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iPad for High School

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Baseballjohn

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 24, 2010
2
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Bonuses are coming up and I was thinking of getting our three teenagers iPads for school (two high school, one middle school). Report writing is not intense but 5-10 pages with formatting, pictures, graphs are common. Small presentations come up and only simple spreadsheets. I know Pages can't do extensive editing (TOC, footnotes) but figure they could use home computer (PC) for final editing if necessary.
Do iPad owners think this would work effectively.
 
For writing reports I don't think so. It would be handy for researching and reading articles while typing on the computer though. Your kids would love them though.
 
Might want to check and see if they are allowed to bring electronic devices to school. If it's for home use, I would get them Mac minis. I have had my iPad for three weeks and I still have not ported a couple of spreadsheets to it. It is too distracting. :D
 
I know some schools banned the use of cell phones and ipods. My school used the term "off and away". Glad I graduated. Heard my school went down hill the last few years. (pretty much turned to a prison like setting)

In a way I like how schools banned those devices. Your in school to learn, not text to your "BFFs" or listen to some.... ummmm guy who says nothing but "let it rock" :rolleyes: (and let what "rock" exactly? :confused:)
 
LOL I was the first kid in my high school that i know of to have a cell phone. I was 17 and I had to pay a $200 security deposit since I had no credit. My plan was $25 a month for 450 minutes and I had 20 texts but no clue how to use them (and no one to text to.) Oh, and my phone was completely necessary since my vehicle would randomly shut off when I stopped and not turn back on :eek:

Anyway, to the OP:

Your kids will LOVE them. Its a great device for casual things like browsing, creating documents (basic ones), watching movies, etc. I would suggest maybe they don't take the devices to school cause thieves are everywhere.
 
Not a good idea

I think it would be a waste of money to buy iPads for high school and middle school children. These would be nothing more than expensive toys for them. The real draw for most people is that the iPad is great for consuming data, not neccessarily producing it. Checking e-mail, organizing photos and surfing the net are not standard parts of the high school learning day. The distractions would be too great with the iPad. They need more interaction with actual people, not less at this point in their lives. Plus I do not think the iPad is the best tool for their school work. They would be better off with a notebook or laptop.
 
Baseballjohn said:
...but figure they could use home computer (PC) for final editing if necessary.
Click to expand...

They could do their entire projects on the home computer, you could save money, and not indulge them with expensive gadgets. Build their college funds with the bonus money.
 
FWIW, the high school i work at is mulling over the idea of in the next 2-3 years supplying Ipads to all incoming students so they can have all textbooks and other classroom related materials in 1 place...
 
If you have the money to get them for them I think it would be great. They would each have their own device for looking up information for reports. Can easily sit at the kitchen table or in their room or take to the library to use. I have put together documents with pictures in pages. There are some things it needs work on but feel it will come with some updates. Typing on it may take some getting used to but 5-10 pages probably would be nothing for them after awhile.

I would suggest getting them at least a month prior to going back to school if you can. That way the initial novelty may have worn off, and they can use it more as a tool, as well as having some time to get used to typing and learn a little more about what they can use it for and what they would need to use the family computer for. And as someone said find out the school's policy on bringing it to school with them.
 
Overkill. Just have a couple desktops at home for their work - they don't do that much. I teach middle and high school kids. I don't even think they should have their own machines unless you don't mind them knowing a whole lot about all the porn on the Internet without your knowledge.
 
iPad for ur kids in high school? Ur kids might get jumped for it. Definitely will get stolen. I'd say yes but make sure ur kids leave it at home.
 
My school doesnt allow cell phones or ipods, they must be "Out of sight". But when I brought my iPad this past year playing games on that was perfectly fine even though they are the same as the ipod. Anyway the iPad is a perfect tool for high school. This coming fall I will be a senior and will use the iPad or my MBP everyday. Even if your school doesnt allow electronics they most likely allow laptops and thats what the iPad is classified as in my school, anyway. Also its a great social tool since everyone wants to see it everyone is always around you, so thats a bonus.:D
 
Haha, bad idea!!!

LOL, your kids would be ridiculed to no end unless they go to a preppy school!

Do you really want your kids waiving around a toy that is at least $500 a piece? Is it a public school? The other students would shun them, well, to a certain extent.

The only "work" they would be doing would be playing games in class.


Give them a week, it will be sold for pot! LOL!!!
 
As nice as Apple will claim their onscreen keyboard is, it's a ergonomic nightmare. Not very good for long assignments and bringing a dock and Bluetooth keyboard around is silly.

I don't know why a lot people are acting like hooligans saying things about how your kids will be treated and how they will deal with the device. Seriously who gives a hoot about what other people care.

Nonetheless, your kids might be better served with a MacBook or whatnot.
 
Orange™ said:
LOL, your kids would be ridiculed to no end unless they go to a preppy school!

Do you really want your kids waiving around a toy that is at least $500 a piece? Is it a public school? The other students would shun them, well, to a certain extent.

The only "work" they would be doing would be playing games in class.


Give them a week, it will be sold for pot! LOL!!!
Click to expand...


Why would they be ridiculed in a public school?
 
I go to high school at the moment but I never bring in my Ipad. I find no real use for it. I always hear "why would you buy a big Ipod touch." from my friends and they say it is a pointless waste of money until they play with it. But I would say buy it for them because I love mine but so far I have no real use for it doing school work. You kind of do get rediculed for it because everyone thinks it is just a big Ipod touch. And why waste $500 on an ipod? Recently in my school a 6th grader brought his Ipad to school and it was stolen.
 
Well its just like kids calling the iPod Touch an iTouch. I mean come on, you dont call it an iNano. Kids are uneducated when it comes to technology (they can spend all day on tech sites and still be uneducated) and the difference between right and wrong. Those kids may say "why waste $500...." well what would you spend that $500 on? The 6th grader learned a hard life lesson. Glad he lost it. Maybe next time he wont be bringing expensive gadgets to school. Plus whats a 12 year old doing with an ipad anyway?

and not all kids smoke pot. Its mostly just the posers and may be a few jocks.
 
I dont know how you guys get stuff stolen. I just dont let it out of my sight.
 
About the possibility of it being stolen... I brought my macbook pro to school everyday last year, used it in two classes a day and left it in my backpack when i wasn't using it. I still have it today. It wasn't stolen, one because i wasn't flashing it around to everyone, and two, I didn't let my backpack out of my sight, or if I did i made sure it was in a locked room under a jacket or in a cupboard. As long as your kids aren't stupid with it i think they should be fine. And having the computer with me last year was tremendously helpful, i was bake to get a lot of work done which saved me a lot of time.
 
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