Developers seek to link iPad with education

Developers seek to link iPad with education

Anyone who is a friend on Facebook knows all too well how I have been jonesing for an iPad since watching the announcement. This isn't simply my usual fascination with Apple gadgetry, it's also my thinking as an educator. For twenty years, teachers have been thinking about the role of technology in the classroom and the idea of multifunctional devices with extreme portability has always been a factor of our ideal visions of the future. As a librarian, the idea of a device that can offer a more natural approach to reading (see page flip using your finger for books) and a larger, color screen (children's books anyone?) but still allow for the highlighting and annotation needed by high school and college students was intoxicating and urgently desired.

Do I think the iPad is perfect? Of course not, NO technological device ever is. But is it a big step forward for education. You betcha.