On the heels of Clearwater High School getting Kindles instead of textbooks, a Nova Scotia school as done one better (I think)—they got iPads. Mount Carmel Elementary School in New Waterford, Cape Breton got 10 spiffy new iPads for the kids to use in class. Reading, math, learning apps the kids have it all.
Grade 2 teacher Cindy Pembroke said this: “Some kids have a hard time reading a book, but you put an iPad in front of them and they think they are playing. They’re actually learning.” I love tricking kids into learning, it’s a rather nice way to teach I think.
It cost $10,000 to get all the iPads and such and how might you pull that off in one of Canada’s less prosperous provinces? Community donations, fundraising, and other clever ways, of course. I can imagine the bake sale for that one. Buy an iCookie for iPads…
Regardless, I think this is great and frankly if I could, I’d make sure both my kids had iPads for school. I hope the experience in Nova Scotia sets a trend for schools across Canada. If there are any teacher reading this who have used iPads or Kindles in class, please let me know. I’d love to know how well they are (or aren’t) working out with kids.
We touched on this very thing during the last TNW Podcast and I think all of use agreed that Kindles or iPads were a great idea, but I think the concern over cost and durability is a valid one. However, someone has to lead the way and try. I for one would be happy to donate money so my kids’ school could have iPads. Computers? Yeah, they are old news. Not to mention both my kids were computing rings around their teachers by Grade 2.
iPads in school? iLike it.
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