"It was just under two years ago that the twitterverse was first ablaze with posts about the possibilities of iPads in education. Meanwhile others were blogging about the limitations of iPads and other tablets. In that short time span, Apple has entered the digital textbook market and many of the original limitations of the devices have been overcome. No longer are we just discussing possibilities. Instead, we can examine successful practices. The iPad has become a ""digital backpack,"" replacing the traditional physical tools students carry. Additionally, the iPad has become a powerful portal for student research. Participants are invited to witness the lessons learned from two successful iPad pilot projects in high school environmental science classes, one on campus and one while traveling in Costa Rica.
Derrick Willard has successful run two environmental science classes on iPads, with his students completing written work, utilizing digital texts, creating multimedia projects and taking assessments on the devices. Participants will see numerous examples of projects suited to the iPad as well as apps that are valuable in any class or discipline using the devices."
