Rockville Centre schools incorporate iPads to prepare students for the future

A decade ago, the use of technology in the classroom didn’t stray far beyond desktop computers, but these days, amid the never-ending competition among tech giants like Microsoft and Apple to create the next big life-changing invention, schools are beginning to incorporate more recent innovations into education.

The Rockville Centre School District joined the trend this year with the purchase of nearly 500 Apple iPads for a classroom pilot program. “The pilot was a great success,” said the district’s assistant superintendent of curriculum, Christopher Pellettieri. “Over 90 percent of the teachers wanted to continue to use the iPads in their teaching, and felt that students were more engaged than in the past.”

While increased classroom attentiveness shouldn’t be overstated, the use of iPad tablet computers isn’t just a gimmick, Pellettieri said. The iPad offers a relatively easy way to gather information and communicate concepts in a variety of settings.

“It’s an information machine; it’s a creativity machine,” Pellettieri said. “It’s truly, I believe, the future, the way we are going. We need to better prepare our students for the future.”

Apple products have become so ubiquitous that some students come to the classroom with a better grasp of their myriad uses than many teachers. “It takes time to get used to, just like with any kind of technology,” said seventh-grade teacher Patricia Barkwill. “But Chris had us participate in professional development, and I took a course on my own as well. Kids come to us ready to use the technology already.”

Most district teachers who used the iPads in the classroom found that the available specialized programs, or “apps,” allowed for greater creativity as they engaged their students in lesson plans. One app enables a teacher to preload bar codes for students to scan with their iPads to access information or educational multimedia related to the day’s assignment.