Apple’s new iPad is all the rage. It’s hard to get through a day without hearing about the iPad on the news, radio, or through RSS Feeds. A lot of people have A LOT to say about the iPad, but for this post, we’re bringing it on home to some iPad trends of interest to CMLE members.
News emerged on March 30th that Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania is “giving” all of its full-time students iPads beginning in fall 2010. Seton Hill is providing the iPad to its students as part of its new Technology Advantage Program. The goal of the Technology Advantage Program is to “…provide students with the best in technology and collaborative learning tools, ensuring that Seton Hill students will be uniquely suited to whatever careers they choose.” It sounds like they’re especially interested in the iPad’s ability to download and display textbooks. For more information direct from the source, try this link … http://www.setonhill.edu/ipad/. For additional coverage, visit these news stories: http://tinyurl.com/yb87ttz, http://tinyurl.com/y9uqfxm.
The iPad craze hits closer to home at GFW Schools in southern Minnesota. News broke on April 12th that the high school is in the process of providing an iPad to each of its students. The Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop School Board’s new $265,000 tech program will also provide Wi-Fi and technical training next year. At this time a group of students and teachers are test driving the iPads and will soon develop a plan for implementing and using the iPads to their full potential. Here’s an interesting recap provided by WCCO http://wcco.com/education/ipads.for.students.2.1628182.html.
Doug Johnson, of the Blue Skunk Blog, also provides some interesting iPad food for thought in two posts dated April 11th and April 15th. Be sure to read the comments too!
This is going to be an interesting development to follow. I wonder how much Apple helped with the cost? Doug does a great job of covering the issues and getting conversation started.