Opinion

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 Having iPads in the classroom has some clear benefits. Today’s students have grown up in a world where technology has always been a major part of their lives, and teachers and teaching methods must adapt to this way of life. Students, whether they have used iPads before or not, will likely be comfortable with them from the start, and will also be engaged by this new technology. =====

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One of the aspects of the iPad that some may view as a negative aspect is something that I actually feel is an advantage when it comes to using them in the classroom. Some users express frustration at the inability to open multiple windows, but I, like some of the students surveyed, feel that this is actually a good thing. A student on a laptop could be doing many things at once, often not related to the assignment given or the content of the class. An iPad would keep students from being distracted and help them focus on the task at hand, while teachers would not have to worry about students quickly switching from one window to another to give the appearance that they are working. =====

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Even with this advantage, and the many great educational apps available for iPads, I don’t feel that incorporating them in the classroom would be better than getting a classroom set of laptops. It seems to me that many of the positive features of the iPad are also found on laptops, and laptops actually offer more. Obviously, the cheaper price of iPads is an advantage over laptops, but I think that for iPads to be most beneficial, a true one-to-one program for students must be in place. A classroom set of iPads would be nice, but if each student was supplied with their own device to take with them throughout the school day I think they would get much more out of its use. =====

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Personally, I do not think I will be looking into getting iPads for my classroom. My high school is far too large for a true one-to-one implementation of iPads, and though I know many grants exist that would likely allow me to get a classroom set, I don’t feel it would be too useful. Theft is an unfortunate issue with forms of technology in my school, and I would actually not be very comfortable being responsible for keeping the devices in my room at all times. Also, seeing how students treat the calculators we use, constantly knocking them off their desk or tossing them in the container on their way out, I would be concerned with the care of the iPads throughout the year. I know many of my students would be very engaged and interested if they were given an iPad to work with, but I also believe that even with all that an iPad has to offer it wouldn’t be long before students were bored of their use and no longer found it exciting. =====

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Overall, I think that having iPads in a classroom certainly has its benefits, but that there are more advantages with laptops. I also feel that as a math teacher, the iPad would not be as relevant in my room. Though I know many mathematical apps exist, I feel that one of the greatest advantages of an iPad would be their use in research projects, something not common in a math class. While getting a set of iPads would be fun and exciting for a time, I don’t think the long-term benefits are great enough that I would look into getting a set for my classroom any time soon. =====