Assignment 17 - Jacquelyn Engel

Today, our world is consumed by technology. In just a decade, we have greatly advanced it to make our lives easier and more efficient, and more products and innovations are constantly being created to enhance our lives even further. Technology has been very beneficial to us, but there have been arguments as to how it has harmed us. Recently there has been major controversy about using iPads in the classrooms. Apple aims to revolutionize education for students by using this portable, handy, electronic device. The concept sounds like a great idea, but if the cons are really considered, you can see multiple issues that arise with it. The top concern for implementing this idea is that it will be a distraction. It’s pretty clear that the iPad is primarily used for entertainment so allowing this in the classroom would only interfere with their studies. Students already use their phones during class to check their social media or play games. If an iPad were allowed, it would only facilitate the student’s motives to get on these sites. Instead of serving as a learning device like it should be, it is a distraction. A simple security system would be the easiest solution, but students can hack into it. In California, they distributed iPads to a few schools. In an article by Businessweek, they stated that “it only took a few days for students at Westchester High School in southwestern Los Angeles to bypass the filtering software”. If students breached into the security system the first time, they will likely do it again, and they could spread information on how to hack into it which would allow more students to use the iPad as a distraction. Another concern deals with finances specifically for public schools. At first, it seems logical to buy iPads because the ratio of iPads to books would be lower. You could have seven books on an iPad for one student versus seven books per student; therefore, the expense would be less. That’s not the case because in addition to buying an iPad for every student, every e-textbook, every learning app, and any software needed would have to be bought as well. This is no different than having textbooks for each student. The only difference is that the government will be spending 500 more dollars on each student, and according to a CNN video about iPads in schools, “school budgets are very tight right now”. Not only would this be an unwise choice, but it is also unnecessary. We already have the learning material that we need. An iPad would just be a cool, new device so spending money on 2000 iPads would be pointless. There can be a lot of technical issues that come with an iPad. The whole system can easily get messed up that could delay teaching or lose all files. Unlike a textbook, an iPad requires electricity. There could be constant charging throughout the day that hinders on the students learning. Wifi is important to use with an iPad and with 2,000 plus people using one server, it could slow everything down. Also not all students are able to connect to wifi if they take the iPad home with them. According to a news report by NPR one student “used the iPad at school to help coordinate a recycling project but at home he had no internet connection”. An iPad is, indeed, very convenient and portable. Everything you need is right there. There is no more carrying textbooks and any other heavy material which can be a pain. But, that’s about it. Reading a textbook in paper form versus on an iPad is virtually the same. You’re learning the exact same material, and to be honest, most students don’t even read what they’re assigned to in their text books. So, it’s actually pointless. Why should money be spent on iPads if students aren’t even doing their assignments? iPads are fun to use, but in conjunction with education, there is a lot of uncertainty. Too many obstacles get in the way, and it defeated the whole purpose of the iPad which was to be a unique learning device. It has also made things more complicated than it should be with the conflict of security, the financial aspect, and the connectivity to wifi out of school. We’re better off just sticking with textbooks because the simpler the better. Works Cited "Apple Wants Schools to Center on IPad." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. Leonard, Devin. "The IPad Goes to School." Businessweek. N.p., 24 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 Dec. 2013. Westervelt, Eric. "A School's IPad Initiative Brings Optimism And Skepticism." NPR. NPR, 13 Dec. 2013. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.