The Santa Cruz Sentinel website is reporting that the Monte Vista Christian School in Watsonville has replaced its history textbooks with 60 16GB iPads in the classroom, as part of a pilot scheme among advanced placement students. If the scheme proves successful, Headmaster Stephen Sharp plans on replacing heavy textbooks with cheaper, interactive e-textbooks, which are a third cheaper. Sharp tells the Sentinel that many schools will soon be following his lead, because of the many advantages that iPads offer. “There are so many academic advantages. They provide new access to photos, videos, daily newspapers and resource material that enhance the curriculum”, he says.

The Sentinel reports how English teacher Marcus Schwager taught his students to look up the meaning and pronunciation of unfamiliar words in Shakespeare’s The Tempest on the iPad with just a tap, and Science teacher Cynthia Armstrong showed her class an interactive display of a cutaway view of the female body, zooming in when necessary. All of the teachers involved in the pilot scheme expressed their excitement and enthusiasm for the many benefits that the iPad has to offer as a teaching tool. The students were just as impressed, as you might expect, with 15-year-old sophomore student Alyssa Villanueva saying that in comparison to a text book, the iPad is “a little easier to use. You can really focus on where you’re studying.”

Unfortunately the students can’t take their iPads home with them, so they have to email their notes to a home account.

By Maura Sutton
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel

All it takes is one to start it off.

Cya

I'm sure some parents will start getting their kids their own personal units.

60 iPads? Hey, I thought there was a limit of two iPads per customer?

Isn't California rather hard up for funds?

The school was a Christian school not public. Even so there is a place for the ipad in all school systems.

Really refreshing to see! I'm optimistic more will follow suit.

Originally Posted by iVan

60 iPads? Hey, I thought there was a limit of two iPads per customer?

so much for that theory lol

So interesting. I think iPad is useful tool to teach children. The children can know about high technology and the world.

yay!!! i don't see any schools introducing androids into their environment...