The iPad has become increasingly popular over the past couple years. It is a great technology tool that serves many functions. As a mini computer, it has access to the Internet, a wide variety of apps to choose from, and so many more interesting aspects. This new technology is also finding its way into the classrooms as a beneficial learning tool. I asked my brother, a soon-to-be high school senior, if he has had any classes that have incorporated the iPad into his learning. He told me that his Business class just started to use them this past school year as a way to look up stocks, compare strategies, and make use of some of the Business apps that are available via this technology.
In my research of the iPad in the classroom, I found many ways in which I could use this technology in my teaching. One amazing aspect of this tablet is that there is access to numerous textbooks with just a touch of the finger. Students can flip through the pages by sliding their finger across the screen and if they come across a word they may not understand, a double click of the word will bring up a dictionary definition. As a future English teacher, the access to not only textbooks, but numerous novels, could really benefit my students in an interactive reading experience. I also came across many apps that can be downloaded for the English classroom. One I found very interesting is the Shakespeare application. It is an app that provides all of William Shakespeare’s well-known works, which is an aspect of the iPad that could benefit my teaching and the learning in my classroom. There was also an SAT app that I came across that could also be beneficial in a secondary English classroom.
In our era of technology, the iPad could add a whole new experience to students learning in the classroom. The interactive apps can add to this experience and can make the lessons a little more enjoyable for everyone. This technology also gives access to online teaching and experimenting through discussions or projects. The iPad could be a very beneficial tool for the classroom learning in a time when technology is so much of what people know and are familiar with. The iPad can be found at: http://www.apple.com/ipad/