Apple computers has had a commitment to educators for decades. Although their release of the iPod and the iPad devices were chiefly focused on the average consumer, the technology embedded in them is a natural fit for the classroom.
Today's student have grown up in a society dominated by technology. They tend to assimilate new technology quicker than their elders. Introducing hand-held devices to the classroom would be a great idea for any teacher.
As a future social studies teacher, I have a passion for introducing students to historical source material. With the iPad and iPhones app technologies like iBooks, anyone has access to hundreds of volumes of historical documents. Important writings such as Thomas Paine's "Common Sense", Lewis and Clark's personal Journals and The Federalist Papers are all available for free download.
Along with ebook reader technology there are dozens of apps dealing with U.S. and World history avaialbe on the iPod and iPad devices through Apple's App Store. Many of these apps are free and some must be bought. One of these free apps is the "Top 100 Milestone Documents - US." This app not only has these nation shaping documents in ebook form, but also gives the reader a summary and picture of the actual document.
The application for these technology tools is limitless in the classroom. However there are two problems for a teacher to incorporate them in their curriculum. The current cost per unit is very steep. The most affordable at $299 (iPod) and $499 (iPad) could be an inhibitor for most school systems to bring this technology to each student. This could be made cost effective by buying a few for each classroom. The cheaper option of the iPod would be something to consider, but the smaller iPod's can be less effective for reading documents.
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