There can be little doubt at the potential success of iPads as a mainstream device in classrooms given the significant take-up in schools in less than a year from its launch. In Adelaide, for example, half a dozen schools introduced large-scale programs of iPads. St Peters College has one for each Year 11 and 12 student, with a main focus on using them as a text book reader. Rostrevor College for all Yr 11 and 12s, Pulteney Grammar School for all Year 8 and 9s and Mark Olifant College for yearly childhood students. At Adelaide University, all first year Science students were provided with and iPad. In the Northern Territory iPads are being introduced in a number of schools and in particular for indigenous students.
For a new type of device to have such immediate penetration of the very conservative school environment suggest that there is something significant going on. The speed of the take-up has taken many by surprise, not the least being the considerable band of iPad sceptics, most of whom looked at the cut-down nature of tablet capabilities, compared to a laptop, or even a netbook, and said, "Not enough." The shortcomings of an iPad still exist (but are shrinking) but what the critics need to pay attention to are the advantages of a tablet, and the iPad in particular. I think the most relevant of these are:1. portability
2. compact size,
3. battery life
4. eReader
5. simple operation
6. integration with iTunes and iPhone
No 5, simple operation might be the most significant of these. When an 80 year old relative who has never operated a computer was intuitively scrolling through an image gallery on my iPad, I took notice.
Written on an iPad using Blogpress
