iPads - Schools Jumping Head First into the 21st Century

A private school in Chattanooga, Tennessee goes all in on iPads.

Baylor To Require Students To Use The IPad In 2012:

Baylor School has announced that all students will be required to purchase or lease an iPad beginning in the fall of 2012.

As the first phase of the iPad initiative the school has already purchased 110 of the tablets for teachers, librarians and academic support staff so they can begin preparing for the introduction of the devices to students next year. Professional development throughout the coming year will focus on effective use of the iPad in the classroom.

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School officials said the primary reason for creating a 1:1 tablet environment is to provide all students access to extraordinary resources in every classroom and at home.

“We are deliberately taking a year to refine how teachers will use the iPads with other media and teaching methods,” said Baylor Headmaster Scott Wilson. “The iPad is just one tool we will use to enhance the learning experience for our students, but we are convinced that it could potentially transform our classrooms in terms of engagement, creativity, collaboration, research and how we support varied learning styles.”

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Baylor junior Zach Watson began using his iPad in December and uses it primarily to keep his assignments organized, take notes in a variety of ways, write papers and read e-books. He said, “It has been a tremendous help in many aspects, especially regarding its convenience and the weight of my backpack, which used to weigh 20 pounds or more because of the textbooks. The iPad has been a valuable tool, and I look forward to further implementing it into my learning.”

Some key consequences of the move to iPads -

Because of the iPad’s functionality and availability of e-texts, apps, cloud computing and information sharing, Baylor’s long-term institutional goals will eventually include the reduction of computers on campus and other devices such as LabQuests, SmartBoards and the required use of handheld graphing calculators. Academic departments are being asked to reduce photocopying expenses by 50 percent beginning 2012-13, and parents will see significant savings in textbook purchases in the future.