There is plenty of evidence the iPad is making larger and larger in-roads into schools. Just this past week there were the following articles:
Apple goes back to school with the iPad
by Jonah Loeb, Market Watch, Published September 12, 2012
Starting with business news, beyond Apple introducing the iPhone 5 and iOS6, MarketWatch has an article discussing how Apple is offering parents the option to buy a Mac or an iPad – both with bundled applications. Their take is that Apple isn’t offering enough – or rather, that the deal isn’t sweet enough (it’s good, but they say it could be better).
It’s a logical time for parents to buy their high school and college-bound kids a new machine, not to mention all the frantic retail bundling that happens in Best Buy Co. Inc.BBY and Apple Inc. AAPL stores. That’s why it’s interesting to see what Apple is offering to students this fall: A choice between a Mac and an iPad, the former with $100 worth of apps and the latter with $50 worth.
Glue, Scissors and an iPad
by Lauren Covello, That’s Money, Published September 13, 2012, FOXBusiness
Next up from Fox Business news suggests that some point in the future the back to school season will have iPads on the ‘required’ supply list.
Thousands of public school districts across the country are taking serious steps toward making iPads an important tool in their curriculum – and at a rapid pace. Apple (AAPL: 691.28, +8.30, +1.22%) sold almost a million iPads to education buyers in the K-12 market in the third quarter alone, doubling sales from a year ago, according to an analyst at Needham & Co.
By contrast, PC shipments in the education market reportedly fell 13.9% during the same period. While schools have been testing iPads for awhile, many of them are now looking to deepen their investment. A school district in San Diego recently spent $15 million
Next we have an article exploring whether tablets should replace textbooks. I’ve argued that this is inevitable – it’s just a matter of time.
Patch Talk: Should Tablet PCs Replace Print Textbooks in School?
With the rising popularity of the Apple iPad and Google Nexus 7, should heavy print texts go the way of the buffalo?
“We are piloting tablet use at the primary, elementary, middle and high school levels and in content areas across the curriculum while developing our infrastructure and a solid method of assessing how tablet computers improve student learning,” said Dr. Rita Melikian, director of educational technology and staff development. “Our special education teachers and speech pathologists, in particular, have been utilizing the specialized applications available on the iPad.”
Then we have the following stories about schools moving to iPads.
Paul School Readies iPad Pilot Program
by Laurie Welch, published in the Magic Valley Times-News, September 13, 2012
Paul Elementary School in Idaho will be be piloting iPads this year. The article mentions the fact that Paul school is taking part in the iSchool program and references the fact that full deployment of what they call a “Smart School” on a single K-5 campus has been done in six states, including Utah and Colorado, and has been piloted in nine states. The iSchool Campus is headquartered in Park City, Utah.
About 450 K-5 students and their teachers will receive iPads as part of the project, which is funded through a grant and partnership between iSchool Campus and Apple Inc. The school was chosen to participate because it is an award-winning Idaho Leads Project school.
Students in grades 2-5 will be allowed to take the iPads home.
“The iPad is a technological tool available for the teacher to incorporate into the classroom,” said Immaculate Heart Assistant Principal Bob Baldonado. “Although we have a mandated curriculum to cover, the iPad provides many innovative and interactive ways to cover the curriculum while at the same time keeping the students motivated and engaged.”
Knowledge at their fingertips: Local Catholic schools go high tech to engage students
by Anne Claire Shilton, published in the Naples News on September 15, 2012
“We wanted to give them to the teachers at the end of last year so that they’d have all summer to get familiar with them,” said Gina Groch, the school’s assistant principal. “We gave them a list of apps and told them to have fun!”
How to Get a New Apple iPad: Be a Johnston High School Student
The Johnston Community School District is moving ahead with plans to get the iPads into the hands of every Johnston High School student.
Another Iowa High School is moving ahead with a program to provide all high school students with iPads this January.
Following a successful pilot program last year, Johnston Community School District moved forward with a 1:1 Initiative that will place an innovative tech tool in the hands of every high school student, according to a news release from the district. This program directly aligns with the standards set forth by the Iowa Core 21st century technology skills focus.
Another high school in Montgomery School District in Pennsylvania is putting an iPad in the hands of all students this fall.
High School Students Equipped with iPads
by Jim Hamill, published on WNEP.com on September 11, 2012
An iPad in each students’ hands changes the library experience at Montgomery Area School District. It means kids no longer have to check out hardcover books. They can check out e-books at school or even at home.
Scholastic is giving away free eBooks to people that download their new app called Storia.
Storia Back-to-School E-Book and iPad Giveaway
Scholastic will also be giving away 25 iPads via a Facebook sweepstakes. Each iPad will come with 10 e-books of the winner’s choosing.
Apple’s iPad overtaking PC sales in schools
The education market is a big segment of computer and tablet sales in the U.S. and new data claims, “the iPad is beginning to cannibalize a material portion of PC sales in this market.”
As back to school kicks off in the U.S., new data claims that Apple’s iPad is outpacing traditional PCs in sales to students and schools for the first time ever.
Charlie Wolf, an analyst at Needham & Company, wrote to investors today that the iPad is now “cannibalizing” PCs in sales to the K-12 market, according to Apple Insider.
“Clearly, a significant portion of iPad sales represented an expansion of the market,” Wolf wrote, according to Apple Insider. “But in view of the fact that Mac sales held steady at around 520,000 units but overall PC sales declined by 265,000 units from 1.90 million to 1.64 million units, we believe the inescapable conclusion is that the iPad is beginning to cannibalize a material portion of PC sales in this market.”
