The Apple iPad is one of the newest gadgets that apple has released, and like most other Apple products, it is a hot commodity. People ran to the nearest apple store when it was released in April of 2010, and nearly three million iPads were sold in eighty days. The iPad is now starting to surface in schools as more than just a tablet PC, but also as a learning device. That’s right, folks: schools are now introducing programs that use the iPad to teach kids subjects like math and history through interactive games.
The first thing that comes to mind, when you are talking about getting an iPad, has to be how much it is going to cost. For some schools like Roslyn High School in Long Island, it isn’t costing parents anything. Roslyn High, a participant in a pilot program, handed out forty-seven iPads to students and teachers in two classes. The school hopes to eventually be able to provide them to all of the students.
Because the iPad is such a versatile device, it offers educators and students a lot to work with. The built-in library and bookstore enable students to find ebooks and read documents. Some have a built-in router that enables internet access from anywhere, and the ones that don’t still have built-in wifi that allows internet access. The interactive features of the device offer users all of the benefits of a tablet PC, with the added benefits of having an e-reader. Currently there are about five-thousand educational apps for the iPad, and up to one-thousand of those can be accessed with no charge. Additionally, apple has been coordinating with schools, textbook publishers, and teachers to make the iPad something that can be easily integrated into schools across the nation.