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Apple introduced the world to its long-awaited tablet today and named it the iPad. The device will be available sometime in March and the starting price is $499. In this article I will begin exploring the possibilities for this innovative tablet for teachers, students, and everyone involved in education. I will attempt to highlight the great uses, critique the omissions, and begin generating questions for the device as more analysts get their hands on it.
Editor’s Note: Yes, I am aware that all of my positives and negatives are gleaned without having used the device.
HIGHLIGHTS: So much to talk about here, but I’l try to move through it quickly. What a great price for education! So many rumors were out there that the device would be near $1000. A price tag of $499 makes it more than competitive with the netbooks.
The iPad Keyboard Dock will be available for $69 and this will be a great accessory for education. I am sure Apple has tweaked the touch typing quite a bit, but a physical keyboard addition is a great plus.
The greatest feature in my opinion for education is the ability to have the iWork Suite available on the iPad. That is what the iTouch was missing. Now students can do word processing, slide show presentations, and create spreadsheets, and so much more for only $10 for each iWork app. Adding iWork is AWESOME! The speed of the operating system and the ease of use appears to be a marvel!
Making the iPad an eBook reader combined with all of the other great features is a treasure. I know several schools that just spent thousands of dollars on Kindles. What do they have? A nice eBook reader. The iPad is a Kindle Killer, and adds so, so, so much more to the package. ”Out, out, brief Kindle.”
Students will be excited to have this device in their hands, and it will be easy for them to use.
The iPad will certainly add excitement to the classroom, and will become a powerful tool in education. Imagine the possibilities of the iPad.
OMISSIONS:
No Camera: There is no camera on the iPad, however, you will be able to import pictures and video through an accessory called the iPad Camera Connection Kit. (No idea on the cost at this time.) This camera connection kit will allow you to use the iPad’s USB port or from an SD card reader. Hopefully there will be some some sort of video editing program like iMovie available. I will want my students to be able to create podcasts and video projects. I really want to believe Apple will add a camera to this device!
No Multitasking: Having a difficult time seeing my students working on Safari doing a webquest without being able to use their word processor at the same time, or completing an online math assignment without being able to use the built in calculator. I really want to believe Apple will add multitasking soon.
QUESTIONS:
• How do you print? If you have iWork app how do you print your creations?
• How many iPads can you sync to a computer? Is there a limit? If a school wanted to go one to one with these iPads, how would that work? If you purchased iWork for $9.99 and all 150 iPads were synced with one computer, couldn’t you use it on all of them?
• Can you access servers? Can you hook up external storage devices?
Wired Educator’s overall first impression? We are very excited! Can’t wait to try this out in the classroom. A few years back I started the iPod in Every Classroom initiative. Well, it just got the mother of all upgrades. This is what I was looking for in a classroom handheld device.
Don’t take my word for it yet. Let’s hear from someone who has actually used it:
Jan 28, 2010 @ 05:21:21
Nice thoughts, and I’m happy to know I’m not alone in having a great deal of enthusiasm targeted toward the iPad’s use as a learning tool. In the near term, I’m looking forward to development of rich, interactive experiences designed to replace traditional textbooks. I think all of the following are possible:
- Embedded video and animated graphics
- Links to external, web-based resources
- Customized content embedded by teachers and other students
- Annotatable: Highlighting, underlining, margin notes, audio notes, etc.
- Collaborative: Students and teachers sharing thoughts in the form of audio, text, and annotation.
- Current events/news tie-ins: American History “book” that links Obama’s State of the Union Address today to other Presidents’ Addresses, for example.
- Keyword/keyphrase definition engine
- Layout that adjusts for readability: larger print, text to speech, hide graphics, etc
- Research gathering tools that bookmark information and export correct citations
…and these are just a few of the possibilities.
When I consider the hardware capability, usability, development platform, distribution platform, price point, and overall elegance, I don’t believe we’ve ever seen anything like this in education. I see this as a disruptive innovation in the structural design of learning–perhaps more important than the computer itself.
Jan 28, 2010 @ 16:09:11
So, I have some doubts about the iPad in its first iteration for the classroom http://www.ededco.com/ipad-in-the-classroom, however I do think that you have made some interesting points about the iPad.
Jan 31, 2010 @ 23:44:31
The iPad has a bunch of problems that limit it’s usefulness in the classroom. Like the iPod Touch, it’s a locked-up device for which enterprise-management tools aren’t available. The browser isn’t flash capable, and for reasons I mention at http://richard.milewski.org/archives/510, even the new HTML5/CSS3 capabilities (which it does support well), won’t solve that problem.
The iPad and education « Plug In or Unplug?
Feb 02, 2010 @ 19:22:17
iPad for education? « Throw Your Chalk
Feb 06, 2010 @ 09:11:06
Feb 27, 2010 @ 13:41:28
I’m surprised your site has no RSS feed. I was just getting ready to add it to my news reader.
I have found that most geeks/technologist just don’t get what a paradigm shift the iPad represents. They are all too busy looking at what it lacks from a geek perspective instead of what it will allow non-geeks to do.
The iPad will be the first computer my Mom and Dad can use that does not require my technical expertise. Now, that’s liberating.
Mar 12, 2010 @ 00:19:42
Interesting question about printing. I wonder if you would even need to print much if you had a load of these things in a classroom. The kids could use them for reading and e-mail themselves documents if they wanted to work on them at home.
I guess it would be nice to be able to print things out if you wanted to put them up on the walls, though. Knowing Apple’s love of all things ‘airport’, the iPad will probably network with printers wirelessly.
A lot of people have mentioned that it’s locked and can’t open multiple apps at the same time as a negative point. As I mentioned over at http://un.teachable.net/2010/03/do-you-want-an-ipad-in-your-classroom/ , I think this is a good thing because it forces the kids to concentrate on what they’re doing and they can’t be playing around on facebook when they’re supposed to be working.
Mar 27, 2010 @ 06:46:50
I’ve tried several “after market” keyboards, including so-called heavy duty “Gamers” models. They have all fallen short on quality. Especially when the letters wear off!… This Apple Keyboard is excellent. Not expensive, but you can tell that Apple put the quality in there. Though shallow key throw, you get good feedback, even with it’s silence. The only thing that makes a real sound is the space key. Not a bother, but it stands out from the silence of the other keys. nice wide spacing for big fat fingers for us guys. Excellent Apple quality, and looks could not be better. Goes great with anything! I’m very happy I finally got this model. It will last for years. You won’t be disappointed if you get one!
Apr 10, 2010 @ 00:55:32
Just got one for my classroom and my fifth graders LOVE IT. Amazing possibilities.
May 14, 2010 @ 10:24:01
iPad Resources: Just the beginning! | Technology Bits Bytes & Nibbles
May 21, 2010 @ 03:03:57
May 31, 2010 @ 14:36:47
Great article. I agree that this is the device that can revolutionize the classroom and education in ways never thought before. One must also look outside the device for the overall possibilities. For one, Google Apps for Education which would provide students with school provided email addresses and the the ability to complete and submit homework online without the need to print. Secondly, if textbook publishers realize that eBooks are not the only solution for texts and focus efforts on creating textbooks as apps . . . you will provide a ‘text’ for students that can reach a student in ways that no traditional textbook or ebook could.
It will be interesting, and it’s definitely time.
Jun 03, 2010 @ 16:13:36
Hi !, you have a great blog here! I’m definitely going to bookmark you! Thank you for your info.And this is Tablets Computers site/blog. It pretty much covers Tablets Computers related stuff.
Jun 19, 2010 @ 06:20:34
Hi, I am getting a classroom set of 36 iPads for my room. I agree that many of the “limitations” of the iPad are actually great for education. The lack of flash support eliminates about 80% of the online games, no multitasking is a godsend, and the slim form factor and product recognition creates a true buzz with the kids. Using a program called handbrake, you can import any video file not compatible due to flash and the iWork.com file sharing is an amazing cloud file sharing service. Download a one dollar app called good reader to enable a hierarchical file structure in the iPad and you golden. I personally don’t want the kids to print anything. They can upload their files and I can choose to print. If anyone else is doing this drop me a line a d we can swap ideas. kevin.rasco@bisd.net
This was typed on an iPad BTW!
HELP: I will have iPads in a section of my technology class for future teachers
Jul 19, 2010 @ 03:06:37
Jul 20, 2010 @ 02:10:19
i am really looking forward to getting one now since it’s really affordable considering you’re getting a mac. although, i believe that there is really a hype surrounding it. but as long as it will make students interested and attentive. it is worth it.
Jul 27, 2010 @ 19:29:18
We discuss the uses/drawbacks and review apps for classroom use at http://www.ededco.com/blog!
Check us out!
Sep 06, 2010 @ 03:02:38
Nov 17, 2010 @ 15:14:32
i think we should use the ipad in classroom , i think it will help us wit are learnin skills ,
Technology in Education | One. Two. Three. Education.
Apr 13, 2011 @ 00:44:37