My Academic Life is Organized By My iPad....

Readers,

It appears that iPads are here to stay! The iPad2 will be released in a few weeks and I am ready to get my hands on the NEW ONE! I use my iPad for EVERYTHING! Here's my top ten uses of the iPad (in no particular order).

1 - Presenting an electronic ticket when boarding a plane.
2 - Finding my way around a city via Google Maps.
3 - Constantly checking email.
4 - Presenting Groupon coupons at retail locations.
5 - Blogging and more blogging!
6 - Checking voicemail on Google Voice.
7 - Writing papers.
8 - Keeping myself accountable for completing tasks on Google Tasks.
9 - Grading papers on Blackboard.
10 - Conducting virtual office hours.

I use this wonderful device for MANY things! In addition to a professor's uses, several of my students use their iPads to play music on Pandora, check email, write reminders, and sometimes to take notes.

"iPads: A Bane or Boom to College Teaching?", an article by Josh Fischman in the Chronicle of Higher Education, explores a study highlighting students' usage of iPads in a college classroom. One interesting aspect of the study took place at the end of the course when students has the option of using iPads or a laptop on the Internet-based final examination in class. Only one student chose take their final examination on the iPad. Very interesting! I wonder did the study focus on the students' perceptions of the device as well. I wish that I was able to conduct such a study in my classroom! Here's the link to his article - http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/author/jfischman

Very interesting! What do you think about using iPads in your academic life or in your classroom? Contribute a comment! :)

Sincerely,

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.