Point/Counterpoint: Will the iPad Revolutionize Education?

After reading the title of this article I had an immediate reaction to and issue with the question. I wasn't quite sure what my answer would be, but I did have a good idea of what one major problem with the topic would be. After reading the article one side did manage to persuade me as to what the answer would be.

That answer is no. As cool as the ipad is, and as bad as I would like to have one I do not think it will revolutionize education. Yes, there are probably hundreds of apps that can benefit students learning, and also keep them engaged and interested, but it will not be revolutionary. The main reason might not even have anything to do with the ipad directly but more to do with the teachers and students themselves. Stated in the article was the idea that teachers for the most part still teach the same way they did 50 years ago, and students still are learning the same way as well. This was all staying the same through many years of other revolutionary inventions that were supposed to change education, such as laptops and smart boards. This is where I agree. I think the ipad and technology are obviously major tools to use in education and must be utilized, but I still think there will be plenty of old-fashioned teaching and learning taking place. I think it can be used to differentiate the instruction, but it cannot be used for every possible teaching aspect in the curriculum. With that being said I think the ipad is a really cool tool to use, and I hope schools can utilize them I just don't think that education is going to be so much greater in ten years because of its invention.

Now my second thought on this and what was my initial thought as to why I did not think the ipad would revolutionize education is the fact that probably over 75% of students will never even use an ipad in the classroom. I know I don't know that percentage for sure, but it just seems unlikely to me that the education system which often lacks money, and with economy like ours right now that schools districts are going to have the kind of money to buy enough ipads to give each student and start this ipad revolution. A few years back when I was still in school I remember hearing discussions on some schools troubles with affording textbooks, so I can't even imagine schools buying all their students ipads, or at least enough to make a major difference. The final verdict on this debate won't be answered tomorrow, but whatever the answer will be, hopefully education will be evolving for the better.