Technology Reflection: Ipad

The Ipad is a very useful tool when used properly in a classroom setting and can be a fun and exciting way of learning, especially in the content areas of reading or math. There are many applications that can be found online to aid teachers such for the I pad such as a constitution application as well as numerous reading and word games. This is great for students because they love interacting with the I pad. Despite its allure, I would probably not use the I pad in my classroom because I would want to spend money on something that is slightly more practical such as updating projectors and laptops. Teaching social studies has so many ways to make it fun and entertaining and I think that introducing the I pad to this would be detrimental to my student's learning. My main issue with the I pad is money issues as I would try to incorperate it into my class if I thought I could get a good outcome from it. This technology can be related to pedagogy in that it provides students with visuals and other ways of learning which satisfies Garder's theory of multiple intelligences. By molding to the students learning style, the I pad can be an effective tool for educators. This is why the versatility of the I pad is useful. In my content field (social studies) the I pad can be useful in learning specific passages of the US constitution or using flash cards to help remember historical characters in world history. The I pad can be useful if I would need to simulate a civil war battle or have interactive maps for the students so that it is easier to understand where and how history develops. All of these uses are very practical, however, many of them could be achieved without the ipad such as using online interactive battle sites or providing plenty of chances for repetition among the students. Because this technology is relatively new, the capabilities and benefits to education could be infinate as more people develop applications specifically for different subjects using differant learning strategies.

October 28, 2011 8:47 AM