iPads In Education: Two Opposing Views

[View #1] iPads in Education Are Turning into an Expensive Disaster

They were supposed to be the future of learning, now Apple is quietly letting some schools return them no-questions-asked.

Oliver Smith | May 25, 2016

For many schools iPads aren’t the future of education, they’re a disaster.
In 2011 and 2012 I heard countless anecdotes of British schools investing in Apple’s tablets, outfitting students, teachers and support staff with the £300 or £400 devices.
Some reports suggest that during these years some 70% of primary and secondary schools in the UK bought tablets, many of them iPads.
It was a huge expense for schools, some of which shouldered the entire cost of the devices, while others got parents to contribute.

"ipad mini has been a disaster to ipad." Source: http://www.onlinemarketing-trends.com/search/label/tablet

<more at http://www.thememo.com/2016/05/25/ipads-in-education-are-turning-into-an-expensive-disaster/>

[View #2] For Students, the iPad Is the Ultimate Computer

Christina Warren | May 24, 2016

I’m sitting on the floor at The Academy of Talented Scholars (PS 682) in Bensonhurst, watching kindergarteners create robots on an iPad.
It’s one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen, and I don’t even like children.
The exercise is part of the curriculum led by co-teachers Stacy Butsikares and Allison Bookbinder, focused on helping the 5- and 6-year-old students come up with ways to solve problems.
The first step is to identify a problem happening in the school.

Source: https://iteachwithipads.net/2012/05/07/developing-strong-readers/

<more at http://mashable.com/2016/05/24/ipad-in-education/>


[In Between the Two Views] 17 Pros and Cons of Using iPads in the Classroom

Ashley Wainwright | 2016

For many schools this year, the dream of having iPads in the classroom turned into a reality. Some schools have brought them in through 1:1 initiatives and other seen them start to flood in after implementing BYOD policies. As with anything else, teachers have seen some pros and cons with this cool, new classroom technology. Here’s a list of some things to expect with iPads in the classroom.

Pros

1. Students love them 

2. Good battery life 

3. Apps galore 

4. Platform for e-textbooks 

5. Communication tool 

6. Great content viewer 

7. User-friendly to students with disabilities 

8. Light-weight and portable 

9. Fast and easy to use 

Cons

1. Doesn’t support flash 

2. No USB port 

3. Lack of multi-tasking iles can’t be kept open side by side.

4. Expensive 

5. Potential to be distracting 

6. Lack of production capabilities 

7. Typing is sometimes frustrating 

8. Not good for sharing 

<more at http://www.securedgenetworks.com/blog/17-Pros-and-Cons-of-Using-iPads-in-the-Classroom>