Creativity In The Classroom: The iPad Element

The introduction to iPad program has CB students and teachers fired up.

With the iPads finally here, the apps finally downloaded, and the wi-fi finally working, the students of Christian Brothers are ready to discover what the iPad will bring to the classroom this coming year.

On a school-wide level, the Schoology app is poised to help keep the students of CB organized and focused. CB Technology Specialist Ms. Diane Mahan is hoping to see different apps utilized.

“I want to see teachers explore different ways to teach, with things like iMovie or Prezi [a presentation app], something that is a little bit different, but a little bit fun,” says Ms. Mahan.

The iPad is expected to offer more to the classroom than just an average textbook, and teachers plan to utilize this device to tackle difficult subjects such as foreign languages.

CB Spanish teacher Mr. Tomas Capogreco ’86 is excited for this unique classroom opportunity, stating that, “For the iPad I think it’s going to be fantastic, we’ll be able to do reading comprehension and listening comprehension right in class, and I think it’ll be something that’s very cool.”

Mr. Capogreco also shared one possibility of what students can expect in the classroom, saying that, “there’s an app that lets you pick the country you want to listen to the radio in, and you can listen to talk radio from anywhere around the world.”

Plenty of hard work and careful planning have already gone into ensuring that this bold iPad initiative is successful and adds to the learning experience. “We’re focusing on immediate problems right now, getting everyone successfully on the school wireless, making sure everyone knows how to use Schoology, “explains Ms. Mahan, “but after that I’m really excited about creative teaching options.”

She also adds that “Teachers had all of last year to get used to the iPads, and I’m more happy we’re having smaller problems than exactly how to use the iPad.”

The teachers here at Christian Brothers are determined to unlock the full potential of the iPad, and students should expect to see both the iPad and their classroom evolve into the dynamic learning environment that CB is proud to offer.