San Diego schools spend $10M on iPads for students
The San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) has purchased 26,000 iPads to be used in classrooms by fifth graders through seniors in high school.
The purchase, reported by several local media outlets, is said to be one of the largest educational iPad rollouts in the U.S. K-12 market. The 26,000 iPads will be spread out in 340 classrooms starting this fall.
Apple's push to get iPads and digital textbooks in the classroom appears to be paying off. The SDUSD was able to draw on funding though Proposition S, a fund approved in 2008 by a 69 percent vote, dedicated to getting classrooms up-to-date technology.
The iPad is nothing if not up-to-date. And, despite some local head-scratching (read: "Why would we buy iPads when we can't afford to pay teachers properly?"), the plan is moving forward.
The hope is that iPads will be more engaging for students, allowing them to focus on material provided in digital textbooks. Teachers will also benefit from the iPads, which would enable them to update assignments and send notes easily to their students.
The initial rollout this fall will be in 5th grade, 8th grade, and various high-school classes. Though the iPads have been purchased, word on what software will be used or how they will be deployed and maintained is unknown.
Would you want your student to have access to an iPad in his or her classroom? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!