Dana Hall | About the iPad Initiative

The landscape of technology shifts constantly, and schools have to strike a balance between keeping up with those changes in a fiscally sound manner and choosing tools that have some staying power. While Dana Hall still supports the widespread use of desktops and laptops, it has become clear to us that the mobile and social uses of technology on devices like smart phones and tablets have the potential to facilitate exciting, innovative and effective learning opportunities. Starting in the fall of 2013, all Dana Hall students are required to come to School with an iPad. We have chosen the iPad because it offers many powerful tools in one small profile at a reasonable cost. In addition, most of our students are already familiar and comfortable with the Apple platform.

Why the iPad?

Mobility—light, compact and with a long battery life
Convenience
Unobtrusiveness
Individualization and personalization
Reasonable cost (compared to laptop)
Ease of use—intuitive
Creativity
Collaboration
Hands-on learning
Ownership and responsibility
Organization
One tool, fewer steps
Multi-modal—helps students with different learning styles, connects skills
Shows real-world relevance of all disciplines

What can the iPad do?

Organizer and scheduler: organize class materials, homework assignments, athletic schedules and visits to Math Lab and Writing Lab
Reader: read The Great Gatsby, highlight, annotate and post questions to classmates
Note taking: take a picture of the board, add notes, highlight main points, record the teacher's lecture and send to sick friend at home
Research: search the web and find appropriate sources (books, databases, journal articles, web sites) for a US History project, collect and organize sources, maintain a running bibliography and share with a teacher
Presentation: create an iMovie with two classmates, insert it into a presentation, share it with classmates, and wirelessly project it onto the Smartboard
Project creator: video a project partner kicking a soccer ball to her teacher, plot the trajectory of the ball, graph the results, share with classmates to help explain the laws of physics
Textbook: access text and other media at any time and reduce the weight of a backpack
Student Response System: provide teachers with instant feedback and respond even when speaking up in class is difficult

How have students responded to classroom iPad use?

"I like how we use technology in class. It puts things in a new perspective and makes you think differently."
"I feel that the iPad projects were very helpful, as I enjoy the hands on projects and feel like I can dig deeper when doing those types of projects."
"I really enjoy working on the iPads and creating visual projects that are hands on. It helps me understand and analyze the material better."
"I like taking notes on the iPads because it is easier to organize and more efficient."
"The project on the iPad helped me to learn how to organize my thoughts in a clear way - which helped me later organize my thoughts in an essay - and it was fun to have to be creative and use general themes for this project while still practicing how to write a strong thesis."
"The iPads are fun and they reinforce what we are learning. I think it's a good tool because I'm learning how to use the technology while also helping myself with what we are learning."

For more information about iPad specifications and purchasing, please review the iPad FAQs.