All students in grades K-8 have access to iPads in the classroom. In Middle School all students are issued their own iPad for use during the school day. Our 1:1 iPad Program is part of our efforts to enhance learning and student engagement as we prepare our students for success in the future.
Blessed Trinity Catholic School is committed to providing the latest technological tools and training to our students and teachers. In the summer of 2012 all teachers were issued an iPad for classroom use. Teachers used iPads in the classroom to enhance learning and improve student engagement. As we planned for the implementation of a 1:1 student educational technology program we discussed many different options including student laptops, various tablets, and “bring-your-own-device” Ultimately, after much research, the decision was made to proceed with iPads. In the 2015-16 school year, all 6th, 7th, & 8th grade student was issued iPads. Each classroom in grades K-5 is equipped with between 5-25 iPads.
Here are some of the specific reasons we selected the Apple iPad;
- iPads are a very innovative products, yet they are very simple and intuitive to use.
- Our teachers had experience and training with the iPads and felt comfortable using them.
- There are over 1.4 million apps for iPads, including many apps specific to education.
- Apple has a comprehensive vetting process for apps, which does a better job of filtering out apps with inappropriate content than open-source “app stores.”
- We found the device management systems used with iPads to be more secure and reliable.
- iPads have very good battery life.
- By adopting one device we could provide specific training to faculty and staff, eliminating the need for teachers to be knowledgeable about multiple devices or platforms.
- 97% of our graduates attend Trinity Catholic High School. TCHS highly recommends that students use iPads in their own 1:1 program.
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