I have been very excited to see how the iPad 2 will work in the classroom. I was lucky to have an uncle who has an iPad and had an extra keyboard that can bluetooth to my iPad. I have not tried to type up a blog entry or paper yet using the keyboard and iPad but I am thinking that it will be a great addition to my iPad.
So far the main reason that I have used my iPad is to find educational resources such as PBS, NPR, Science360. I am so impressed with the image quality of the videos on the iPad and think that the screen is top notch. I watched a video in Science360 on coral reefs. I could see using a short video from a Common use website or app on my iPad as enrichment into my course. The best aspect to the videos on Science360 is that they supplement what you are already planning on teaching. The coral reef video was short and sweet but it could be used at the beginning of an unit to perk student interest or at the end of a unit to help the student prepare for the final. I look forward to finding more videos using Science360.
I have been on the search for Geology apps and so far I have found only a few that I really like. There is one on the various types of rocks in geology and one on folds and faults. I like both because the basic information is there but I do feel like there are limitations within these apps.
For instance, the rock app has information on igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks with quizzes. In order to go to the next quiz one has to score better than 10/12. The limitation with this app is that the rock pictures are small and not blown up to show crystal size, structure, etc. I also hesitate because learning about the different types of rocks is really a hands on experience meant to get you "dirty" so to speak. This app generalizes when there is so much more information.
The fold and faults app has some great animations but they are very simplistic. The app is set up to give a simplistic definition of a certain type of fold or fault and then an animation. It does not get into many of the mechanisms of folding or faulting. For instance, forces are acted upon the rock undergoing folding in various directions and the program does not go into those details.
In conclusion, I am going to try to find more apps in geology/environmental science that are hands on. It seems as though Geology/Environmental science might be one of the areas where developers have not created apps.
