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Hi, This was in the Cornishman yesterday: http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Cornwall-school-gives-pupil-teacher-iPad/story-13743002-detail/story.htmlI am quite disturbed about this. The idea of getting rid of paper and pen in the classroom, and replacing textbooks with internet access is just daft.
Firstly, how are children supposed to learn neat handwriting, proper spelling and so forth if they type everything?
Secondly, if they are going to do all their work on the iPad, then how are they going to stop the pupils spending all day on facebook?
Also, an iPad doesn't have the best UI for actually creating stuff rather than consuming it; a real keyboard is much better than the on-screen one, for example.
Then there is the issue of wear and tear, and obsolescence. What happens when all the screens get scratched from being in school bags for a few months? What happens when Apple release the next version of the iPad? Are they going to fork out again for an upgrade? Apple kit is not cheap.
And then there is the potential for muggings. This part of Cornwall has a very low crime rate, but advertising that every pupil from that school is probably carrying an iPad is just asking for trouble.
And then there is the issue that it is an *iPad*. This is just as bad as buying Windows kit, if not worse. Apple keeps a very tight control over what is and isn't allowed to run on an iPad. If they wanted tablets (and I'm not sure that is a good idea, for the reasons above) then Android tablets would surely have been cheaper and a better prospect; at least Android is linux-based, and you are in full control over the device, rather than being held hostage to Apple.
Apparently, this school is also the "Apple Regional Training Centre", so they train *other* teachers to use Apple kit. Ugh!
Anthony -- Author of C++ Concurrency in Action http://www.stdthread.co.uk/book/ just::thread C++0x thread library http://www.stdthread.co.uk Just Software Solutions Ltd http://www.justsoftwaresolutions.co.uk 15 Carrallack Mews, St Just, Cornwall, TR19 7UL, UK. Company No. 5478976 -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/listfaq