POINT/COUNTERPOINT
Yes It’s true that the iPad brings many
of the same functionalities to the classroom that
the laptop does: 24/7 access to multimedia and
information, wireless Internet connectivity, and
portability. As such, some view the iPad as simply a
replacement for the laptop. But the tablet is truly a
new platform for classroom computing.
And we’ve proven it at my school, Marymount
School of New York. The iPad gave us the opportunity
to transition from long-term projects that incorpo-
rated software-specific projects with a steep learning
curve to smaller-scale, app-based learning activi-
ties. We also view the iPad as a creation tool as op-
posed to a consumer tool and
focus on what the iPad can do
instead of on its drawbacks.
Consider Writer’s Studio,
an app our second grade sci-
ence class used for a unit on
earthworms. Our lower-school
science specialist was able to
“test drive” and learn the app in
less than a day, and the learn-
ing curve for the students was
Eric A. Walters
No
While walking the aisles at the Texas
Computer Education Association (TCEA) confer-
ence this year, I bumped into an old colleague, an
ed tech and educational publishing veteran escort-
ing a visitor from Europe. “What’s hot at the con-
ference?” she asked. “It’s all about iPads and other
mobile devices,” I replied. “What new applications
should we be sure to see?” she pursued. I paused.
“So far, I haven’t seen much that stands out,” I fi-
nally had to confess.
Sure, there’s a lot of excitement. Tablet devices
such as iPads are cool technology. Ed tech suppli-
ers are scrambling to make existing programs run
on iPad or Android, and due to their portability
and the “wow” factor, a lot
of educators will probably
start using them. Of course,
at that point they’ll have the
same programs they had be-
fore, just more portable. In
some cases, that will be an
improvement. But “improve-
ment” isn’t “revolution.”
Pardon me, but I’m skepti-
cal. Maybe it’s my age; I’ve
Michael Baum
