The Encinitas Union School District in California recently bought iPads for students in grades four through six after positive endorsements from a recent pilot program, which put 40 iPads in the hands of teachers and administrators, according to the Encinitas Coast News.
Access to classroom technology like an iPad, laptop computer or HDMI projector gives students an advantage by introducing them to novel methods of learning. Today, many children are extremely well-versed and comfortable with high-tech devices, and integrating technology into lesson plans makes school a more natural extension of a child's daily life.
Recently, the school district has faced some financial difficulty and had to borrow $44 million from the state, $11 million of which was designated for technology upgrades. To some, spending money on iPads in the middle of a financial crisis is questionable, but most parents, teachers and students embrace the decision and believe in the benefits.
"This is a whole new world where not having access to these kinds of devices in the classroom can be a real disadvantage," Jim Suttles, a parent of former Encinitas Union students, told the source. "I don’t know that spending the money is that bad of an investment."
