Illinois school buys 7,000 iPads for students

iPad mini promo (users 006)

The Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 in Illinois is going to put a cool seven thousand iPad 4 units into the hands of its students this Fall, another major win for Apple’s iPad in education initiative. An extension of the district’s experimental 2011 one-on-one program that put the iPad 2 in the hands of 1,500 students last fall, the decision highlights the growing importance of Apple’s tablet on instructors and students…

According to the Daily Herald, the district will pay between $1.25 and $1.43 million for a three-year lease of between 6,000 and 7,000 fourth-generation iPads, representing 50 percent of the school’s students.

The institution will educate about 60 additional teachers to handle the initiative.

Three teachers who are using the iPads in their classrooms made a presentation on their effectiveness to the board Thursday. While they all admitted there was a learning curve at first, there was a consensus that the devices are doing wonders for their students, particularly challenged learners.

Teachers are adamant that the Apple tablet has resulted in better organization, instant feedback, savings in paper and class time and more engaged classrooms. And thanks to some apps, students can no longer fly under the radar and are now held accountable.

“We know exactly where each student is,” says Brian Harlan, a science teacher at Hoffman Estates High School.

Daniel Cates, associate superintendent for administrative services:

We believe the one-to-one program is changing our teachers, it’s changing our instruction, and most importantly it’s changing the way in which students interact with their world.

The Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 students will get to use their iPads next school year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqTwYa46OKE

Apple last night posted a pair of new iPad commercials which promote the use of iPad in education, among other things.

The district officials are already considering expanding the program to include every student by the 2014-15 school year.