iPads were a new edition to the school curriculum this past year, but how much have they actually helped?

Most students have mixed opinions about the iPads. They differ in their acceptance and presumed value. Some students believe that they had a positive impact, while others think it had little to no impact on their learning.

The iPads were originally not accepted or wanted by most students. A survey at Hershey High School found that , the iPads were only wanted by about 24% of the 121 students surveyed, but now 54.5% of the 121 students think they have made a positive addition to their learning. The survey identifies personal technology already in use as the main reason the iPads were unwanted.

Some students believe that the option of iPads should be given to the students without their own technology in the future, while others believe that this use of the iPads could just make the divisions of social classes even more obvious.

The iPads and chargers were given out during in the first few days of the school year.

They were recently “inspected” on May 24, 2018 for general condition and functionality. The inspection helped the administration decide whether iPads could and could not be responsibly used by students the in following years.

Even though many students thought the iPads were a positive addition to their learning, 60.3% of students surveyed had non-school applications on their iPads. Some students used their iPads beneficially, using apps like the Kindle app to complete school work or pleasure reading. Other students, however, had games on their iPads instead of academic tools.

The iPads offered a great opportunity to advance learning through their access to the Internet. They gave students previously at a disadvantage the ability to have the same technology other students already had.

This access allowed students to take control of their learning inside and outside of school. One of the learning apps all students used was Canvas, the learning management system HHS uses for all of its classes.

Canvas is how teachers can assign work, offer extra practice, and collect online assignments. “I enjoy Canvas because it is easy to use and all my teachers use it. It makes it a lot easier to submit assignments,” said Anastasia Mitrovic, HHS sophomore.

Some teachers also enjoy the new iPads. “[The iPads] have definitely made my teaching easier, and they are a big help because now all my students have technology,” Caitlin Parker, HHS teacher.