IPAD's in the classroom

Barseghian, T (January 27th 2011), Teaching with a tablet: one educator's experience, Mind/Shift (March 8th 2011). http://mindshift.kqed.org/2011/01/teaching-with-a-tablet-one-educators-experience/

Q: Do you think the Ipad is actually changing the way students learn?
- Ipads are helping students to learn differently. A teacher puts sample video;s up and when the student is at home they can watch the video quick. It is like the students can take their teachers home with them.
Q: Where do they work out the problems?
- There is a sketch pad, but this teacher does not believe the Ipad can completly replace the old fashioned paper and pencil. Because the Ipad does not allow her to see her students work their math problems out.
Q: How have their test scores measured up?
-In the begining their test scores were actually worse than her classes that were using sctual text books. She says that once she had a discussion with her class about what they had access to and how to use them correctly to benefit them, (especially the videos) their scores improved a significant amount.
Q: Do you see the Ipad helping with students who are having a more difficult time then their classmates?
-The Ipad will help the students who want to do well. One thing it does is allow her to know who exactly is answering what, and if a significant amount of the class has the wrong answer allows to go back, and go over that problem.
The article also talked about how students were saying the Ipads made math more fun and learning more fun. Teachers using these do not think it is just a passing fad, or that the Ipad will go out of date quickly. They are expensive, but in time would pay for themselves if text books no longer need to be bought. Also talks about how some teachers are afraid the Ipad would replace them, she answers them as to the fact that it is just like if i child is reading from a text book, she still has to walk around and make sure that students are doing what they are supppose to be doing.