Ipad Research

Ipad’s in High School Classrooms Our parents went through high school using slide rules instead of calculators. While technology changes, so do the instruments used in education of high schools. In April 2010, Apple Inc. released their newest gadget that is now used to replace books and laptops in high schools across America. The new tablet that Apple has produced is the iPad. The iPad is extremely light, remarkably thin and has the newest software to make reading books, checking email or surfing the web incredibly easy. The big question is, whether this new piece of technology has helped high school students in their studies. Over four hundred districts in America have iPads in their high school classrooms. However, new technology in a classroom may not always have a positive effect on a high school student. With the iPad in a high school classroom there are more opportunities to do faster research and introduce multimedia subjects to the classroom, however, iPads can also break, run out of battery or cause lots of distraction in which books or textbooks may not. There are many pros and cons to why iPads should be replaces with books or even just an accessory in high school classrooms today. Every student gets excited when there is a new piece of technology they can explore and play with. Over the last year or so Ipads have been introduced to hundreds of schools across America. High school students nationwide are getting their hands on an iPad. The first question I ask high school students when tell me about their new gadget, is whether or not the iPad benefits them in their education. My core example in the usage of iPads in high school classrooms would be Monte Vista Christian High School, a small private school located in the farming hills of Watsonville, California. This year, Monte Vista has replaced most all their books with iPads. Every student is required to carry around their very own iPad, which is synced with the correct books by the school when the school year starts. The student must still pay for their books, however, they are much cheaper than hard copy textbooks and will safe the student money in the long run. Now are having textbooks on a technical device a better thing to have? Many teachers and students agree that the iPad is quite the distraction when it comes to focusing on material in class. Teachers try to limit any distraction in the class, while the iPad creates it. When reading a textbook, students are forced to engage in what they are reading. It is more difficult to be on your phone or being doing other homework, when all you are expected to have out on the table is your textbook. However, when using an iPad, there are an endlessness amount of distractions and other things a student can be doing other than their classwork. On a late Thursday afternoon, I drove out to Monte Vista to speak with their senior class English teacher, Marcus Schwager. Mr. Schwager explained to me that, “The iPad is more for the student than the teacher. Ipads are more of a distraction than books, reading books would be more of an effective way of teaching” (Schwager). On an iPad you are able to have numerous apps, music, games, movies or even you could be surfing the internet or on facebook. It is much harder to keep a high school student focused on what they should be doing while they have a lot more distractions open to them. However, Mr. Schwager made a point by saying that, “Ipads have a larger impact on more struggling students. If a student is already tuned out a little bit, than they are more likely to play video games, or get off track, and the iPad makes that a lot more tempting. But if it is a good student, whether you are reading off a screen or a book, it shouldn’t make the biggest difference in the world” (Schwager). In saying, iPads may be more of a distraction when teachers are trying to keep their entire class on track and focused on the material they are learning. Do having iPads in the classroom effect students test scores? Larry Cuban, a professor of education at Stanford University states, “There is very little evidence that kids learn more, faster or better by using these machines” (Winnie). New technology does not necessarily mean better education. There have been many studies shown that test scores have not gone up since iPads have been placed into schools. Cuban also states that, “IPads are marvelous tools to engage kids, but then the novelty wears off and you get into hard-core issues of teaching and learning” (Winnie). There is very little evidence whether students learn or do better on test when they are using an iPad instead of a textbook. Another huge disadvantage of having iPads in schools is that many schools should be focusing more on their teacher’s salaries, than spending seven hundred and fifty dollars on each iPad. Schools a cross the nation have been having problems with not being able to afford teachers, causing there to be bigger classrooms and less help. Unfortunately, many schools have been rushing to invest in iPads before their education value has been investigated and proved to help students in there studies. On a positive note, there have been studies shown that iPads have helped students with autism, down syndrome and other special needs. Unlike computers, Ipads have a touch screen layout that makes the iPad easier to use for autistic students. These students with learning difficulties may find the iPad much more interactive and may find sliding and tapping easier than typing or handwriting. Studies have shown that autistic students shown more interest in the topic they are studying while using an iPad instead of textbook. It has become a more attractive device when captivating a student’s mind that has learning disabilities. The Ipad seems to motivate an autistic student into focusing on what they are learning, keeping them interest and fascinated. There was a study done in Australia called the “Ipod Therefore I Can: Enhancing the Learning of Children with Intellectual Disabilities Through”. In this study, they monitored 10 autistic students who were using iPod touches. Autistic children are born with poor motor skills, which make the buttons on an iPhone or iPod quite difficult to use. However with the iPad being of a larger size, students with autism will learn better motor skills. According to David Winograd’s article “Helping Autistic Children with IOS Devices”, a large number of apps have been created to help the autistic. These apps can help with those who need help with attention span, communication or organization. “The data is still being analyzed, but the results seem to be positive and indicate that the use of these devices can extend short attention spans, demonstrate understanding, and increase interest when students were previously found to have scant interest in much of anything” (Winograd). This study done showed significant success in children with learning disabilities and further research is still being done to help these students grow. I personally enjoy having an iPad in class. My last year of high school, most textbooks were replaced with iPads. I enjoyed the new technology that we got to learn how to use in class. It also gave our teachers opportunities to have blogs or websites they have created so that every student can be looking at it on their own iPad. Although we had iPads in our history, english and science classes, I believe that they were most used in our English classes. We tend to use our history textbook and power point slide shows rather than the iPad, however, they were still used now and than. I found it more difficult to have the iPad in our science classes because we would go through different labs, experiments or dissections while trying to flip through pages on an iPad; it got pretty messy! However, in our English classes, we used iPads daily, reading blogs, books off of ibooks and Internet articles. I believe that the iPad was most helpful and useful in English and Literature classes. I really enjoyed having the iPad available to me in my high school classrooms. In conclusion, Ipads in classrooms may interest high school students, however it has not helped them in their education. The amount of research they are able to find while still staying in the classroom has definitely improved with the iPad, although, there is also a bigger distraction with more things to be able to look and do on the iPad. Having iPads in high school classrooms has opened up doors to faster research and is a great way to introduce multimedia into the classroom. These smaller tablets are extremely light, replacing heavy books, and extremely useful when needed access to the Internet. Students definitely show much more interest in an iPad rather than a book. Ipads are a great device for students with autism and other learning disabilities, who need to work on their motor skills. The iPad is the perfect size and a fantastic tool for them to engage in. My experience with iPads in classrooms has been a wonderful experience. I do encourage schools to engage students with iPads in their classrooms, however, if more teachers are needed or money for sports is needed, I feel as if this is more important considering that the iPad has not yet been proved to raise test scores of students. Yet, many high school students have a difficult time staying focused to a book or blog when they could be playing games or chatting on Facebook during class time. This is a problem that in the future may be solved with higher technology. I hope that I have influenced your ideas on iPads and how they can help or hurt a student in a high school classroom. Technology will always be changing the way students are learning in classrooms, hopefully we can soon put this technology to better use resulting in better grades and test scores from high school students.