iSchool Is Now In Session

Not too long ago, Quincy Notre Dame High School announced that beginning next year, all freshmen will be supplied with Apple iPads. Very cool. How much fun can students have with a device like an iPad you ask? Quite a bit, although it appears there will limits on how the devices will be used outside of school work.

Now, I understand that QND is a privately funded institution, and more than likely, this isn't a realistic scenario in other local, public schools. Or is it?

Think about this. How much impact will this have on these students in the next four years of high school? It's not like technology is going away anytime soon, short of the Mayans being correct about 2012.

I can (barely) remember when I was in high school, and the closest thing we had to computers were calculators, and teachers were the only ones allowed to use them. The Commodore computer was brand spankin' new and was great for a challenging game of "Pong." When I got into the Radio Biz, I NEVER dreamed that I would be using computers everyday, or for that matter, blogging.

I admit,  I am guilty as charged. As parents, we made the decision that my 15 year old daughter wouldn't receive her first cell phone until this past Christmas. It was partly a financial as well as a social decision. We wanted her to learn how to actually communicate with people in a meaningful manner, before we allowed her to become another "cell-phone zombie."  You know what I mean, head down, speechless, gaze focused on a small screen and thumbs and fingers flying through dozens of texts per minute. It wasn't until she told me that she was the only kid in her class without a cell phone that it hit me, that I might actually be holding her back from advancement. I've since learned, that teens take to tech like fish to water.

So, congrats QND, on being ahead of the curve. Question - would you be willing to pony up a few more bucks, whether it be in tax dollars or hard cash to have your children using iPads or similar devices in their daily school work?