iPads in the Classroom

Since I started working at a therapeutic day school last April I have gained first hand experience of students using iPads and other devices as a primary means of communication. The school that I work at is about 70% autism as a primary diagnosis. I have seen may of these communication devices in use and seen the benefits and the joy on kid faces as they learn to use them.

Last week a students in my classroom received an iPad as a communication device for the first time. They have a long way to go before they can effectually use it to communicate. The first time they received the device and after after an introduction to it from the speech therapist the students would smile wile "babbling," playing with the buttons to hear what they say, learning the in and outs of the device and their new way to communicate with the world. They are already started to use it to communicate wants and needs. They can now let a teacher know when they need to use the restroom instead of having to sign it or find a picture of it or wait to be asked, the student now has the power to communicate their needs on their own. 

iPads in general are a new technology implemented in classrooms. I would agree that there is still research to be done to determine the effectiveness of iPads in school as a learning tool. In one of the videos this week a teacher gives a student an iPad as an alternative to papers to learning the alphabet and the attention quickly improves and you can see learning happening. I had a similar experience with student in teaching the alphabet. Though at times the iPad is also distracting to the student since they know how to exit guided access and get to a preferred game on the iPad this making the iPad a distraction rather than effective learning tool.