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Article Assignment

**__iPads/iPods in Education__** Marge Nash is an Assistive Technology Specialist. In iPads/iPods in Education (Nash, 2012) she makes a strong statement that made me think about how I use technology in my class to help my students with needs. Nash (2012) said "AT never starts with the technology and everything that is out there; it starts with the student" (p. 1). She says to follow the SETT process: consider the **__s__**tudent's abilities/disabilities, the **__e__**nvironment it will be used, the **__t__**ask I want the student to accomplish, and what **__t__**ool would help reach that goal. She then goes on providing apps useful for a variety of student needs especially those who need assistance such as speech, switch accessibility, scheduling/cueing, occupational therapy, etc. The article also provides an app purchase rubric to determine the purpose and usefulness of it.

The article made some good points about making wise decisions before purchasing apps. I have personally spent money on some apps which didn't turn out any better than the free ones I already owned. I now have a resource which can help me make decisions on a variety of student abilities and disabilities.

**__Apple Starts Selling Interactive e-Textbooks for the iPad__** Apple recently announced that they have teamed up with three major textbook companies to offer students textbooks at $14.99 or less. The new textbooks will not only have 'text' but also engage the students by being interactive. Oliveira (2012) does bring up the fact that outfitting a school with iPads is a huge investment. He quotes Annie Kidder, executive director of the Toronto-based group People for Education and teacher Derek Keenan. They question the affordability of iPads in the classroom. They also say that the content of the app and the teaching makes a difference, not just the technology.

I love the idea of having subjects like social studies and science in textbook format on the iPad. I see the benefit of being able to see demonstrations of the moon phases or bring the voice of Martin Luther King to students by tapping the device. I also think that students will be more willing to read their social studies book if it was more engaging. The stress that real textbooks' weight can have on a students' back is also another reason that the textbook companies and iPad pairing up is a good idea. I do have a problem of using the iPad and its interactive capabilities as sole source of information. I think it is important for students to still have the feel of a real book in their hand and have to look up extra information as needed. However, I see more advantages than disadvantages of the partnership, but I wonder if the reality of our students having their own iPad will ever come about.

__**Prepping for iPads in School**__ The Master's Academy in Oviedo, Florida are distributing iPads to all the high school students in the upcoming school year. The school has many challenges and questions to answer before the implementation could take place. First, they need to address their security, the infrastructure, and the acceptable use of the devices. Next, they need to prepare teachers for the implementation. They came up with a list of six principles to do this: adaptability, creativity, collaboration, innovation, productivity, and ethics. The want the technology to be used for real purposes not be solely app-based. One goal is to have students collaborate with a student from another state on a project.

I'm glad that this school is realizing the potential that iPads in the hands of students has. I think teacher prep is the biggest challenge. Right now I use the iPad with my students solely as a drill and practice type device using the many different apps available for math, spelling, and phonics practice. I would not know right now how to use it creatively, innovatively, or productively. It would be very interesting to read the rest of the series of articles to see how the implementation went and to talk with teachers in the district to see how they use it in their classroom.

__**Measuring the iPad's Potential for Education**__ McCrea (2010) interviewed a range of people from educators to students to analysts on their opinion of the new device, the iPad, being launched. The student was happy with the apps and the touch screen but unhappy that it didn't come with a camera. The teacher was concerned with the price but loved the Web access it gave her. She said the touch screen would make classroom presentations easier (McCrea, 2010). The analyst was pleased with the software development kit that it has and believes that textbooks in the future will be filled with animation, video, and other multimedia.

I agree that this new piece of hardware is a step in the right direction. It has great potential for an educator if the educator has knowledge of how to use it. I would love to have some of my gifted students develop a new app or create a presentation using the device, but I am not sure where to begin. It will be interesting to see what the next new technological advancement will be.

__**Preparing Your School for an iPad Implementation**__ Gliksman (2011) is concerned that the right preparation must be given to ensure that the iPad implementation doesn't become an expensive failure for the district. He brings up many well thought out questions for a district to consider before implementation. First, he asks that you consider the signal strength, the wireless network, and the way the devices will be managed/stored. He also has you thinking of the classroom setup (problem with glare, room for storage), the way that each individual device will be managed (earbuds, cover that can prop, identification, cleaning, etc.) how app purchases will be made/blocked, and how content will be managed (Cloud based storage, periodic deletion procedure). Other considerations are the usage of apps, training of teachers, eBook possibilities, and the support of the community.

This article is the most precise comprehensive list of questions I have seen for a district to answer before purchasing iPads. It will definitely initialize discussions between the IT department and the administration. Even the smallest things are considered. I agree that many devices will collect dust on a shelf if teachers do not see the benefit it can have and if the infrastructure is not reliable enough for a teacher to use it. We just went Wi-Fi in our district this year, and iPads are appearing throughout the school. One consideration I wish our district would think through is allowing educators to download iTunes on school computers and to have some app approval process so that purchases can be made using district funds. This article definitely gets the ball rolling in the right way.

References

Gliksman, S. (2011). Preparing Your School for an iPad Implementation. //iPads in Education//. Retrieved January 19, 2012 from []

McCrea, B. (2010). Measuring the iPad's Potential for Education. //The Journal//. Retrieved January 12, 2012 from []

McCrea, B. (2011). Prepping for iPads in School. //The Journal//. Retrieved January 19, 2012 from []

Nash, M. (2012). iPads/iPods in Education. Retrieved February 6, 2012 from []

Oliveira, M. (2012). Apple Starts Selling Interactive e-Textbooks for the iPad. //Winnipeg Free Press//. Retrieved January 19, 2012 from []