IPad Enhancing Student Learning By: Alesha Goddard 11009378 T&L 466.

iPadEnhancing Student Learning

By: Alesha Goddard

11009378T&L 466

PurposeThe purpose of an iPad is to have a stress

free time interacting with technology while staying up to date on your emails,

calendar, photos, reading books, text books, newspaper articles and the world wide web. The iPad is fast and efficient and runs off of wi-fi. You can access the internet where ever through a service plan provided by Verizon, and AT&T.

How does the iPad work?

The iPad works off a multi-touch screen. This allows your fingers to do everything from surfing the web, typing an email, reading books, etc. When your fingers touch the

display, it senses them using electrical fields. Then the iPad instantly transforms your taps,

swipes, pinches, and flicks into what you want the screen to do. The iPad runs off of an

iOS 4 operating system. The iOS 4 is the reason no other device has yet come close to

the iPad.

Features-Built in Dictionary -The iBooks application and the Pages word processor both have a built-in dictionary for quick definitions. The iBooks application can also search the contents of e-books by keyword, just

as you would a Web site which is quick access for students.

-Auto-Adjusted Screen Brightness-The iPad screen brightness can be manually changed to make it more visible in different

environments, but the device can also detect ambient light itself and adjust the brightness of the screen automatically to maximize visibility.

-Home Screen Bookmark-The Safari browser can also create bookmarks for Web sites on the Home screen. That means getting to your favorite sites is a one touch process, without needing to open the

browser first. This will keep students on track when using the internet. They wont need to search for a previously visited site.

-Browser Dashboard-The Safari Web browser in the iPad is capable of opening multiple pages at once. Instead of

a tabbed browser, Safari brings up a dashboard showing thumbnail images of all sites currently opened in the browser. It's a single tap to switch between them or to close one.

-Smart Links in Mail-When using the Mail application, the iPad can recognize names, numbers and addresses and link to relevant information. For instance, tapping on a name will bring up contact information

from the contacts list, and tapping on an address will bring up a map and directions.

Features

-Slideshow Soundtracks-The iPad can take photos and create a

slideshow with dazzling transitions, but you can also set the slideshow to music you've put on

the device, creating a fun way to show off your memories. This feature is great for power-points

or fun personalized projects done by the students.

-Multi-touch Productivity-The productivity software included on the iPad (Pages [word], Numbers [excel] and Keynote

[powerpoint]) can take advantage of multi-touch gestures to improve the interface. For instance, when rearranging slides in Keynote simply tap

and hold a slide to drag it, then while your finger is still on the display, use another finger to tap

another slide to add it to your drag pile.

Beneficial to the Classroom

The ipad can be used in the classroom for many reasons. The ipad is a natural platform for e-textbooks. If schools are making the switch to e-textbooks, then

they need a product that students can access at the touch of a finger. iPad gives students that ability. Also The iPad can by used to write papers, power-points and spreadsheets. There are thousands of apps that are geared toward learning that

can be used in the classroom. The iPad can work in almost any content area. There is a Spanish Tutor app which introduces or help your students review

native speaker audio, puzzles, written tests, flash cards, and a multiple choice quiz. Also, the Oregon Trail app is always a favorite. This app helps children of various ages practice problem-solving and decision-making skills as they learn

about history and try to survive the great trek West. As well as Math Cards app. It is a grade-as-you-go game teaching subtraction, division, multiplication and addition in a touch-screen game. You can access a periodic table, SAT flash

cards, mathematical formulas and the list goes on! The options are endless when it comes to using the iPad in the classroom. But overall, the most beneficial

aspect of the iPad is, it is engaging. Students want to use it. They want to explore and learn new ideas and concepts. Its different and innovative which makes it

attractive to the average adolescent.

Incorporating the iPad into the classroom

If you want to incorporate the iPad into the classroom, you would first start with writing a Grant to update your schools network. If this works

out and the school district has enough money to support the integration of iPads’ in the hands of students’, then ultimately students’ would rent

out a iPad instead of a text book to do their homework and assigned reading. Also the iPad could act as the students’ rented laptops. Some schools are able to rent out laptops to students’. If you they wanted to incorporate the iPad into the classroom instead of a laptop, they can

replace the laptop with iPads.

Pros and ConsWe have clearly gone over the pro’s to this product, but lets take

some time and review the con’s. While iPad looks, as a whole, good for teachers, students, and classrooms, on the down side, iPad

doesn't yet support Flash. It also does not have a connection spot for a printer or a USB port as well as SD card slots. There doesn’t

seem to be any itunes educational discounts on pod casts, or books which could be a down fall.

Although, Apple is coming out with the iPad 2. Which has a two way camera that could allow for Skype and to interact and collaborate with other schools. The iPad 2 has a 30-pin dock connector port,

3.5-mm stereo headphone mini-jack, built-in speaker, and a microphone. As well as supports Windows 7; Windows Vista; or

Windows XP Home.

Articles Reviewing iPad in the Classroom

-iPad Replacing Laptops in the Classroom(http://www.wccnet.edu/news-events/articles/view/185/)-This website talks about the great potential of replacing laptops with iPads in the classroom setting. It talks about first hand experience and states, “This isn’t your mom’s MP3 player!” Meaning, its up to date and extremely relevant to todays society. -The iPad in the EFL Classroom(http://voxy.com/blog/2011/03/ipad-efl-classroom/)- I came across this blog on Voxy blog which talks about different ways teachers could use the features of the iPad to their advantage. It gave a lot of creative ideas when using the iPad as well as lesson plan ideas to go off of if you wanted to expand on the ideas already provided.-Measuring the iPad's Potential for Education(http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/01/27/measuring-the-ipads-potential-for-education.aspx)- This article is geared toward the positives of having iPads in classrooms. It talks more in depth about the idea that text books could look totally different in 5 years and staying up with technology is a positive, even if it is out of teachers comfort zones.

Cost Effective? Does Every Student get One? How will it be Implemented?

Comparing cost of laptops to iPads for every student, there is a big difference! In order to get a MacBook laptop for every student in a school of 1,000 and each laptop costs $1,200, the school district is

spending around 1.2 million dollars on laptops alone! If schools allow each 1,000 students to have a iPad at $500 each (they cost $499) then the school is spending $500,000 on technology in the

classroom. As you can see, iPads could be saving schools over %50 of there initial cost!! That is HUGE! For every one laptop bought

there are 2.4 iPads that could of been used instead. If Schools do transition into using iPads in the classroom, it would

be most beneficial if every student was issued one. In a high school, every student should have the same opportunity as the next.

The ideal way to implement the iPad into the schools, is to issue and assign every incoming freshmen a iPad that they will use over the next four years of their high school careers. For a graduation

present from the school, each student gets to keep their iPad once graduated.

Ideal Add Ons To allow the iPad to be most effective in the classroom, Schools

should consider providing students with the following accessories:

-iPad 10W USB Power Adapter-The iPad 10W USB Power Adapter lets you charge your iPad directly through an electrical outlet. And the 6-foot-long power cord allows you to charge it from an even greater distance.Apple Wireless Keyboard-The incredibly thin Apple Wireless Keyboard uses Bluetooth technology, which makes it compatible with iPad. And you’re free to type wherever you like — with the keyboard in front of your iPad or on your lap. This will allow students to type papers, work on projects, and do other assignments on their iPad. Having this is a great plus over the touch screen keyboard when working on long papers -iPad Smart Cover-The Smart Cover was designed alongside iPad to be its perfect match: a thin, durable cover that magnetically aligns for a perfect fit. It automatically wakes and sleeps your iPad. Every iPad should have a case!