Posted on July 5th, 2011
School sees tablets as a tool for learning
Article from DailyBulletin.com
Sandra Emerson, Staff Writer
Created: 07/04/2011 07:02:10 AM PDT
UPLAND – For Western Christian Schools’ officials, Apple iPads will be viewed as a tool for learning rather than a distraction during class.
Western’s High School campus in Upland and k-8 campus in Claremont, will each have 30 iPads traveling from classroom to classroom when school starts in September.
“This year we thought what a great idea to raise money for iPad lab, which is basically a portable computer lab, but instead of using standard PC or Mac computers it will be done with the iPad,” said Brandon Doolittle, advancement director at Western Christian Schools.
So far, 50 iPads have been purchased with money raised during a fundraiser in May. Doolittle is raising money for an additional 10.
The ultimate goal will be to have an iPad for every student, Doolittle said.
“This is kind of like our kick start to get teachers used to it, get students used to it and to get parents familiar with where we’re going as a school,” Doolittle said. “If all goes well we could see this implemented at the high school for the 2012-13 school year as a one to one program.”
For students who do not like the idea of dissecting a frog during science class, there’s an App for that.
“Once you have the frog dissected you can pick apart the organs that have been exposed and they get enlarged full screen and you move them in in a 3D space and read about their functions,” Doolittle said.
Teachers are currently researching various ways to implement the use of the iPad and its applications into their 2011-12 curriculum, Doolittle said.
“One of the best things about the iads are that they can provide a tool for teachers to reach student of all different learning styles,” Doolittle said. “You have your visual learners, your auditory learners, and your tactile/kinesthetic learners.”
The iPad labs will also help to compliment the curriculum for both advanced students and those who need help catching up, Doolittle said.
Plus, the iPads have a long battery life and weigh less than a textbook, which pleases Holly Wood, a parent of two students at Western Christian High School.
“As a parent you’re concerned for your children in so many different ways and carrying a backpack loaded with books has proven to be harmful to their spines and their backs,” Wood said.
Wood is also a believer if giving children the latest technology to help them prepare for college.
“If they don’t have an understanding of technology when they graduate from high school they’re going to be lost,” Wood said.
Academics, High School, K-8
