Since Apple announced that it's getting into the digital textbook business, there's been a lot of talk about tablets in the classroom. Do they belong there — and can they help students?
According to one survey, the answer might just be a loud "yes."
PBS LearningMedia, an media-on-demand service for educators, recently surveyed teachers across the United States about the use of technology in classrooms. The results of that survey were revealed on Monday.
It seems that 81 percent of teachers surveyed believe that tablets can enrich classroom experiences (while 93 percent believe the same about interactive whiteboards). Additionally, 91 percent of teachers surveyed reported that they had access to computers in their classrooms.
That's great news, right? Most of the teachers surveyed are very much interested in bringing technology into their classrooms and incorporating it in their lesson plans.
Unfortunately there is some bad news as well: Only about 22 percent of the teachers said that they have access to the right level of technology. Nearly two-thirds — about 63 percent — explained that budget issues are the "biggest barrier to accessing tech in the classroom." (In low-income communities, that statistic jumped to 70 percent.)
Related stories:
- Apple announces iBooks 2, iBooks Author and new iTunes U
- Apple vs. the textbook: Can education go paperless?
- Apple to announce new digital textbook service?
Want more tech news, silly puns or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.
