First U.S. High School to buy iPads for their students.

Imagine schools without books, or calculators, or paper.  Kind of strange, huh.  What’s a school without these core items?  Now imagine schools where all this is replaced by one device.  If you said Apple’s iPad, you’re correct.  The iPad is more than just a home consumption device, and it transcends to the educational sector very nicely.  Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop High School has seen this, and has adopted the iPad in their school.

Fritz Busch who is a Staff Writer for The Journal is reporting that Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop High School has ordered 320 iPads for their High School students.  They are the first non College/University to give their students iPads.  Fritz Busch explains how students will utilize their iPads.

“Students like using iPads in school.

“Pretty cool,” said Spencer Kruggel. “They’re easy to work with. I can do so many things with them instead of shuffling books and papers in my backpack.”

Kari Tarlseth said she could take notes with her iPad.

“It’ll be easier to do assignments,” said Bryana Benson.

“It’s exciting to have such new technology in school,” said Kyle Hoffman.

Jacob Sjostrom said it was good to get students involved with the latest technology. Students should get more excited about school.

Bertrang said iPads will allow students to receive, do and transmit homework assignments via e-mail.”

As I mention earlier Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop is the first High School to assign iPad’s to their students.  They are also the first High School in the United States to do this. Some colleges and universities are also giving their student body a choice between an iPad or a MacBook.  There is even one college that is giving their students both the iPad and a MacBook.

It’s institutions like these that are the true visionaries of education.  They see how technology is becoming more and more a part of everyday lives.  Now it will be part of our educational lives too.

Fritz goes on to comment on how a technology consultant told the school board that they need to keep up with technology, or they’ll be left behind.  Here’s an excerpt from the article:

“Last fall, the GFW School Board was told by Maplewood-based, educational technology and K-12 online learning consultant David Glick that if they didn’t keep up with the latest computer technology, they would get behind in a future world without traditional schools.”

I am in total agreement with Glick.  My childern’s school has instituted SMART Boards in all of their classrooms. The kids can go up to the board and touch and move objects around, much like the iPad.

It only takes one school to start a domino effect that will trickle down to the rest of the schools.  The schools will have to take into account how much money they’ll be saving on textbooks and supplies that will not be needed, before they make the plunge and buy up iPads.

Photo Credit: iPad SLC 2

Article Via The Journal

I'm a husband, dad of two great kids, and I have a passion for Apple products. I got my first Mac in 2005, and I haven't looked back. I like the simplicity of the Mac, and how does the motto go, oh yeah, It just works. I think that's the great thing about Macs how the hardware and software work harmoniously together. I've also been in the IT industry for over fourteen years. I've worked with everything from Windows computers to Mac computers. I can say I thoroughly enjoy working with Macs.