At a time when schools are cutting budgets and laying off teachers, one might think that stocking classrooms with the newest technology is at the bottom of the priority list. But, across the country, that’s exactly what’s happening. According to US News & World Report, students in about 600 districts nationwide began school this fall with their own iPad. While tech advocates say this is a fun way to get kids engaged in traditional material, there is no substantial evidence that suggests technology like iPads improves overall academic performance. Katie Banks weighs both sides of the issue by speaking with an education technology policy analyst, an education iPad app creator, and teachers and students at a Southeast D.C. school that received a $410,000 federal grant for 240 iPads.
