At Least Someone Gets It

The new Apple iPad has been out for a while but at least someone is innovative enough to take a chance and purchase the first generation product and use it in the classroom as it should be used; a multipurpose education tool.  I love technology in the classroom.  It's a chance to let kids get hands on experience, while learning about technology and also utilizing a tool that they live with everyday.

I read in The Martinsville Bulletin this morning about the Henry County Public Schools (my first teaching job!) doing something that I have been hoping school systems would do.  Get rid of the traditional textbook and go digital.  At least Henry County Public Schools get it. 

From the Martinsville Bulletin:
The county was " approved for a a Beyond Books Pilot Award of $20,720 from the state Department of Education for 40 iPad computers and 40 cases, and $5,360 to buy 10 iPad computers and cases to complete two classroom sets.  Henry County was one of four school divisions selected by the state selected to participate in Beyond Books, an online textbook pilot project." 

"Fourth-graders at Sanville and Rich Acres elementary schools will use iPad computers this fall to access their social studies textbook online, have access to the Internet and other Intranet activities selected by teachers, according to Janet Copenhaver, director of technology.

The county approved $47,900 to buy 50 iPads from Apple Inc. to replace social studies textbooks for ninth-grade world history classes. Classes will be arranged so that each student will have access to the iPads, according to Copenhaver.
 
With the use of iPads in the classroom, the sky is the limit.  In fact, iPads could revolutionize teaching in general.  The development of teacher designed e-textbooks, that can be edited almost immediately, wikis that the students can use for the classroom, all of these things in one package at a student's fingertips.  Now the wait is on to see if Steve Jobs and Apple will modify future iPads for multitasking.  If they solve that problem along with some of the wi-fi bugs, the iPad will truly revolutionize education in the classroom.
 
Way to go Henry County!