Onekama School Introduces iPads In the Classroom

For many years, Onekama Consolidated Schools – like schools across the country – has used technology to enhance the educational experiences of its students. This year, OCS will be adding one more tool to its instructional arsenal: iPads.

The recent purchase of 70 iPads will allow Onekama students to have real-time data, access to online literature, hundreds of free learning applications, and instructional exposure to devices which are commonplace in businesses and industry today.

The iPad is a line of tablet computers developed by Apple, which is thinner and lighter than a laptop computer. The device is controlled by a multi-touch display and a virtual onscreen keypad in lieu of a physical keyboard. It can connect wirelessly to a local data network and to the Internet.

The addition of the iPads to Onekama classrooms comes after careful research by the school administration and technology coordinator into the educational opportunities provided by these devices, visits to other successful programs, and webinar training by Onekama teachers.

Onekama Middle and High School teacher Nicole Torrey, who trained to use the iPads and will be incorporating them into her classroom this school year, explained the many advantages the iPads provide. “I have always used Moodle, an online open source e-learning software, in my classroom but I have been limited at times due to the number of computers I had in my classroom. The iPad will change that.”

“The iPads have a 10 hour battery, won't have to be plugged in during the day, and start up immediately when turned on. This alone will save up to 15 minutes per class period,” added Torrey. “My students will also be able to complete all journal assignments on the devices. This will save on paper, lost assignments, and the purchase of notebooks. Additionally, the iPads all have video and photo cameras and will allow my students to create videos as part of their assignments.”

Onekama second grade student Mairin McCarthy tests out an iPad. For the 2011-12 school year, the iPads will be piloted in the second grade and high school classrooms at Onekama School.

Onekama Superintendent Kevin Hughes echoed the excitement for the introduction of the new technology. “Our staff has integrated modern technology – including smart boards, Internet, lap tops, distance learning, online courses, and virtual lessons – into proven delivery techniques and has embraced these technologies as exemplified by our students’ success. The 70 iPads will allow our students to continue to use the latest technology to enhance their learning.”

Concluded Hughes, “The iPads are an economical solution to providing a twenty-first century education to our student body. We are all very excited to see the effects of using the hundreds of newly developed applications that come with this technology, and we will be carefully measuring student outcomes and evaluating the effectiveness of these new devices.”