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Jonathan Jimenez and Jessica Lopez share iPad secrets.
After many months of anticipation, Hayden High School was proud to present brand new iPads to students this week. On Aug. 30, Jeff Gregorich, school superintendent, presented Santiago Pina with the first iPad, followed by a school-wide release on Sept. 1. At the end of the school day, Gregorich beckoned all students to gather at the main area and around Pina while the honorary first iPad was presented. Jokingly, Gregorich commented on how there’s no excuse for homework not to be done, to which Pina looked up at him, smiled, and said, “I forgot.”
Jeff Gregorich presents Santiago Pina with the first iPad.
A few days later, students were called from their classrooms to finally get their own iPads. The excitement was palpable as each student was handed their very own, individual iPad, to be used how they wished. Students gathered together to look up videos and websites, not a disappointed face in the bunch.
Gregorich hopes that the new iPads will not only increase student productivity, but a general sense of well-being among the students, some of whom have never even owned a cell phone, let alone technology as advanced as the iPad. Already morale has increased among students and many feel that this technology will help them not only be interested in subject material, but actually look forward to going to class and completing assignments in a way that is familiar to them. Teachers, who also get their own iPads, are just as excited as the students are. Quinn Gates, Social Studies teacher at the high school, hopes that the iPads will help the students be more engaged in the classroom.
“When they are more engaged, they are learning more,” he said.
Martha Palafox jams to “Panda” by Desgiiner.
With the iPads, students are able to access the internet, take paperless notes, and create projects and presentations without ever having to leave their seats to log-in to a computer. Over the summer, Hayden increased the amount of bandwidth and installed more access points around the building to allow for better, faster internet use than the students were previously used to. This will ensure that no matter how many students are using the internet at once, it will still run smoothly and all students will be on the same page at the same time.
On the first day, some teachers allowed students to play around and get a feel for what can be accomplished using the iPads, researching related topics and taking quizzes, but most students were just as happy to use YouTube and listen to their favorite songs while completing paper lessons. However, the possibilities are endless and some teachers, like Gates, are very excited to actively put this technology to use in the classroom.
“I can use certain apps to ask questions and get instant and individual responses from my students, and there are a lot of websites, activities and games that can help the students learn and make sure they know what I want them to know,” Gates told the Copper Basin News, “This saves me lots of time and paper that would otherwise be spent creating and grading assignments.”
Although implementing iPads in the classroom is in its early stages at Hayden High, there are countless studies that indicate that use of this kind of technology increases learning. There are great things happening at Hayden High School, and this is just the beginning.
Article by Angelina Bauer
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
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