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iPad in Early Childhood Classrooms  Introduction

As technology becomes more prominent in our society, it is also becoming more prominent in classrooms. All of the new technologies provide many opportunities to create a different style of learning. iPads are becoming a new fad in many classrooms, students are excited to use them and many teachers are excited to share them. They have created many different opportunites for children and teachers alike, but they have also gotten grief as well. Can iPads also provide a way for students to learn and interact in the classroom? It is important to look more closely at the advantages and disadvantages that go along with using iPads in Early Childhood Education as well as to learn about some of the many apps that can be used in the classrooms.

What is an iPad? What are its uses?

The iPad comes from the Apple company. It is one of their most resent products, released in April of 2010 (What is an iPad?, 2010). The iPad is a tablet computer. Thin and portable with a full touch-screen, it is made for people always on the run, but it isn't just a usual computer for typing and looking at documents. It can play movies, provides wireless internet connection which allows you to check your E-mail and surf the web, front and rear facing cameras allow picture taking and video chats. Last, but not least it gives you access to thousands of applications, more commonly called apps. These apps range from noise makers, to interactive maps of the stars, to games. These apps are part of the reason that iPads are being introduced into the classroom, but more about that will be talked about next, in the Advantages section.

Advantages

There many advantages to using iPads in the classroom even for early childhood students. The one major advantage is that there are many apps available to make learning fun. For instance, there are apps for learning numbers and counting: “1-100 Find & Match Numbers – Sharks” is one of many examples of numbers and counting apps that are available for the iPad. According to KidSpring Studio, Inc. the app, “…is an application designed for early childhood and kindergarten preparation which helps to teach children number names from 1 to 100 and challenges them to search, identify and match the numbers” ("Interactive learning apps," 2011). There are many different apps for math, science and even reading. This provides students with a choice to learn what they want on the iPad. Giving students the opportunity to choose how to learn is a great way to motivate them because they are getting to learn in ways that interest them. iPads in classroom also have been shown to help with social skills. Students can often participate in an activity together on and iPad, which provides great social skills. Lastly iPads are fun to use for students. They are fun to use because they provide creative and interactive games for students. iPads are a new way of teaching as opposed to the old way of learning with paper, pencils, and textbooks. Kindergarten teacher Jenn Melcher says “It’s just a great extra tool for them and they love it… I have some students who really don’t like to do math, but I get the iPads out and they’re excited about it, it engages them more because it’s something they actually want to do” (Kuphal, 2011).

Disadvantages

Cost is a big disadvantage, there are opportunities to get special deals for schools through the Apple Store but the iPad was still $499 ("Select Your IPad," 2012). This poses a problem because schools may lack funding. Not only does the iPad cost a lot, but the applications are expensive as well. Teachers or parents have to buy apps to put on the iPad, some apps can be on sale for 99 cents while others are $4.99. There is a wide price range for applications, and it is hard for school districts to find the money. Another disadvantage that is still being studied is the strain on a child's eye sight. In the article, //Why Moms and Dads Should Not Over Use iPad in Early Childhood Education,// it states, "Little kids aging from 2-3 years haven't got their vision fully developed" (Abby, n.d.). The article later goes on to state, "Long time stare might cause fatigue" (Abby, n.d.). Eye sight has yet to be completely linked to using the iPad, however staring at a screen for a long period of time does strain the eyes. In an article to parents, //Young Children and Computers: Some Pros and Cons,// a disadvantage is the lack of hands on experiences children will engage in (The Cons of Technology for Children sect., n.d.). Young children learn everyday by touching items around them. It is important for them to explore the grass or water, but using the iPad kids are only experiencing the touch screen feature while playing an application.

Future

The future of iPads in the classroom is increasing. More and more schools are bringing the technology into the classroom to share with their students. On the Apple Store Website, there are multiple different applications for Math, Science, English, and many more (Thousands of apps. Endless potential, 2012). Students have many different options for reading, and practicing their letters. //Elmo Loves ABCs// one app found on the iTunes website. This app offers games, songs, and an option to trace a letter with their fingers (Elmo Loves ABCs for iPad, 2011). Students will gain the practice they need to learn letters, lower and uppercase, as well as how to pronounce the letters. Aside from this one specific app, there are many available, and more to come. iPads will definitely find a way into many classrooms as teachers and school discover the benefits to using them.

Conclusion

Today it is hard to find a child that is not technologically savvy. They can navigate computers better than their parents and start asking for cell phones before they're 11. So there really isn't an issue with fitting technology such as the iPad into classrooms. What it all boils down to is whether you feel that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The apps offer many ways to encourage students to learn, but they do come at a steep price. The iPad itself is a great tool to encourage learning, but students lose hands on experience. Overall, it is definitely something to look into if your school has the funds.

References

‍(Picture) Coccari, A. (2011). iPads in the Classroom. In //InterAction Education//. Retrieved February 9, 2012, from [|http://www.interactioneducation.com/index_files/tag-ipads-in-the-classroom.html‍]

Elmo loves ABCs for iPad. (2011). In //iTunes preview//. Retrieved February 9, 2012, from []

Interactive Learning Apps for Early Childhood Education on iPads (2011). In KidSpring. Retrieved February 9, 2012, from []

Kuphal, K. (2011, March 26). iPads enter the elementary school classroom. In Pipestone County Star Online. Retrieved February 9, 2012, from []

Select your IPad. (2012). In //Apple Store//. Retrieved February 9, 2012, from [] [|APPL/WebObjects/K12.woa/920174061/wa/PSLID?nnmm=browse&mco=7B72369B&node=home/shop_ipad/family/ipad&wosid=kLH9sdNRJ1tz2Shos9s1biPPcYA]

Thousands of apps. Endless potential. (2012). In //Apple in education//. Retrieved February 9, 2012, from []

What is an iPad? How does the iPad work?. (2010, September 21). In //askDeb//. Retrieved February 10, 2012, from []

Why moms and dads should not over use iPad in early childhood education (n.d.). In //Continue your online education//. Retrieved February 9, 2012, from []

Young children and computers: some pros and cons. (n.d.). In //What to expect//. Retrieved February 9, 2012, from []