ipad

　　Applehasbeenrevolutionizingthewaywelookattechnologyoverthelastthreedecades.ThefirstMacintoshcameoutin1984.Fastforwardto2001andtheiPodsetnewstandardsinmusic.Sixyearslater,theiPhonecreatedawholenewwayofcommunicationwithit'sbroadrangeofapplicationsandWi-Ficapabilities.

　　ButAppledidn'tstopthere.InSteveJob'srecently-publishedbiography,authorWalterIsaacsonwritesthatthetextbookindustrywasoneJobsreallywantedtochange.Applerecentlylaunchedit'sneweducationplan,makingtextbooksandotherlearningtoolsavailabletostudentsthroughtheiPad.

　　iPadsarenowbeingdistributedthroughpublicschoolsineverystate.WhiteKnollHighSchoolhasbroughtiPadsintotheirclassrooms.BradTillman,aprobabilityandstatisticsteacher,usesthesedevicesinhisclassroomeveryday.

　　"Formeit'sasmuchaboutcommunicationasitisaboutgatheringdata...therealworlddatatheyputinstatbooksisoutdatedthenextmonth,"saidTillman.

　　Thestudentsareallowedtouselaptopsintheclassroomaswell,butsomeagreetheiPadsarealotmoreuserfriendly.

　　"Itsaloteasierthanluggingaroundalaptop,"saysseniorJacobGreer.

　　EvenTillmansaysthecapabilitiesoftheiPadsexceedthatoflaptops.

　　"AsamathteacherIdidn'treallywantlaptops,causewecan'tdoalotofthingsthatwecandoontheiPad,"saidTillman.

　　Thesedevicesaren'tjustbeingusedinhighschools.TheiPadshavebecomepopularwithcollegestudents,sopopularthattheUniversityofSouthCarolinastartedaniPadrentalprograminJanuary.

　　TheiPadsareavailablethroughacheckoutsystemintheTechLoungeattheThomasCooperLibrary.Sincetheprogramhasstartedthey'vealreadyhadaboutfourhundredcheckouts.ManagerLanceDupreesaysintegratingthisnewtechnologyintostudent'scurriculumiswhathewantstosee.

　　"We'realwayslookingfornewwaysthattheycanbeusedbythestudentstofurthertheireducation,"saidDupree.

　　USCtriedtocoverabroadspectrumofwhatstudentsmightneedfortheirclasseswithfortysevenapplicationsavailable.IncludinggamessuchasAngryBirdsontheiPads.

　　Havethesedeviceswhichwereintendedforeducationalpurposesbecomeadistractionintheclassroom?PsychologyprofessorDr.AdamHutchesonunderstandthatlisteningtolecturesaren'talwaysfun.

　　"Iunderstanditseasytocheckout,butitdoesn'tgivethemanexcusetobeplayingAngryBirdsfortheentire50mindurationoftheclass,"saidHutcheson.

　　Andwhathappenswhenwinningagamebecomesmoreimportantthantakingnotes?

　　"Whenitsabetterrewardthanlearningsomethingnewinclassthantogetagoodgrade,wehaveaproblem,"saidHutcheson.

　　TillmansaystheiPadscanbeagreattoolforteachers,buttherearenegatives.

　　"IthinkthereareseveralwayswheretheiPadhasrevolutionizedmyclassroomandotherwayswhereitsthesameolesameoledistractions,"saidTillman.

　　Highschoolfreshman,BiancaLopezagreesthatit'ssometimeshardtopayattentioninclasswithaniPad.

　　"Ithinkitsbetterinawaybutatthesametimeitsdistracting,"saidLopez.

　　Somestudentssayitmakesclassparticipationforenjoyable.

　　"IfeellikemorepeopleareinvolvedcausetheycandoitontheiriPads,"saidGreer.