Students of Zeeland high schools get iPads

The students of Zeeland, Michigan, have had an interesting start to the year. That's because those students who are in high school -- close to 2,000 residents of the small city -- have been given access to iPads to aid in their studies as the whole school board makes changes to adapt.

The project, a first for the country and still in its infancy, has earned a great deal of media focus as the school adjusts its curriculum and the teachers adjust their teaching methods in turn. With kids growing up in the age of ubiquitous computers and constant connectivity it's only natural that the education system should try and keep up.

Not only the hardware, but the whole user experience of computing has morphed over the past decades as computers have gradually become less of a novelty and more of a classroom staple. Now, with tablets in specific becoming more powerful and user-friendly, Zeeland Public Schools has decided to make the leap by making iPad tablets available to every high school student in the district.

While the move may alarm some parents who fear either for their childrens' education or for the safety of the device, certain preventative measures have been put into place. As for possible distractions, students do have access to both Skype and Twitter, but not Facebook (Angry Birds is, however, accessible). For parents worried about the the theft or destruction of the iPad, families have the option of having the student sign the device in and out from the library. A $50 insurance policy is also available.

The devices were ordered at the regular discounted student rate and were not provided directly or sponsored by Apple.

Already teachers have started to tweak their curriculum and teaching strategies to accommodate the devices. With 500 iPads made available to teachers and administrators classes can be more easily recorded and shared, project materials can be made more readily accessible, and students can be in constant communication with teachers and peers alike.

By next year all students of Zeeland schools, from kindergarten up, will have access to an iPad. And we'll know by then just how much an iPad can change a classroom, even an entire school.

[SOURCE]