Pupils entering new era with iPads

The iPads being used at St Mary's School in Blenheim are an exciting and hands-on way for the pupils to learn, the principal says.

Using money raised from annual galas, the school has bought 25 iPads for pupils to use during classes.

Principal Alister Bridgman said pupils had been using educational apps on the iPads for English, reading and maths activities.

The compact tablet computers gave pupils access to activities that were portable and stimulated their imagination, he said.

Teacher Lara McIntyre said technology in the classroom had come a long way.

"When I first started teaching I didn't even know how to use a mouse."

Pupils often suggested other apps that could be useful for classes, she said. These had to be approved by the principal before they were installed.

Mr Bridgman said pupils were able to cover a greater range of English, reading and maths activities compared to working from the whiteboard or textbooks. St Mary's School is not the only school in Marlborough to have embraced the new technology.

Renwick School had ordered 26 iPads, with plans for another eight, and create an iPad pod for senior students, principal Simon Heath said.

This would give senior pupils access to the wireless internet at the school outside the classroom. The school already had five iPads after winning a national film competition last year, but their use was sporadic because there were so few, he said.

Leasing the iPads was more cost-effective than computers or laptops because they were cheaper.

They were also more portable than laptops, he said.

"Pupils who go on camp will have the ability to take a set of iPads with them and record and put a presentation together."

However, being more portable meant it would be easier for the iPads to disappear, he said.

The school had also ordered 12 laptops for junior classes.

The school was waiting for ultrafast broadband and an electrical upgrade, but it still had a "pretty good" internet connection, he said.

Up to 90 computers could be online at the school at once.

- The Marlborough Express

SIMON WONG

Last updated 11:30 15/03/2012

Digital learning: St Mary's School teacher Lara McIntyre watches as Ellen Halfacre, left, and Emma McFarlane, both 12, study using one of the school's 25 iPads