IPad Usage for Teaching

Technology in the classroom has come ahead in leaps and bounds.  Gone are the days when classrooms only had one computer. Children have always had access to technology in a classroom, with the use of computers, but introducing the aspect of iPad applications brings technology and curriculum into a whole other dimension.

Different apps can be advantageous in many different ways. I have used an ipad app in grade 9 to teach Animal Tissues and in Grade 10 to show a rat dissection to familiarize students with the different organ systems in mammals. Among the benefits were greater levels of student engagement and the ability to extend learning opportunities outside the classroom. I felt iPad helps in creating more active discussions and more thoughtful reflection. . Having digital media in the classroom allows students to develop two skills: digital skills and critical thinking skills.

 In large part, its form and “cool factor” have the ability to promote active learning.

As Leslie Sharpe quotes “Accidents and experiments can lead to unanticipated results and new ways of thinking—jumping into the deep end of new media usually leads to swimming in new creative waters.”