Auburn Schools: Moving in the Right Direction
In 2011, ten years after Maine began issuing laptops to all seventh graders, the Auburn School System launched an initiative to provide an iPad 2 for each of its students entering kindergarten. At a cost of roughly $200,000- representing a 5% increase in the school budget (Opinions Divided…) some taxpayers were less than pleased- calling it a complete waste of money. But in Auburn- and schools around the country- trends are emerging and showing the iPad to be a powerful learning tool and a necessary investment in our children’s future. For over a decade, Maine has been at the forefront of integrating technology into public schools and there is no reason to stop now. Despite the high cost to …show more content…

Others worry children may not learn to read and write properly. Auburn hopes the high level of testing done in the beginning of the school year will line them up for educational grants to relieve taxpayers of the burden from having to foot the bill. At the end of the year, the school system will also be able to compare this year’s kindergarten to previous years, with hopes of even better results. Regarding concerns of the students learning to write, it is important for people to understand that children are not using the iPads all day. The use of iPads is balanced. Students are still using crayons, markers, and traditional books. They are still learning how to hold pencils or crayons, and how to write (3 Auburn Teachers…). The iPads are a “center-based” activity with the children using them in 15-minute increments 2 to 3 times per day. Each iPad has a protective case, and students are not allowed to bring them home (Lemeshow).
Providing iPads to students as an educational tool is invaluable. With the iPads children have become excited about learning. “We are seeing high levels of student motivation, engagement and learning in the iPad classrooms,” said Sue Dorris, Principal of East Auburn School (NooNoo). Children born in today’s world grow up bombarded by technology in every aspect of their lives- except school- so an