As most people know, textbooks can be costly. Especially since schools constantly need to update, with new editions being printed so frequently. iPads allow access to the resources and texts required in the classroom, all in one portable device.
Although an iPad is significantly more expensive than a textbook, it can be a better long-term investment.
Brookfield High School in Connecticut is one of many U.S. schools distributing iPads to their students instead of individual textbooks. The iPad will be equipped with all the readings and resources they need so that they don’t need to lug a heavy backpack to school everyday. As well, calculators, translators, dictionaries and other teaching aids can all be found on an iPad, so parents have fewer school supplies to buy.
One thing that should not be undermined in all of this is the importance of teachers. While iPad’s in classrooms are efficient, they are not stand-ins for good teachers. The iPads are meant to be resources that will aid teachers, not replace them. Technology and intelligence are not synonymous, although they can co-exist very nicely!
