Apple’s iPad in the classroom
The following is a primer I’ve written up for the Educational Technology Center at Missouri State University; figured I’d share it with the world, too.
It seems like every day a new technology emerges with great potential to revolutionize the field of education: SMART Boards, iPods, Blackboard, and so forth. It should come as no surprise, then, that Apple’s new iPad should bring tremendous opportunities for engaging students in classrooms, as well as new ways for teachers to deliver content and interact with their classes. Some may see the iPad as nothing more than a large iPod touch. Even if that’s true, at minimum, it opens up the platform for so many more applications to interact with classrooms on a larger scale. What’s important to note is this: the iPad’s potential in the classroom depends on the applications developed for it. And if what’s coming is any indication, the iPad has enormous potential, indeed.
Note taking and diagramming
One application that’s been previewed is SketchNotes. Fusing together the ability to take text notes and the ability to make sketches with your fingers gives students a real advantage in taking notes in an easy-to-reuse format while at the same time reducing paper usage. Of course, there’s other apps that will do similar things, like SchoolPad Notes and PadNotes. And there’s always Evernote which will likely have an iPad version of their note-taking client very soon.
In the diagramming field, for making mind maps, flow charts, etc., the Omni Group will be releasing five of their Mac OS X productivity apps for the iPad, including OmniGraffle and OmniOutliner . These tools are excellent for diagramming and note taking, whether you’re a computer science major or a pre-law student.
Reading
Apple’s own iBooks, partnered with their iBookstore, provide the ability for students to get reading materials near instantly. Future abilities include the option for textbook publishers to deliver to the iPad, maintaining page layout, full color pictures and diagrams, and a flexible price structure. Project Gutenberg, a project dedicated to digitizing classic books in eBook formats, will have all of their offerings available for the iBookstore for free .
Many magazines and newspapers are releasing iPad subscriptions for their publications. The Wall Street Journal has announced their intentions to be on the iPad , and Wired Magazine already has a prototype of their vision for iPad magazines.
Homework and more
Apple is releasing touch versions of their iWork suite for the iPad, which includes Pages, Keynote, and Numbers (competing software to Word, PowerPoint, and Excel). These applications are ideal for homework assignments; they offer rich access to standard word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation applications with the iPad’s portability and touch-screen interface. Even better is the fact that these apps can import and export to Word’s DOC, Excel’s XLS, and PowerPoint’s PPT formats, allowing for easier sharing between users. Keynote even allows users with a VGA adapter for the iPad to hook up to a projector and show their slides, allowing for students to easily carry around their presentation to edit and then show in class.
Conclusion
The points listed above merely scratch the surface of what’s possible with the iPad in the classroom. More is possible only when developers make the applications, but developers are listening and they’re ready to cash in on these devices, especially when they can net the business of a large educational institution.
