Technology is always changing even in the classrooms. I found out on apple.com that iPads are now being used in the classroom. They can be used for interactive lessons and study aids. Students are able to track their grades, track assignments, and take notes with the iPad. Teachers can also track the progress of their students, plan lessons, and stay organized with the iPad and its applications. It is a quick and convient way for not only teachers but students as well to learn in the classroom. Presentations can be made on the iPads with awesome animations and effects, which can then be presented on a bigger screen for the rest of the class to see. Teachers can also work on their iPad but have everything they are doing projected onto a bigger screen, so the students can see everything that the teacher is typing and any hand movements, like pointing to something on the screen. iPads can also download books, so when the class is reading a book together they can follow along on their iPads.
I think the iPad would be a great piece of technology to bring into the classroom. It would especially be helpful to students with disabilities because it is more interactive than a textbook. I think, in general, students would want to use the iPad and want to learn with it. It would be more interesting and exciting which would motivated the students' learning. One draw back would be that the teacher has to be aware of what the students are actually doing on the iPad. If they are on different websites, like Facebook, looking up other information not relevant to what is being taught in the class, or playing games. Overall, though, I think iPads could be really useful and effective in the classroom if they are monitored carefully.
