The StarTribune has an interesting feature about a freshman class at Minnetonka High School that has given iPads to all its students to use in class. All of the 720 freshmen were given iPads last week as part of a pilot scheme designed to help students get to grips with evolving technology, according to the Tribune.

“As educators we have to keep an eye on what’s ahead,” Principal David Adney told the paper. “And this is a tool we can give them that can help.”

The scheme was financed by a technology levy that was approved as far back as 2002, way before the iPad was even a twinkle in Steve Jobs’ eye. Last year, iPads were given to half the freshmen class in the school, and the results were encouraging, with the students who had iPads getting less Ds and Fs. It was therefore decided to give iPads to the whole freshman year this semester. Students are allowed to use iPads for English, Math, Science and Social Studies lessons, with teachers of other classes also having the choice of whether or not to allow their students to use the iPads in their classes. According to the Tribune, both students and teachers give the use of iPads in class a big thumbs up, and district officials say that they will save approximately $70,000 a year in textbook costs by using iPads.

Source: At Minnetonka High, freshman class is the iPad class | StarTribune.com

Originally Posted by Maura

The StarTribune has an interesting feature about a freshman class at Minnetonka High School that has given iPads to all its students to use in class. All of the 720 freshmen were given iPads last week as part of a pilot scheme designed to help students get to grips with evolving technology, according to the Tribune.


The scheme was financed by a technology levy that was approved as far back as 2002, way before the iPad was even a twinkle in Steve Jobs’ eye. Last year, iPads were given to half the freshmen class in the school, and the results were encouraging, with the students who had iPads getting less Ds and Fs. It was therefore decided to give iPads to the whole freshman year this semester. Students are allowed to use iPads for English, Math, Science and Social Studies lessons, with teachers of other classes also having the choice of whether or not to allow their students to use the iPads in their classes. According to the Tribune, both students and teachers give the use of iPads in class a big thumbs up, and district officials say that they will save approximately $70,000 a year in textbook costs by using iPads.

Source: At Minnetonka High, freshman class is the iPad class | StarTribune.com

Ah ha

Thanks, Maura!
I think that it's wonderful for kids to have access to ipads in the school system. What a great story. Hope to see this transform and become a standard in all schools. That would just be terrific!