by Ally Flynn
In Global Perspectives, iPad tablets have become an extremely useful tool in the classroom. After a proposed trial by the board of education in April ran smoothly, four carts of 30 iPads have been purchased for Global Perspectives teachers Daniel Valentine, Ryan McKenna, Erin Gallagher, and Andrea Karanik.
“They are used as an educational tool, and are able to create a more one-to-one learning experience,” said Valentine. “Mr. McKenna and I realized that by storing them in a classroom, as opposed to moving the cart around, they get more daily use.”
“The iPad allows students to access online resources quickly,” said Assistant Superindent Dr. Joan Mast. “Students can work in small groups and share their documents, easily supporting student engagement and communication. Global Perspectives is dependent on utilizing multimedia-rich documents to obtain a 360-degree view of a given topic.”
The iPads, purchased using taxpayer money, are not the first in the district. iPads can be found on a smaller scale throughout the district. “iPads are utilized in media centers as catalog kiosks and in our special education programs,” said Mast. “Also, there is some availability in our elementary schools thanks to the generous support of our PTAs.”
The iPads include educational apps for students to use during their class period, either to do research, to participate in online discussions, or to take quizzes. “[On Schoology] I can make quizzes that more effectively gauge student understanding and are more interactive,” said Valentine. “It also allows for online discussions and it ensures that students who are reluctant to participate in a class setting still have a voice in the class.”
Unlike a laptop, iPads turn on instantly. With an iPad, the time usually needed to start, log in, and log out of a normal laptop can now be spent on classroom activities, allowing technology to be seamlessly integrated into the lesson without it being the focal point. “I think it allows students to be more hands-on with their learning. It is hard to escape technology today, so learning to use it in a positive way in the classroom is very beneficial,” said Gallagher.
Each student is assigned his or her own iPad to use for the duration of the year. The only problem with the iPads is that they are not designed for multi-users, so students are unable to save their work since other people would have access to it.
Global Perspectives is uniquely suited for iPad usage compared to most other classes. “The course itself does not have a textbook, and can’t,” said Valentine. “The concepts of the class, the changing nature and the evolution of what the class is would mean buying a textbook every two or three years.”
Mast agrees that Global Perspectives benefits from iPad usage more so than other classes. “At this time the district is not moving in the direction of a one-to-one initiative,” said Mast. “Instead, we are looking to support technology where it best supports teaching and learning such as in the Global Perspectives curriculum.”