#Week 5: iPad as an efficient tool for education

So I was born in 1993 and the Internet has always been a normal part of daily experience. However, the Internet, without being assisted by its perfect companion – the computer, might not be able to significantly transform the world as it is now. I can’t imagine life without them. Even though we may think that the couple Internet and computer has sufficiently benefited us in numerous ways, we should be thankful, again, for another awesome innovation – the Apple iPad.

The iPad fads have spreading out to the entire world. As iPad has successfully shown to the world its distinct advantages that may greatly shift our life to a whole new different level, it is no surprise that the iPad are now being adopted and embraced as one of the most effective educational learning tools, especially for young kids. Many people believe that iPad will truly take classroom education into the digital era. iPad has been and will be our “norm”.

So have you guys ever wondered why iPads?

1.    Practicality: iPads offer portability and flexibility that a traditional PC or laptop cannot provide. For instance, instead of having to carry around heavy textbooks for every class, the lightweight iPad which offers a digital parallel to books or papers allows us, especially children, to even learn while on-the-go! In addition, with the touch screen, iPads enable intuitive touch to interact with computers, bypassing mouse-click and PC learning requirements, and getting straight into the actions.

2.   Interactive: The iPad provides many features that allow the users to interact with the information we are learning. iPad features can include anything form 3D graphics to interactive images, videos, and audios which make our learning experience much more exciting than what our traditional learning devices can offer. More importantly, with customizable options, iPads can be tailored to a particular kid with specific needs.

3.   Educational Apps: According to the Apple iTunes Store, there are currently over 20,000 different educational apps available. Hence, it can be ensured that there will certainly be an app that can meet our education-related demands. The wide variety of educational apps includes interactive lessons, study aids, as well as productivity tools for all ages.

4.   Environmental friendly: With the use of iPad in schools, we have significantly reduced the cost burden of textbooks and the environmental burden of paper. Even though some may argue that such an investment on iPad actually costs much higher than paper used for textbooks, iPad is still beneficial and may save money in the long run.

5.      Lifestyle: For most, the use of technology has become a way of life. We rely on technology as much as we enjoy it. By implementing the latest technologies such as iPad, there is sure to be an increase in excitement for learning. In other words, iPads, or its successors, are going to be the future world’s standard issue systems. Although we may now see them as amazingly luxurious devices, in tomorrow’s world, these will become a fact of life.