Lakhasly

‏Ali and his classmates sit next to each other in
‏an eighth-grade science class in Saudi Arabia. They
‏are not listening to their teacher or taking notes in
‏their science journals. Ali is watching a video about
‏cells on his iPad. Other students are using an app to
‏design their own science experiment. When they need
‏help, they type a quick message to their teacher, who
‏monitors them from his computer.
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‏Home
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‏In the U.S., young students are learning about
‏world geography not through maps but through
‏real people online. Using the Global Book Series
‏app, schoolchildren from other countries create and upload presentations about their
‏countries with photos and videos. American students then access this digital library on
‏their tablets and go on tours of cities in Russia, Belgium, and New Zealand from people
‏who actually live there. They watch them, they hear them, and the places feel much
‏more real than maps ever would. In return, American students then share their own
‏tours of cities in the U.S.
‏MAGL AT
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‏In today's world, tablet computers are revolutionizing education. More schools are
‏using tablets instead of paper or books. Many governments predict the best jobs will
‏require students to have strong computer skills. They want their students to be prepare
‏for the future, where jobs in science and technology will dominate'. Countries around
‏the world are investing millions in technology for education, and putting tablets in
‏children's hands is one step toward their goal.
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‏Why are more and more educators in favor of tablet education? According to them,
‏one of the biggest advantages is tablets allow students to be more creative. Experts
‏agree that tablets should not just be for note-taking. Instead, they should be used to
‏help students make their studies and their ideas come to life.
‏As an example, students in a history class in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are
‏using an app to discover and "rebuild" an ancient city. To start, they take a video tour
‏of the ancient city of Petra. With tablet technology, they can "walk through" it as if they
‏were really there. Next, they use an app to design their own city. Finally, with special
‏software, they turn their designs into a presentation and share them instantly on their
‏screens. The students use creativity to solve their own problems. Experts believe this
‏motivates students to learn more.

‏Another advantage of tablet education is that
‏learning is more interactive. Without tablets,
‏students are limited to communicating with their
‏teacher and the other students in their classroom.
‏With tablets, they have access to a much larger,
‏global community. In Canada, teacher Kristen
‏Wideen works with another teacher in Singapore.
‏Their students have used Twitter and Skype to
‏share math problems and tweet about tadpoles".
‏The benefit is their students get a more global
‏perspective than they would with just a book. They
‏have a much bigger audience for their ideas.
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‏Studies have shown that having tablets in the classroom can improve students' test
‏scores. A study of 266 kindergarten students in the United States showed that students
‏with tablets scored higher on every reading test, compared to students without them
‏(Bebell et al. 2012). Another study in California reported that middle school students
‏with iPads did 20 percent better on their math tests, compared to students who just
‏used a textbook (Bonnington 2012). Part of this is because tablets allow teachers to help
‏students instantly. When students' scores on an online test are low, teachers can direct
‏them right away to a video or website for extra instruction. Students can also email or
‏text their teachers for help and get instant feedback.
‏Still, no technology is perfect. Many students are often expected to complete
‏tablet assignments at home. One problem is that not all families have Internet access.
‏Other times, Internet connections are slow or stop working. This can put children at a
‏disadvantage. For this reason, governments around the world are also investing millions
‏in fast, reliable Internet for schools and cities, but this will take time.
‏ə For teachers, another disadvantage is that students can get easily distracted on their
‏tablets. After they complete their assignments, some students end up playing a game
‏or texting a friend. They stop concentrating on the teacher and the classroom. This can
‏be frustrating to teachers. It can make students miss important information. Too much
‏distraction can also have a negative impact on students' grades.
‏How can these kinds of problems be solved? For one, teachers are going to need
‏more training in using tablet instruction. Second, schools will have to make sure that
‏children are accessing the right content at the right time. And parents must also learn
‏to adapt to technology they never had in school. But, if students, parents, and teachers
‏can work together, the "classroom without walls" could become the classroom of the
‏future and prepare children even better for our connected, digital world.
‏References
‏Bebell, Damian, Sue Dorris, and Mike Muir. 2012. "Emerging results from the nation's first kindergarten
‏mplementation of iPads." Research Summary. Auburn: Auburn School Department.