iPad

I am trying to write my first blog post from my new iPad. I will keep it short as I don't quite have the hang of this yet and don't know how to attach a photo. This piece of technology is pretty sweet, but I am a little annoyed that I dipped into my pretty much nonexistent savings to buy it, when the main reason I bought it was for work. Since I have a budget of zero dollars for materials to use with my students, and since my students need manipulatives and visual supports, I thought the iPad might help cut down on the endless trips to the store for new puppets, books, toys, velcro, and craft materials I have been buying. Plus I do not have a computer in the room where I see walk-in students for therapy and (although I do need the exercise) I am tired of dashing upstairs between students to use the computer in the school library. I have become quite friendly with the librarian, which is nice. I have heard rumors all year about how teachers and therapists serving severely impaired students might get iPads for work, but the rumors seem to be just that, so I gave up and bought my own. Now we won't need piano lessons because Pluto the penguin will teach my kids on the iPad! No need for Mandarin summer camp, iPad will teach the kids Mandarin vocabulary!

On a more serious note, some of the apps for the iPad and iPhone are amazing, especially for visual learners. I have some students who could learn a ton of receptive language from some of these apps. A few of my parents can afford the technology, many probably can't. It would be a good bang for the buck to buy iPads for teachers and their students who could really benefit from them. I can think of several of these kids right now. It would make a lot of sense...but I will be surprised if my district buys any of these magical little devices for anyone in these messed up budget times. So I bought one for myself, will share a little with my students, and can recommend apps to my wealthier parents. The rich get richer. The poor get, well, not richer.