The Webb School of Knoxville is a private school and teaches kids from grades K-12. Beginning next year things are going to be a little different for some students. There will no longer be textbooks. That's right, students will no longer have to crack open a book. However, there is an app for that. The school has decided to make iPads mandatory for all students and teachers in grades 4-12. The parents will either have to purchase their child an iPad they will have to rent one from the school.
The school looked at other alternatives such as laptops and digital readers before ultimately settling on the iPad. They believe that because of the wide variety of applications that are available it was the best fit for the school. At the beginning of the year the iPads will be loaded with the required applications and it will be the students’ responsibility to keep them synched and up to date throughout the year. Students will also be allowed to download other applications of their choice.
We are in a digital age but is this taking it too far? While an iPad may be a handy tool to enhance the learning experience for students, it can be very distracting as well. While the school will have sites like Facebook and Twitter blocked, it will still be easy for students to access games while they are supposed to be paying attention in class. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Some schools and Universities are encouraging the use of iPads in classrooms but it is hard to imagine a classroom with no books.
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