Nearly a dozen schools will open in August in the Netherlands, the educational day centered around the products produced by the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs. In what creators call ‘Steve Jobs schools,’ children 4-12 years old will use iPads in place of textbooks and the role of teacher is turned into a ‘learning coach,’ according to a German magazine.
These concept schools also replace the usual structured classroom with learning tied to students’s individual learning pace. Still, educators insists children in the schools won’t always be in front of screens, allowing kids to be kids…
The concept is just the latest example of education touched by iPads in the classroom, where the tablet has reduced the number of textbooks required for students while expanding the tools for teachers and administrators.
“Because the entire curriculum is digital, students will be able to complete their classwork whenever and wherever they choose, in or outside of the classroom,” according to Der Spiegel.
The classes focus on three core skills: arithmetic, reading and text comprehension.
Using the iPad also permits teachers and parents to remain updated on students’ progress. As the author of the article notes, if one app is not considered useful, there are always other choices.
“The supply of educational programs never runs dry in Apple’s online store,” writes Marco Evers.
Every six weeks parents, teachers and students will decide on the curriculum to meet their particular learning goals. According to the profile, the idea of a ‘Steve Jobs’ school was that of researcher Maurice de Hond.
Beyond the iPad, there are the usual school activities, such as exercise, playtime and art.
The growing acceptance of the iPad in the classroom was emphasized when LA’s school district recently signed a $30 million contract with Apple, which will provide iPads with educational software preloaded to all of the district’s students.
It’s a major deal: LA is the second-largest school district in the United States.