iPads in the Classroom

Using iPads in the classroom has been a point of contention in the education for a long time.  Many people would like to integrate the device into their lessons, while others see it as just a toy and/or a distraction.  There are others who would love to have iPads used in their classroom, but run into problems like student device/platform fragmentation (ie Android, Windows 8, Android).  Personally I fall into the latter group of teachers and highly desire to use iPads in my classroom but I have trouble doing so because I run into snags when trying to integrate the device into each of my 7 classes.

This article outlines many of the frequently asked questions when the discussion of iPads in the classroom, comes up.  One of the main arguments against using them in the classroom is that many teachers see iPads as a distracting gaming device.  The other side of the argument is that teachers must be on top of their students at all times, and even more so when an iPad is being used.  If your students are using iPads for playing games, checking Facebook, or sending email in class, you are managing your classroom incorrectly.  There are plenty of ways to restrict access to certain features, and even more so, setting up guidelines, procedures, and consequences before hand will make your lesson run a lot smoother.

Another issue that is debated is whether or not an iPad would help students learn, or detract from their learning.  Ultimately, this comes down to how the iPad is being used.  If a teacher was to stand up in class and ask his or her students to browse YouTube for a video the they think is interesting, the "lesson" would quickly spiral into cat videos and One Direction music videos.  However, a more structured lesson that only allowed students to use iPads for certain tasks and at certain times would be much more efficient.  For example, a teacher may teach a lesson about DNA and how it replicates and then ask students to work in pairs to create a short video using their iPads about how a strand of DNA is paired and made into proteins.  This provides the students with direction and allows for creativity.

There are other factors that go into deciding if iPads should be utilized in the classroom such as: cost, who pays for it, book replacement, mandatory vs optional, etc.  Each one of these questions and issues must be examined thoroughly before a healthy iOS program is rolled out at any school.  If any of these issues are ignored or "tabled", the program will cause frustration for teachers, while providing students with countless hours of class time to fill their minds with Cut the Rope.

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