JJFBbennett: This is an exciting time to teach with technology

EXCITING TEACHOLOGY

“Tablets will change education this year and in the

future because they align neatly with the goals and purposes of education in a digital age.

Direct access to 24/7 information - anywhere anyplace
take advantage of the many resources available through iTunes University
a mobile learning solution a focus on accessing media-rich learning content and resources.
its an gadget world - 150,000+ iPhone and iPod Touch apps
Economics - Bloomberg
- Art - Brushes
- Astronomy GoSkyWatch Planetarium.
- Science The Elements: A Visual Exploration
- Early Childhood The Elements: A Visual Exploration
- Learn Spanish Hello-Hello.com
- Research WolframAlpha
- Dictionary Dictionary.com
- Scrabble Scrabble for iPad
- and then ANDROID & LINUX is yet to hit - more to come.

these devices will succeed because:

They are about productivity — Learning is about doing and, increasingly, about doing both in and out of the traditional classroom. In the 21st century, learning is contextual and promotes engaging students in real-life applications. This means learning on-the-go but with all of the necessary materials and digital tools necessary for their tasks. A phone isn’t quite up to the task and a laptop isn’t exactly mobile. A tablet is the perfect device.

They are about convergence — E-readers will not take hold in education because tablets will negate their usefulness and appeal. An e-reader is a single-use machine and a fairly limited one at that. The tablet, on the other hand, will support e-textbooks — Web-based and offline — color, Web productivity, and a whole host of other media, content creation, and communication options. The tablet can serve many functions and the e-reader only one. We want convergence when it makes sense and the convergence offered by tablet devices will appeal to educational users.

They are about mobility — Make no mistake about it — tablets are mobile devices. They will run mobile apps, have mobile contracts in some cases, and be designed for productivity on-the-move. They are perfect for augmented reality applications, distributed learning, and student success tools.

They are about price and availability — Tablets will allow users to have the functionality they want at a price they can afford. More importantly, they will usher in a new era of learning material distribution and subscription models for textbooks. The net result will be lower education costs across the board.
They are about community — Tablets are mobile devices that connect users to one another. Learning, particularly in the 21st century, is a community-based activity. Enough said.”