Story by Catherine Cueva
Staff Writer
Bishop Amat High School’s administration issued a new rule allowing the use of iPads and other tablets in class for the 2012-2013 school year.
New Principal Mr. Richard Beck issued the new rule during the back-to-school meetings, teachers said.
Students are allowed to use iPads and tablets solely for academic purposes.
Many students, like sophomores Chris Escalera and Stephen Gonzales, are starting to branch out and take advantage of the technology offered by using their tablets in almost every class.
“I use my iPad in all my classes except for choir,” said Escalera. “It makes things much easier to keep track of and my only problem with using it is when it isn’t working properly.”
In addition, it helps keep their backpacks cleaner.
“I feel that using my iPad helps me stay more organized,” said Gonzales. “The only downside is having to print out all my notes.”
Teachers also view the use of iPads and tablets in the classroom as a beneficial tool for students.
Some teachers raised concerns about how much the tablets would be used for educational purposes.
“The use of a tablet is a valuable tool, but it may be negative when a student’s use isn’t monitored carefully,” said statistics teacher Mr. Zachary Powell. “It is something that can be very beneficial, but I’m not sure how it can be taken advantage of only because of the constant checking for academic use.”
But English teacher Mr. Ernest Ardales said students can mess around with or without an iPad in front of them.
“Yes, some teachers feel that if students use electronics in class, they will feel urged to play a game or use apps,” Mr. Ardales said. “But if a student really doesn’t want to learn, they can play a game on an iPad or draw in a notebook. They’ll find something else to do.”
