Monday, September 12, 2011

Embracing Technology: Are iPads the Future of Learning?

Embracing Technology: Are iPads the Future of Learning? | iPad.AppStorm
There has already been considerable debate over the value of embracing emerging technology in education, particularly the use of iPads in schools, but is this debate simply over method or is there something more drastic taking place?

If the use of iPads can significantly improve the engagement of students, and increase their ability to explore subjects and develop in their learning, then are we doing them a disservice by being slow on the uptake?

2 comments:

Gabriel said...

Yes we are. I know the learning process is more enjoyable and defiantly retain it more efficient and I 39 yrs old. Imagine what a younger student achieve.

Amanda Smith said...

As an educator, I would be excited and intrigued if I had the opportunity to use Ipads in my classroom. Students need to be able to use technology to further their learning. They need experience accessing technology tools to become world-competitive. While looking through blogs about technology in education, I found a post about applying Bloom's Taxonomy through Ipads. http://5ddigitalcomm.wordpress.com/2011/09/01/blooms-taxonomy-and-the-ipad/

Even though I embrace technology, I am also concerned about the dependency on education creating a lack in number sense. I have students that have grown accustomed to punching numbers into a calculator without thinking through the question and answer. Incorporating a more powerful "calculator" like an Ipad in class may create more of a dependency on technology and a decrease in number sense. "First, our own experiences in classrooms and our mathematical backgrounds suggest to us that an over-dependence on calculators may have a negative impact on the development of some mathematical skills" (Miller, Pease, Ruby & ShapiroImpact, 2004). Until we can have further research on the effects of technology in our classroom, teachers will have to experiment how best to use technology in their classroom.

Miller, D., Pease, M., Ruby, D., & ShapiroImpact, R. (2004). Impact of Calculator Use on Mathematics Achievement and Attitudes in Elementary and Middle School Education. University of Massachusetts-Lowell, Graduate School of Education. Retrieved from http://webpages.charter.net/druby/Papers/Final_Paper_V9.pdf