ACS Egham - iPADs facilitate learning in the IB Diploma

ACS Egham is starting an exciting trial to utilise iPAD's with its IB Diploma students. This will be the first 1-to-1 program for all ACS schools with iPADs. The focus of the trial at ACS Egham is to provide tools and resources to the 21st Century Learner - our IB Diploma students. With a significant investment in education technology and infrastructure, our studenta will be exposed and trained to utilise technology as a tool and resource in order to enhance his/her learning. The individual use of iPADs is a way we believe to empower students to maximize their full potential and to prepare them for college and the workplace. The IB Diploma emphasises a students responsibility to independently learn and organise themselves and the iPAD is the ideal tool to foster these skills.

The Pilot Project is exploratory and we would like to examine how and to what extent the iPAD can be used to enhance student centred learning and productivity across the curriculum. As such, this pilot provides us with a unique opportunity to 'Beta' test on a micro-scale what is possible with this technology. Future plans could include the distribution of this technology across the three ACS schools. Students can use the iPad to take notes in subjects, to manage their deadline calendar, to access documents electronically and to communicate with teachers via Firstclass and Google. All students will recieve Google Apps accounts for the first time - so will really start understanding working in the cloud. In addition students will also have immediate access to important websites for their IB Diploma like 'ManageBac' and will be able to run a variety of "apps" that will enhance the educational process.

Students will be expected to share their learning successes and challenges with ACS during this pilot and some students will use a weblog to journal their thoughts alongside teachers - ...to iPAD or not to iPAD... The success of the trial will reside in the hands of our students and will lead to many further opportunities if extended, including the use of electronic textbooks within the ACS campus environment.