Image via WikipediaMy last post discussed my total, if inappropriate, addiction to my iPad. I use it daily, depend on it for things I used to do without it, and just plain love to hold it in my hands. But, since that last post, I have discovered the iPad2 through a student and realized the utter joy this little box provides to everyone that touches it, regardless of 1 or 2.Let me explain. I began talking a few days ago to one of my students, Ben, about the iPad and he excitedly told me he had received the iPad2 from his grandparents as a gift. I silently wished I had his grandparents but, I digress. He was so engrossed in telling me about all the new things he could do that I asked if he could bring it in so we could compare iPad1 and iPad2 (not to be confused with Thing 1 and Thing 2). I made him promise he wouldn't bring it in unless his mother knew. You know how mothers can be when you take pricey new toys to school without permission.
Well, yesterday he brought it to school. He couldn't wait to show me all the neat things his iPad could do and share apps with me. Additionally, I gave him my VGA cord which I had purchased because the Apple salesman told me I would be able to hook my iPad to my Smart Board. Wrong! That only works with the iPad2--which adorable little Ben had in his hands. He hooked it up to the smart board where the kids gravitated to his side to see the wonders of technology. Again, we traded app stories and demonstrated capabilities during a "my machine is better than your machine" session.
What the kids were supposed to be doing during this class period was working on their stock market projects--something that they enjoy and have readily participated in. However, many of them, including Ben and I, ended up working on discovering the power of the iPad 1 and 2 and how it engaged students in learning. They were composing music with Garage Band, drawing great pieces of art with Art Studio, finding geographical locations with Google Earth, and seeing instant stock results from the NY Stock Exchange. We exchanged our favorite news readers (his was ABC News for the iPad and mine was The Daily). Before we knew it the bell was ringing and Benn and his fellow students needed to go their their next class.
We had learned so much--both student and teacher. Thank you, Benn, and thank you Benn's mother.
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