Technology seems to be consuming society as it is apparent everywhere, the classroom being no exception. Within the past few years, schools have been fusing technology into their curriculum. First computers, then smartboards and now iPads. Like any new thing, there are some mixed feelings, both positive and negative, about iPads in the classroom.

There are numerous high schools across the country that have begun incorporating iPads into classroom learning. Accordingly, one of the major benefits of the iPad initiative is increasing participation among students. There are various apps educators use in the classroom, all of which engage students and increase their participation in the classroom, through interactive quizzes. For instance, Kahoot and Socrative provide fun ways to both prepare students for upcoming tests and even use as an actual test through various formats where students can “compete” to answer questions the fastest.

Similarly, there are also note taking apps, the most popular being Notability. The opportunities Notability presents are endless, from taking notes, which can be handwritten or typed, to recording lectures and doing everything in between. Due to all these features, Notability is ranked the number one notetaking app, according to laptopmag.com.

Some other effective study tools on the iPad are Study Blue and Quizlet, allowing users to create flashcards and study their vocabulary terms.

As the usage of iPads in the classroom continue, the wide variety of apps to use also increases, all of which increase student involvement in classes as students have the desire to participate in class, according to edutopia.

There are several other benefits for including iPads into the classroom. One thing that students and teachers especially like is receiving instant feedback. Whether this feedback be from a student demonstrating how well he understands the material or the feedback is from a teacher on a student’s work. The feedback can be instant.

Alongside of this, iPads allow for the smoother and faster transmission of materials through apps such as Schoology. Teachers can upload various materials onto schoology, allowing students instant access to materials, therefore drastically cutting back on the amount of paper handouts given. Another advantage of iPads are they eliminate the loosing of papers and assignments. As teacherhub states, “iPads are a very exciting and offer a novel way for using technology in the classroom.”

Furthermore, the various educational uses of iPads improve test scores, such as a study from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in California, shows. The study reported students using iPads in the classroom, saw their various test scores increase 20% in one year compared to students using traditional textbooks

With the rise of technology, there have been many benefits in incorporating iPads into the classroom. From iPads increasing student participation levels to bettering test scores, iPads have proven to have a positive effect in the classroom.