How Has The Rise of iPad Usage Affected Students and Faculty?

In recent years, we’ve witnessed a significant shift in how technology is used in education, and the Ipad Pro has emerged as a popular tool for students in ISB. Students of ISB use the Ipad Pro to take organized digital notes and access course materials from anywhere. It’s range of apps designed to help students worldwide, has further fueled this trend. In particular, students at ISB have embraced the Ipad Pro as a learning tool, using it to take digital notes and access course materials from anywhere.

Photo Credit: ArtemisDiana/Shutterstock Creative Commons (Available for use)

According to Chad Bates, The information technology director in ISB. The use of Ipad’s increases with the grade level; with more seniors using them than freshmen. While Ipads were already used at ISB before the COVID-19 pandemic, the shift to online learning has made them an even more important part of students’ lives. An increasing number of students started using Ipads for classes, particularly for English and math. In support of the claim, evidence shown when surveying — ISB students, — have and use their ipads everyday. When asked what technology at ISB looks like in the future, “The merger between a laptop and a Ipad becoming one device” as he has seen over the years technology just keeps evolving

The benefits of Ipads in the classroom, such as the ability to take organized digital notes and access a wide range of educational apps, do come with their own set of distractions. Students at ISB are often distracted by entertainment apps because of the easy accessiblilbity, this leads to the struggles with maintaining focus during class.

Despite this preference for computers, many students at ISB still choose to use their Ipads for taking notes, primarily due to the convenience of the Apple pencil. In an interview with Amadine Massard, a grade 11 student, she explains how her Ipad has become an indispensable tool for her daily school life. Massard received her Ipad in Grade 10 and has continued to use it everyday for every class to take her notes and download files. Massard states “I havent used a paper notebook since I got my Ipad ” She uses her Ipad to take organized notes with a wide variety of colors and sizes; using the apps goodnotes. During class Massard is often engaged using her Ipad, however she admits she sometimes gets distracted by her easy accessibility to social media and entertainment. Although the Ipad pro comes with many advantages such as eliminating paper waste and helps students to stay organized and engaged with her classes . Massard finds one of the disadvantagesis carrying the heavy Ipad in her bag everyday. Additionally, Massard expresses that when using her Ipad, the school wifi can sometimes be bad; Therefore she uses her Iphone hotspot to continue using her Ipad.

While Ipads are currently used in elementary to grade five due to the preference for handwriting, camera quality, and app selection. In grade 6, students are given computers. Because the keyboard on the computer is much better than the keyboard on Ipads for students, as Students prefer a computer for writing tasks. Though Ipads are extremly popular in highschool and used in middle school, Bates says the computer keyboards are ideal for highschool students when writing essays and the commands options. But the Ipad pencil for writing and drawing is ideal for middle school students. Although most highschool students use both computers and ipads everyday in class. The ipad can often be considered an advantage for students; The ipad and computer both correspond to work together for students, As information on google classroom is preseted on the computer but writing the notes are on our ipads. An interview with middle schooler Harry Wills revealed that he too, uses his computer and ipad in clases . This shows that all students of ISB learn and grow with techonogoly, even some students are unable to study without both devices. Students receive information from their computer, but students apply that information to their ipads by taking notes.

The Ipad Pro has emerged as a valuable tool for ISB students. The Ipad offers a range of features that are well-suited to the needs of ISB students. As technology continues to play an increasingly important role in education, it is likely that we will see even more ISB students using the Ipad Pro.