ipad
It all started last year, when the local PTA generously purchased some Apple iPod Touch units for our school. That purchase allowed the teaching staff to start with the devices for educational purposes with some of their students. Then, earlier this spring, whenever we met with school staff to discuss ways to make learning more approachable for our oldest son, a really bright child who has some learning retention issues, among their suggestions was that people consider purchasing an Apple iPod Touch or perhaps a similar device to enhance visual learning.
It was a great suggestion, and aware that the new school year was rapidly approaching, my husband, the I.T. guy within our house, finally ran to buy an Apple ipad 2 a few weeks ago. Although it certainly isn't inexpensive for that basic, 16 GB wi-fi model at $499.99 (on up to 64 GB wi-fi, plus 3G, at $899.99), it's an investment that we feel is worth the money.
Considering where technology was at even just a decade ago, the easy-to-use Apple ipad 2 is simply amazing! There are countless applications for that mobile device, but the most dazzling ones to me being a parent are the educational ones. Luckily, our children have the same manner.
To date, the kids have been using a learning application which allows each child to log-in and work on different levels in a school subject, rewarding correct answers with 'coins' that can be put in virtual stores. The program is basically a series of interactive 'flash cards' that need the child press correct answers and also write them in proper form. The applying reads each question aloud and can help a child solve problems when necessary. There's also a learning Bingo game that reinforces the boys' math skills. The kids fight over it. Nirvana.
For our oldest child, who is enthusiastic about fish, the virtual 'fish store' has compelled him to blow through lesson after lesson in a mission to earn coins that can buy items to outfit an entire make-believe aquarium. The fish store even sells fish food in different sizes, allowing him to give the fish that he has purchased. Kids often overfeed fish, so he must keep up with his lessons in the virtual school to be able to purchase more fish food.
Our youngest son also loves the Apple ipad 2 learning applications. He tends to spend his earned coins in the 'shapes store', purchasing little bracelet rubber bands that mirror the actual ones very popular with kids today. His coins go into one of those bubble-gum type machines (found at real stores) and out comes a trinket capsule holding the bracelet. He is able to even transfer them from virtual wrist to virtual wrist and pull them into distorted shapes that make squeeky, rubber-band noises.
The token-economy provided by the Apple ipad 2 is more effective than the more tangible ones offered at home or at school, especially for our oldest son. We intend to use the virtual economy to reward him for things like real fishing trips and other things when the school year begins. The greater coins he earns around the mobile learning device, the more fishing trips he is able to enjoy in real-life.
The other kid within our house, my husband, is on a quest now to research other applications that people can use. One of the coolest ones that he has discovered may be the Star Walk application. Point the Apple i-Pad 2 anywhere in the nighttime sky, and it will demonstrate which constellations you are looking at, similar to a mechanical telescope. Point it down toward the ground, and it'll even demonstrate what constellations take presctiption the other side of the globe in real time. Breathtaking.
There are countless applications available for the Apple ipad 2 in just about any subject imaginable, and while which includes a never-ending quantity of game titles, my husband and I agree with each other that within our home, this product is strictly for educational purposes. Besides, the boys curently have a Wii and 2 Nintendo DS's therefore the Apple i-Pad games would certainly be superfluous. While using mobile learning device for gaming would be a disservice to the reason we bought it in the first place, along with a real disservice to our kids.
Like any parent, we'll use any tool or approach to help our kids learn. We're just thankful the Apple ipad 2 has made that task a little easier and much more interesting-for all of us.
