Apple Promotes iPad in Classroom With New Education Profiles

[MacRumors]

Apple has shared a new Heart Anatomy education profile and a Philadelphia Performing Arts school profile that promote the iPad in the classroom.

The first profile shows how iPads allow Jodie Deinhammer, a science teacher at Coppell High School in Texas, to better educate her students about the complexity of the human heart using iTunes U, digital textbooks and apps including BioDigital Human, The Human Body Lite and MotiConnect.

"The heart unit is important because kids need to know how to take care of themselves and live a healthy life. Heart disease is a huge problem, and it's something they don't know a lot about. [...]

With the heart unit, there are lots of great visualizations I could never provide before. Now students can just click on them on iPad, and it makes the learning more concrete, so it sticks with them."

iBooks textbooks such as Life on Earth provide Deinhammer's students with a closer look at heart anatomy and the complexities of blood flow through the heart muscle, while the iPad and other apps are also used in multiple lab activities for heart rate, histology, dissection and more.

"The iPad has afforded our students the opportunity to learn science at a deeper level. They're able to make connections that weren't really possible before the technology came into the classroom."

The second profile provides a snapshot of how the Philadelphia Performing Arts, a String Theory Charter K-12 school, has used iPads to create custom learning materials and lesson plans for teachers. The school uses the iWork suite, iTunes U and other apps such as Elements 4D and Volcano 360º.

"You'll never remember a test you took, but you will remember something you created. And you will remember the moment when a teacher says to you, 'Wow, that's really awesome.' And those are the things our students get to take away with them." -- Christine DiPaulo, Director of Innovation and Instructional Technology

Apple has shared over a dozen educational profiles on its website to date.

Article Link: Apple Promotes iPad in Classroom With New Education Profiles

 

[SSD-GUY]

I genuinely worry that in a few decades, kids that were brought up using iPads will not know how to use a fully functional OS like OS X or Windows.

 

[Z400Racer37]

Why Apple hasn't taken drastic steps towards accredited online education Via iTunes, I have no clue... They would be so good in that space.

 

[wlossw]

I genuinely worry that in a few decades, kids that were brought up using iPads will not know how to use a fully functional OS like OS X or Windows.

Theres data coming out now that's even scarier. The kids of today being raised on devices are showing a big gap in there abilities to handle all sorts of tasks. http://www.sd23.bc.ca/ProgramsServices/earlylearning/parentinformation/Documents/Impact of Technology on Young Children's Development.pdf

 

[duffman9000]

In a few years kids won't know that back in the day we could actually fix computers not just throw them away.

 

[2457282]

I genuinely worry that in a few decades, kids that were brought up using iPads will not know how to use a fully functional OS like OS X or Windows.

Based on the rate of change, what we do today on OSX or Windows will be basic stuff of the calculator in a few decades. I have no idea where Apple/Microsoft/Google will take their OS over the next years. But a few decades is an eternity in technology and I would expect several revolutions between now and then.

 

[npolly0212]

I genuinely worry that in a few decades, kids that were brought up using iPads will not know how to use a fully functional OS like OS X or Windows.

I know when in middle school every kid in our district got a MacBook Pro to use in class. You had to keep it at school and could only use it during school hours when your teacher told you that you could...I absolutely loved it not having to worry with it and being an;e to work on stuff in school...nowadays my little brother is in high school and each student gets a brand new iPad to use...they ar allowed to be on it in any class at any point of the day, where he even told me he just plays games on it and doesn't pay attention than wonders why he doesn't get good grades....it's scary because none pay attention, than proceed to go home and play on it all day at home also.

 

[bushido]

I genuinely worry that in a few decades, kids that were brought up using iPads will not know how to use a fully functional OS like OS X or Windows.

*how to use a pen

I know when in middle school every kid in our district got a MacBook Pro to use in class. You had to keep it at school and could only use it during school hours when your teacher told you that you could...I absolutely loved it not having to worry with it and being an;e to work on stuff in school...nowadays my little brother is in high school and each student gets a brand new iPad to use...they ar allowed to be on it in any class at any point of the day, where he even told me he just plays games on it and doesn't pay attention than wonders why he doesn't get good grades....it's scary because none pay attention, than proceed to go home and play on it all day at home also.

wow, our schools cannot even provide new books. i guess thats the downside of free education? i remember we were using math books with our old currency instead of Euro in it for years cuz they just couldnt buy books. most schools still use classic chalkboards as well

 

[npolly0212]

*how to use a pen



wow, our schools cannot even provide new books. i guess thats the downside of free education? i remember we were using math books with our old currency instead of Euro in it for years cuz they just couldnt buy books. most schools still use classic chalkboards as well

Sadly I was one of the "poor" kids in my city but still managed to have a good life getting most hints I wanted and family having a comfortable living. So most families where I'm from were very very wealthy and lots donated to the schools and whatnot

 

[joueboy]

I genuinely worry that in a few decades, kids that were brought up using iPads will not know how to use a fully functional OS like OS X or Windows.

I said the same thing 2 decades ago. These kids don't know how to use DOS and have no clue how to operate a command line.

 

[martygras9]

I know when in middle school every kid in our district got a MacBook Pro to use in class. You had to keep it at school and could only use it during school hours when your teacher told you that you could...I absolutely loved it not having to worry with it and being an;e to work on stuff in school...nowadays my little brother is in high school and each student gets a brand new iPad to use...they ar allowed to be on it in any class at any point of the day, where he even told me he just plays games on it and doesn't pay attention than wonders why he doesn't get good grades....it's scary because none pay attention, than proceed to go home and play on it all day at home also.

Um...wow.
I remember when I was in fourth grade, the teacher told us to open our brand new textbooks to the section on the Soviet Union. She then said, "Scribble out the title and write in Russia for next year's students."

Times have changed.

 

[madsci954]

I said the same thing 2 decades ago. These kids don't know how to use DOS and have no clue how to operate a command line.

Or write programs using punch cards.

 

[npolly0212]

Um...wow.
I remember when I was in fourth grade, the teacher told us to open our brand new textbooks to the section on the Soviet Union. She then said, "Scribble out the title and write in Russia for next year's students."

Times have changed.

Yup it's gotten bad.
I'm glad I'm a computer science major in school learning everything I do lol

 

[teslo]

I genuinely worry that in a few decades, kids that were brought up using iPads will not know how to use a fully functional OS like OS X or Windows.

Edward: Man, I see kids everywhere with those stock hoops lately.
Albert: I know. Me too. It's got to be bad for their brains, right?
Edward: Yeah. It stunts their attention span. I read an article in the paper.
Albert: Yeah, I saw that. It's like they lose the power to innovate because they're staring at the stick hoop all day.
Edward: Yep.

- A Million Ways to Die in the West

 

[pika2000]

I see technology as enabler, not inhibitor. Instead of reducing access to technology just because some presumptions, I rather have technology available to allow those that have genuine interest and talent to be able to grow.

Who cares about those kids using iPads just to play games. It's their choice. Technology won't teach kids about discipline, and technology doesn't replace parenting.

 

[DMR73]

I,m really concerned that kids today will grow up without seeing the original 1977 Star Wars and fully appreciate Han did shoot Greedo first.

 

[chasonstone]

I don't know how iPad's being deployed to schools works fully, as I graduated high school in 2009 and even then my small and rural high school didn't even have wifi, but I would think it would be smart for them to run an "education" modified iOS. I think it should be modified to not allow games to be downloaded, or social media etc. for that matter. Make it only have education focused functions like textbooks, reference apps, maybe a school monitored e-mail, etc.

My boyfriend's little brother is in 8th grade and they essentially gave iPads to the higher performing students. I'm assuming a choice based on better reliability. It puzzles me how it works in practice, especially with only some of the students getting them. But I think it could be great if done right and utilized correctly. In theory the face of schools could change entirely if implemented fully. I mean, I wouldn't have even needed a locker if all my books were on an iPad.

 

[extrachrispy]

I said the same thing 2 decades ago. These kids don't know how to use DOS and have no clue how to operate a command line.

I have interviewed a number of Linux sysadmin candidates recently who struggle to produce simple bash loop code fragments on the whiteboard.