Using iPad's for Reading Books in the Classroom

“With great tools comes great responsibility. Can’t wait to hear about the learning that goes on," Kathy Cassidy. Kathy is a first grade teacher who just converted her classroom into a one-to-one program, and she said that having iPad's for every student is a great opportunity for herself and her students. Kathy isn't the first elementary school teacher who is using iPad's in her classroom, and she isn't going to be the last teacher to implement this program into her classroom. iPad's can be a great addition to a classroom because the iPad's are a great utility tool that can do a number of things that can benefit a students education. One of the most important things to remember about having little kids using iPad's in the classroom is that the teacher can control what books, reading apps, and spelling apps are on the iPad's so the students stay on topic and on task.

As I mentioned above, the teacher has the ability to download or buy books from the App Store so the students can right off the iPad's. According to esparklearning.com, schools can save money in the long run if they buy and download reading books off of the App Store. For one, as I mentioned, this is going to save schools money, but books on iPad's can be more convenient for teachers because they won't have to worry about buying more books and finding more bookshelf room for the new books. Teachers can also get rid of their bookshelves and find more room for more activities for their children. Another beneficial idea that can come from having iPad's in the classroom would be that the students would be more engaged in the reading or spelling activity if the activity is on the iPad because most kids enjoy using iPad's so they will have fun with the learning activities. The last beneficial idea of having iPad's in the classroom would be that kids enjoy using new technology over the paper style because they feel like they are using cooler devices, but the students don't realize that they are still doing the same learning/reading that they normally do.

In the end, I think having iPad's in the elementary classrooms for reading and spelling purposes is a great idea. The books in the App Store are going to save teachers and schools money in the long run because the books will last longer, and the books are cheaper than paper copies. Kids these days love using technology so they will be excited to use the iPad's in their learning environments because they will be more engaged and ready to learn. The iPad's can also be used for spelling activities that can go along with their reading activities by using spelling friendly apps.

References:

Cohen, Johnathan. "Using iPads to Increase Productivity in Elementary

     Education." eSpark. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2015.
Cassidy, Kathy. "iPads in Primary: Does 1-to-1 Make a Difference?" WordPress. 
     N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. <http://plpnetwork.com/2012/07/02/ 
     ipads-primary-1-to-1-difference/>. 

Benefits of Using iPad's in the Elementary Classroom

iPad's are starting to invade elementary classrooms across the nation, and the schools who haven't hopped on this bandwagon yet are starting to look like they are falling behind their counterparts. Schools who have implemented iPad's into their classrooms are trying to encourage the schools who haven't done so to allow the new technology into their classrooms for the students to use for further learning. Allowing technology into elementary classrooms is very controversial, but I'm here to discuss the benefits of using iPad's in the classroom.

One of the most beneficial things about using iPad's in the elementary classroom is that the students are going to be paying attention when the iPad's are out because the students will be fully engaged in using the iPad's that they won't be distracted (Wainwright). Most students don't enjoy doing boring busy work like worksheets so an alternative to doing math problems on worksheets could be using an educational math game on the iPad where the students are still learning but having fun while they do it. iPad's will be more interactive for the students so the students will be more excited to use the iPad's than filling out worksheets. Another beneficial topic with iPad's in the classrooms is that the teachers can control what apps and information is on the iPad's so the students can't get off topic (Cohen). The teachers who use iPad's in their classrooms have the power to download the educational games and reading formats that the students will be using so they have control over what the students will be using when it's time to use the iPad's. iPad's can be very useful tools for learning, but it takes the right apps and reading formats for the students to be successful.

In conclusion, I think iPad's in the elementary classroom can be very beneficial for both the students and teachers because the students will be more engaged in learning, but the teachers still have control over what the students are doing while they are on the iPad's. I hope to use iPad's or some type of technology similar to the iPad in my classroom because they are very easy to use, and the iPad's will keep the students engaged in learning.

References:
Wainwright, Ashley. "Effects of iPads in the Classroom on Elementary Education."

     Secure Edge Networks. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2015.

Cohen, Johnathan. "Using iPads to Increase Productivity in Elementary

     Education." eSpark. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2015.