Blog Post #3

$10,000 Grant

If I were to win a grant for $10,000 I would purchase iPads for my classroom. It is a common and typical device for a classroom, which is why I would choose it. Apple iPads are easy to learn and are viewed as "fun" for students, which would increase their excitement about using it. Choosing a difficult, high-tech device may hinder the students and myself because of difficulties in usage. Rather, by purchasing iPads, students who have access to other apple devices like iPhones, Macs, or their personal iPads can be accustomed to using the software and transfer apps to their own devices at home. Pros of iPads are the ease of use, the commonality, the app availability is wide so there will be many options, and the price is reasonable. Cons of iPads are its functionality as a toy, it can be fragile, accessories to protect it may also be expensive. Weighing the pros and cons, I would choose iPads as my device of choice over other tablets because of the available apps. Apple has many different app developers and has numerous apps that can be used educationally. Other tablets may be more difficult to use and have a limited amount of outside applications. The iPad can be used for books, pictures, drawings, and other different modes which would be a great addition to classroom instruction. They are also great to use because many classrooms today are using them and experimenting with them so there will be constant movement and innovation.