There was a day when schools supplies consisted of backpacks, calculators, and plenty of lined paper. But at Webb School, a private school in Knoxville, Tenn., 4th-12th graders are also expected to carry an Apple iPad with them to class.
Jim Manikas, technology director at the school, says that students will be able to access information for their classes whenever and wherever they need to. The iPad will virtually eliminate the need to rely on stationary desktop computers and students won’t need to schedule computer lab time just to work on assignments. Over time, Manikas believes the iPad will replace the need for text books.
In a statement on the school website by Scott L. Hutchinson, President, Webb School of Knoxville, the importance of technology is explained:
Webb School gives great thought and invests significant resources into understanding what are the most relevant and important areas of study for a young person today and what are the best ways to teach that material… Experiential, collaborative learning and the increasing role of technology are both at the heart of how Webb students acquire new information and thinking strategies that can be retained and applied over time.
Bad news for parents is that they’ll need to fork out the cash for an iPad, on top of the school’s tuition. However, the school will offer to lease iPads to students for a cost of $200 per year, paid over a 10-month school year.
I’m thinking that for a private school, the issue of cost is not as relevant as it might be for parents of students in other schools. That aside, while I am a big proponent of technology and like this idea, I still hate to see books go, and they seem to be taking a back seat quicker than I expected.