From the iPad Panel | Buying Your iPad | Recommended Apps | Articles | More about FRCS’s iPad Initiative

From the iPad Panel

• The slide show from the panel presentation (~5mb .pdf)
• The iPad Acceptable Use Policy was shared by the panel to establish a foundational understanding of FRCS's expectations of students.
• Instructions for setting restrictions on the iPad, including how to set up Lightspeed for content filtering
• This .pdf document shows, in detail, the steps needed to locate the iPad if it is lost.
• This lease agreement describes the specifics of using an FRCS iPad instead of purchasing one. There are 30 iPads version 1 available to lease.

Buying Your iPad

Should I buy a Wifi or 3G version?

Ultimately, the decision is yours. We recommend the wifi version, however, for a couple of reasons. 1. It is more affordable and there are no monthly fees for data. 2. FRCS’s campus will be completely wireless by the end of the 1st semester, 2011.  If you want to take advantage of the school′s new infrastructure, including powerful safety features, the wifi version is the way to go.

Should I buy an iPad 1 or 2 or 3?

While any of the iPads will work for the second semester of 2012, it might be a good idea to opt for one of the newer models (a 2 or 3) if possible, to lengthen the life of the iPad for your student and offer video and camera functionality which would be helpful (though not required) for some classes. You may also be able to lease one for a short time (see below), if necessary.

Are there options for parents who don′t want to buy one for their Jr/Sr high student?

We recognize that not everyone will be able to afford the purchase of an iPad for January 2012. We also recognize that parents with seniors may not wish to purchase an iPad for one semester of school. For that reason, we are offering an iPad lease option.

Lessee is responsible for replacement of lost, damaged or broken iPad; insurance on rented iPads is available for $49 with a $100 deductible.

Recommended Apps

These apps are strongly recommended for all FRCS Jr/Sr high students’ iPads. All apps are available from the App Store.

• FRCS app (school information) - free
• Keynote (presentation software) - $9.99
• Pages (word processing software) - $9.99
• eClicker (for in-class polls and quizzes) - free
• iBooks or Kindle (both might be helpful; iBooks 2 is required for the interactive textbooks) - free
• Merriam Webster Dictionary - free (or like)
• A calculator (there are several free options, students should select one they like)
• Glo Bible – free (paid version optional)
• Earphones (not an app, but still strongly recommended for students)
• GoodReader (.pdf reader) - $4.99

These apps are purely optional, but may be helpful for FRCS students. All are available from the App Store.

• Grades 2 (help for reaching target GPA) - 99¢ (ads free version)
• iHomework (homework organizer) - $1.99
• Numbers (spreadsheet software) - $9.99
• Evernote (note-taking and organizing software) - free

If you’d like to suggest an app for other families, please email comm@frcs.org.

More about FRCS’s iPad Initiative

• Apple’s announcement about interactive textbooks for the iPad and FRCS’s initial response
• The original press release about the initiative
• Article in the Columbine Courier about the initiative

Articles about the iPad in Education

• Texas School District Transforms Learning with iPads in the Classroom (March 8, 2012)
• Apple’s press release about new interactive textbooks for the iPad (January 19, 2012)
• iPads in Class Energize Kids as Teachers Test How to Use Them (From the Denver Post, January 24, 2012)
• 70 Interesting Ways to use an iPad in the Classroom (added January 2012; also see the blog entry)
• Schools see rising scores with iPads (eSchool News, May, 2011)
• A Day in the Life of the iPad Classroom (Mind/Shift, an online magazine)
• Growing use in businesses and colleges (list of large-scale iPad deployments)
• Teaching responsible and godly Digital Citizenship is a big part of FRCS’s iPad Initiative (link goes to website dedicated to digital citizenship)
• The top 10 reasons for using iOS devices (including the iPad) in Education (.pdf from Apple)
• Five Things Students Say They Want from Education: Technology, Creativity, and Choice among the top (eSchool News, July 2011)
• Four Ways the iPad is Changing the Lives of People with Disabilities (Mashable, July 2011)
• Great apps for students, including, but not limited to: help in reaching target GPA, homework organizer, audio recorder for lectures and group discussions, notes help apps, fun apps for elementary students and early learners.
• While this article about apps that are changing business is not specifically about education, it does show that iPads and tablets are becoming increasingly mainstream for businesses. (24/7 Wall Street, August 2011)
• Many secondary schools around the country are implementing iPad programs and realizing cost savings over traditional textbooks (Yahoo Finance News; Associated Press)