kids, and they continue to love it.

Here’s a little more detail on the game’s basics, via its App Store page:

The application features five thematic categories (full version only): Emma’s toys; Tom’s toys; In the room and in the backyard; Letters; and Building Blocks.

For all categories, you can choose one of a total of twenty colorful settings that help children to provide anchorage for their imagination, and offer parents the opportunity of setting up an interactive environment that suits their child’s needs. For instance, there is a lined paper ideal for letters and words play; templates for various toys that are perfect for fine motor skills enhancement, development of association of shade-to-silhouette correspondence and abstract skills; or natural scenery, about which parents can make up stories together with their children while placing onto it any of the wonderful professionally illustrated objects.

Among other features of the application is a possibility to save children’s creations into your iPad gallery. Since we understand that this feature is more suitable for older children, this function can be turned on/off in the settings.

The educational value with blocks and shapes goes back generations, showing the benefits in early learning for children. This game is simple enough that kids will get it without much learning. Dragging the shapes to the main section is all that is needed, and they even have templates that you can drag the pieces on to.

Different shapes, like squares,rectangles,half circles or star shapes give kids all sorts of variety in creating their own masterpieces.

My only complaint about this game is the limited number of template designs.  Having more templates in shapes like castles, cars, or buildings would give the user more options.

Overall I enjoyed this game with my children,  there wasn’t anything to worry about with in app purchases,  and it was exactly what was advertised.  My kids would often take the iPad and create their block tower, or school bus and be so proud of their accomplishments.   I can see this game being used in pre school situations or early learning environments.

Here’s an App Store link for ABC Magnetic Toys for Kids;  it’s Free !!

Share this:

Why the iPad will change education as we know it

by on in Education, iPad in Education

(image source: http://www.ninjamarketing.it)

When I was in high school, we lugged really heavy and expensive textbooks around e.g. Gardner’s Art through the Ages (Amazon link), our backs bearing their combined weight during our commute. Now in 2011, a student’s life is being transformed to adapt to the digital age (at last). As we’ve seen since the advent of the iPad, the first early adopting schools have started paving the way for integrating the devices in classrooms all over the world. Will our children grow up in a world where costly printed textbooks and heavy uberdimensional bookbags are a thing of the past? [click to continue reading…]

Share this:

Just Another Awesome Story on the iPad Helping a Child with Autism, and His Mom, Who Wants to Buy iPads for Other Autistic Children

by on in iPad in Education

TaraandGrady

Photo Credit: FRED ZWICKY/JOURNAL STAR

I’ve seen a number of stories over the last year about iPads being used to help children with autism. One I spotted today at TimesReporter.com – thanks to a tweet by Tracey Weil of Tales2Go – is maybe the most compelling one yet.

The first part of the story is about Grady Oathout, a three year old who has autism, his mom Tara’s efforts to acquire an iPad for him, the impact it has had on their lives, and how the iPad has helped him to communicate with his parents. Here are a few excerpts from the TimesReporter article:

Tara says her son, who has autism, was trapped in a world to himself, unable to communicate his desires and remote from his parents. "With the iPad, we’ve learned just how amazing he truly is. He reaches out to us and now he can tell us what he wants and how it feels." …

From the moment you know you’re pregnant, you have a dream for your children –– what they will experience, what they will accomplish. Autism takes a huge chunk out of that dream," Tara Oathout said. "For us, the iPad brings some of that dream back. It’s as much for me as it is for him."

[click to continue reading…]

Share this:

iPad in Education: Tennessee School Requiring All Students to Have iPads

by on in iPad in Education

StudentswithiPads

Webb School, a private 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 a leasing program for those who can’t afford to (or prefer not to) buy an iPad for their child – at around $20 per month. Apparently the school would like to see iPads replace text books in future. They have plans to block certain social sites such as Twitter and Facebook on campus and monitor web browser usage in class. That may prove quite a challenge when they likely see that students become far more savvy about the devices than teachers and administrators.

As much as I love the iPad, I’m not sure how I feel about it being an out-and-out requirement for students. Hopefully the investment required in the iPad does not add up to more than the equivalent amount of text books for those 4th-12th graders.

News Via: 9to5Mac

Share this:

iPad in Education: With a Special Needs Child

by on

I’ve posted before on the iPad helping children with autism. This week I spotted a video of the iPad in action helping a special needs student named Dennis Lamme Jr. Here’s the short Intro for it on its Vimeo page: A documentary about how Dennis Lamme, a special education student, uses the iPad to further [...]

Read the full article →