One of the powerful things about the iPad (or iPod Touch or iPhone or other similar device) is ubiquity. For the iPad, that question relates to: can you get it to do what you want, and can you have it with you when you need it? Another question in the classroom is: can everyone have one? If it is there all the time, it can become a powerful tool. That's why the pencil is such a powerful technology; you can use it whenever and wherever you want, and it is portable enough that you can always have access to it. That is why I have always insisted on a pocket-sized calendar (whether paper or electronic), so I can put in my pocket and always have it.
I am not sure that the iPad wins the ubiquity battle. For me, it is too big too fit in my pocket. Not being one to carry a purse, that means I can't have it with me all the time (and if I did carry a purse, this device might weigh it down just a bit too much).
However, the more ubiquity the better. We can even sacrifice some functionality for ubiquity (that's why the pencil is impossible to give up). It might be that an iPhone (or iPod Touch) is a better device because of increased ubiquity.
The challenge is to figure out where you might take it that you wouldn't have taken other (possibly more powerful) devices before. Could you walk around the classroom taking notes on group discussions or individual work (some teachers have used handheld devices to do grading while walking around the classroom)? Can you take it to a conference session to take notes and/or interact with the other attendees (see, e.g., David Warlick's blog post about attending the ISTE conference)? Can you use it in creative ways on a nature walk or field trip? The more places you can take it, the more likely you are to use it and find creative and innovative uses for it.
David Marcovitz
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