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Schools

MHS Musings: Apple iPads In Our Schools?

A student's proposition for Millburn students to use iPads in the classroom throughout their academic careers

Fellow MHS sophomore Sahil Gupta has a great idea.

He proposes that from sixth grade on, every Millburn student should be given an Apple iPad 2 to be used in the classroom.

He believes the device will enhance the educational experience and student intellectual growth, while also being economical for the board of education's budget at the same time.

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Check out what he has to say. This is an issue that is certain to spark  lots of opinions around the community. Feel free to post comments to add your voice to the discussion.

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Here's Sahil Gupta's case for Apple’s iPad 2 in education:

The release of the iPad 2 presents a brilliant opportunity for the Milburn School District. Apple’s touchscreen device is being embraced by an increasing number of schools nationwide and is being used in the classroom to teach students and augment their learning. To advance education, I argue the Millburn Board of Education should provide one iPad per middle- and high-school student.

The iPad makes a difference academically because it will make teaching, learning and studying more mobile, intimate, intuitive and fun. Students’ productivity will therefore rise. The tablet has advantages over MacBooks as well. The 9.7” touch interface enables students to interact with the technology effortlessly and the 16 GB of storage is sufficient. With cloud computing (Google Docs, Dropbox) storage space is essentially infinite.

The iPad has WiFi connectivity and Internet can be accessed through Millburn’s network (security measures will have to be taken, as MobileMe already lets you locate your iPad if it’s gone missing). A rear and front-facing camera add to the tablet’s capabilities. Teachers can use video mirroring through an HDMI output cable and display PowerPoint presentations and videos.

Besides hardware, the software is “magical” (Steve Jobs’ marketing scheme at work). iBooks and iWork with Pages, Numbers and Keynote enable students and teachers to read books (and annotate them) and create documents/presentations. Application development is driven by demand. In addition, the already-present ability of the iPad to let students take notes through the Notes application (with the touchscreen keyboard and/or an iPad-compatible stylus) and read teachers’ handouts in .pdf format (through Dropbox), future applications will let Millburn students submit their homework and take tests on the iPad (regardless of whether the test format is multiple choice or essay).

Now regarding funding for the tablets, buying one per student (at $500) makes sense in the long run. This one-time purchase is an investment. Once 6th graders receive theirs, they will keep it until their senior year and return it to the district; Apple’s warranties will keep the tablets in prime condition and frequent software updates (without charge) will keep the device current. Wireless technology will lead to a paperless and inkless school and will facilitate teachers. 

With notebooks and textbooks eliminated, our books need not be replaced. Digital textbooks are already being offered by companies such as CourseSmart; the school can cut spending on hardcover texts every year and just purchase the license for the digital ones (no more carrying those 1,350-page biology textbooks). Those paper textbooks could then be donated to school districts in need or sold back to the publisher.

Some Android fans & critics may wonder why I advocate the iPad over the Motorola Xoom or other Android tablets. First off, the district already has prior relations with Apple (we have hundreds of Macs and just may get a discount on the iPads when purchased in volume). But the bigger reason: app development. Android may very well win out in the  Smartphone race, but Apple dominates and will dominate in tablets; and the fact is more people will develop apps for the iPad— that means more apps geared toward education. Again, application development is driven by demand.

The iPad has the potential to revolutionize school technology (far beyond the overhead projector, or even the SmartBoard). Use of the tablet has been successfully implemented in school districts in New York City, Chicago, Scottsdale, and San Francisco. If the Millburn BOE  passes on this opportunity, they will have made a grave mistake. The digital learning environment is the future.

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