I was very fortunate to have an iPad assigned to my room for supplementing learning. I was really excited about the opportunity, but when it actually arrived I started to really think about it.
The positives include all the great apps that are out there, the technology will draw kids in and "hook" them, it will give kids that would never have the chance to use this type of device a chance to do so. There are more of course, but these were the ones that came to my mind right away.
The not so positives are that there is only one device for 20 kids, it is a new to our room, with it's own set of routines and it is April (my year is almost over), the kids that could use the assistive technology tend to hyper-focus on fun things, and this could be a problem integrating the iPad into their programs at this late date.
The bottom line is that I am trying to find apps that will support learning so that work happens on this new device and integrate it into my classroom in a way that everyone gets to use it for something valuable. I just don't know if I have enough time until the end of the year to make it work. My EA is also concerned that the kids she works with won't be able to share and that raises a bunch of other issues for her.
I love the idea of putting technology into kids hands. I believe that by the time they are my age technology will just be life for them, a natural thing, like breathing. Now is the time to start getting them ready.
Any thoughts?
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