Need I say more?
Private School Goes iPad
Here’s another school that’s going to be giving all of their students an iPad. A private school in Scotland is going 100% iPad in school.
Scotland’s Cedars School of Excellence is running a very cool, very bold tech experiment with their students: they have ditched all their books, pencils, pens and paper, teaching all of its 105 students using only Apple’s iPad for taking notes and conducting class.
“We wanted to give each of the pupils an opportunity to use the best equipment available,” IT teacher Fraser Speirs told the Daily Record. Each and every one of the 105 students at the modestly named Cedars School of Excellence in Greenock will now take all their lessons on their personal “magical and revolutionary” devices.
The students, ranging in age from five to 15, will also do their homework on the Jobsian tablet — although whether they’ll each be given an Apple iPad Keyboard Dock with which to type or be forced to tap away on the onscreen keyboard wasn’t noted.
“Each of the children will have their own iPad,” Speirs said, “which is hooked into the school’s wireless network and from there they will use the computers for learning in different subjects.” The tablets will enable the young ‘uns to access “pre-approved websites for lessons in English, maths, languages and history.”
Grants for iPads in Schools
It looks like there are a number of schools using (or getting) grants that enable them to use iPads in their school. The following are a few of the articles I’ve found recently that mention how schools are using grants to get iPads.
Big grant will help West St. Paul school go ‘paperless’
Updated: 9/30/2010 11:07:05 AM
West St. Paul, Minn. — From the curb of Butler Avenue, Heritage Middle School looks like any other school. But step inside and you’ll quickly learn science and technology is king. Now, a federally funded grant for magnet schools will give the king a kick start.
Every kid at the 690 student school will get an iPad or iPod touch. It means a lot to a magnet school that focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math.
Grant secures iPads for Attalla schools
Published: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 9:14 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 9:16 p.m.
The school system recently used grant funds to purchase 10 iPads to be used by administrators, teachers and students.
“We’re trying to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s jobs,” said Wesley Gulledge, assistant principal of Etowah Middle School and site director of the school’s 21st Century Community Learning Center. “Tomorrow’s jobs are going to want them to have technology skills. It’s our job to make sure students have access to that technology and know what they’re supposed to do with it.”
Grant lets school add iPods as learning tools
Written by Deb EgenbergerThursday, 23 September 2010 21:23
A grant written by technology coordinator Robbi McKenney and awarded from the John R. Applegate Fund through Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation has allowed the district to purchase 10 new iPod Touch units, two iHome speaker systems and extra headphones.
These are in addition to 10 iPod Classics, 20 iPod Touches and an iPad the school already has available for K-12 students.
The iPod Touch and iPad units have been loaded with educational applications that can integrate into a variety of subject areas including Spanish, science, history, art and math.
Last spring, the advanced computer class completed a project with second and sixth graders using the iPod Touch to learn Spanish, improve spelling, do research online and study geography.
IPad hits N.S. classrooms
$10,000 worth of Apple tablets for teachers and students
Last Updated: Friday, September 24, 2010 | 5:25 PM AT
A Nova Scotia elementary school has added the iPad to its list of classroom teaching tools.
Mount Carmel Elementary School in New Waterford, Cape Breton, bought 10 of the high-tech tablet computers this year to share among its students as a complement to textbooks and chalkboards.
Principal Lowell Cormier said the $10,000 cost was covered by a combination of fundraising, community partnerships and school board contributions. He said the school expects a good return in the form of improved learning.
CBC News
Freshmen in Naselle get iPads, thanks to grant
NASELLE, Wash. — School officials in the small Southwest Washington town of Naselle are hoping some new technology will boost performance among high school freshmen.
The school district last week provided its 29 freshmen with iPads outfitted with educational software such as graphing calculators. The high school has 150 students.
Apple’s latest portable computer typically retails for $499. The Daily News of Longview reports the district purchased the iPads with a $20,000 grant from a private foundation and invested $25,000 of its own money in training for teachers.
Pearson Testing Social Studies Text on iPad
As predicted getting students to use iPads to access text books is on the horizon. Here’s an article about a one the major text book publishers testing a social studies curriculum being offered on the iPad.
Virginia Schools Launch iPad Study Program
September 30th, 2010 at 8:26 AM – News by Jeff Gamet
Schools in Virginia have teamed up with the educational book publisher Pearson to launch an iPad-based social studies program that relies on Apple’s iPad instead of traditional textbooks. The 12-week test program will include seventh and ninth grade students in two counties, and is the first educational program of its kind.
The test program includes four iPad apps designed by Pearson just for the school’s U.S. and world history curriculum. Students will be able to use the apps to create their own customized textbooks from course materials, play interactive games designed to reinforce class lessons, and take tests.
iPads go to school in Virginia
The idea behind the US$120,000 test program is to draw in students that are more comfortable with digital content than traditional printed media. “The knowledge gained will help policy makers, educators and our private sector partners better understand the potential instructional uses of interactive digital media and wireless technology,” commented Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright.
Pearson and the Virgina school system are working with Radford University to evaluate the results of the program. Virginia’s iPad learning program is set to launch on November 1.
Does the iPad Improve Science Comprehension?
A school district in Northern Kentucky is experimenting with iPads to see if they will improve science comprehension. My prediction is that it will – if the teacher is any good and doesn’t just do the same thing they’ve always done. I imagine the novelty of getting to use iPads will create some enthusiasm and excitement in the young people and as a natural course they will pay more attention and be intrinsically motivated to participate. The idea of a pre-test and a post-test could be a good idea however that should be done with care. We’ll look forward to seeing what happens.
By Associated Press
10:15 AM EDT, October 1, 2010
INDEPENDENCE, Ky. (AP) — One northern Kentucky elementary class has become a testing ground to see whether technology can improve students’ comprehension of science.
Fourth-graders at Summit View Elementary School received $30,000-worth of iPads in late September from the Duke Energy Corporation. The Kentucky Enquirer says the devices are part of a pilot project between Duke, a Cincinnati firm called STEM Innovations and the Kenton County School District.
Students were tested in science and completed surveys about their attitudes toward science a week before the 27 iPads arrived.
They will be tested and fill out surveys again in the spring.
The students are using them now for in-class math and science assignments.
Information from: The Kentucky Enquirer, http://www.nky.com