IPads and Tablets in the Classroom

            When I think of iPads and tablets I think of Angry Birds and racing games but not in a classroom setting, doing class work. I think that it would be helpful if we could use one in class. Would the use of iPads and tablets in the classroom beneficial or is it harmful? Further, do they help with retention of information and engagement in schoolwork?

            Mark Gentile said that iPads and tablets bring “…new and exciting educational opportunities…” I interpret this quote to mean that because of iPads and tablets students are given something different to use and get class work done. IPads and tablets allow students to do things that they cannot do in a class room (Murray and Olcese 43). IPads and tablets invite students to learn how to navigate through different programs and websites (Maloney and Wells 13).  Documents can be easily shared throughout different applications and viewed in the same sense.  There are applications out in store to fit everyone you just have to find out what you like to work with best and stick with using it (Hedge 51-52). Teachers also have this ability to find programs and stick with them.

            Teachers can engage and interact with their students more with the use of tablets.  There are programs that can allow a teacher to give and receive comments regarding work.  A student’s work can be viewed immediately and comments can follow and the student’s peers could do this also (Enriquez 78). Tablets and iPads can be taken anywhere with you and this easy transportation can allow for more interaction between students and teachers (Hedge 50). There is also the choice to implement the use of a blog or a social media site like Twitter or Facebook (51). Teachers can have immediate conversations with their students via email and give personal comments on students work which in turn can improve work and work ethic (Enriquez 78).

            In an article I read by Amelito G. Enriquez, students improved test, final exam, quizzes, and overall homework scores when they were allowed the use of tablet . They studied two groups of students, one used tablets and the other did not. The group that used tablets and iPads had more class participation and engagement in all aspects of the class . The students could follow along with their teacher and mark up their own presentation or document with information they found relavant (Enriquez 81). “Students not only learned the material but gained confidence such that they were more successful in completeing homework assignments and were better prepared for quizzes.” The students managed to keep a better score in the class and turn in better quality work because it was all at their fingertips (83).

            One problem that could arise, however, is security and the sites students view.  Teachers can control what their students are watching and what they are learning by using certain applications and make it so only certain students, the ones in the class, can view it (Gentile 12-13). I believe that this could be beneficial to students so that they don’t get off task or distracted because of the iPad or tablet itself.

            Some could argue that the initial cost to get an interactive tablet or iPad could be too much and when you add in the additional upkeep costs a damper could easily be put on a school’s budget.  The cost of an iPad or a tablet is on average $600.00, going both directions in pricing depending on the amount of memory (The Apple Store ).  I believe if we regard this and just buy them that eventually the school budget would come out even.

            Another problem that could arise is that applications may not be manipulated easily enough and students could have trouble using them. Some applications don’t have the collaboration factor that is essential in a classroom and that can be harmful to a student. There isn’t one application that would do it all for the student and teachers would have to outline the exact expectations. Research has been done to see if there is a single application that could figure out exactly how a student learns and they haven’t found one. They have, however, found applications that configure to an individual based on their answers to questions or games (Murray and Olcese 48).

            I believe that everything is worth a try.  The school could pick a class and implement the use of a tablet or iPad and see what happens.  If implementing an iPad or tablet in the classroom engages a student and helps them produce better work why not try it?  We could see if the benefits outweigh the risks of buying them.  I don’t think that we would even have to make them a requirement for every student.  We could try it out on a single class and see where that takes us. I believe that giving students the option of trying out an iPad or tablet could be beneficial.  I would personally use them in a class if we were provided one.  I think that being about to conform something specifically to me would help me make my education better.  Regarding the initial price of an iPad or tablet and the upkeep costs I think that students could use a tablet or iPad to their benefit. So the next time you think of an iPad  try to picture it in your hands, at your school desk, doing classwork.

           

Works Cited

Enriquez, Amelito G. "Ehancing Student Performance Using Tablet Computers." College Teaching n.d.: 71-84. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.

Gentile, Mark. "The Importance of Managing iPads in the Classroom." Education Digest Feb. 2012: 11-13. EBSCO.Web. 13 Oct. 2013.

Hedge, Stephanie. "Teaching with Tablets." Education Digest Feb. 2013: 50-52. EBSCO. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.

Maloney, Michelle M. and Veronica A. Wells. "iPads to Enhance User Engagement During Reference Interactions." Library Technology Reports Nov./Dec. 2012: 11-16. EBSCO. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.

Murray, Orrin T. and Nicole R. Olcese. "Teaching and Learning with iPads, Ready or Not?" Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning 2011: 42-48. EBSCO. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.

The Apple Store . 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.