In my earliest school years , the Apple IIgs was cutting boundary , because it could runNumber Muncherslike nobody ’s business . But just to remind me how very , very forward-looking in years I am , Apple said on Wednesday thatthe Los Angeles School Board of Education had given its approvalto deploy iPads to students across the district , start this autumn .
The deal , deserving $ 30 million , will see an iPad distributed to every student on 47 campuses for the come up shoal year — and that ’s just the beginning . Jaime Aquino , the Los Angeles Unified School District ’s Deputy Superintendent of Instruction , said that the end is to provide every child with a equipment by 2014 . The iPad was choose because a recapitulation board that included students and teachers hold it top marks ; it was also range better in quality as well as being the most cost - effective selection .
A full - scale rollout is a tall order for the district , which boasts more than 640,000 students on its 900 - plus campuses and 187 charter school . It ’s the secondly biggest school district in the nation , behind only New York City . When the rollout across all of L.A. ’s school district is complete , it will mark the magnanimous such deployment in the country . And it will bolster Apple ’s mien in the didactics realm , too ; the company ’s vice President of the United States of world-wide marketing Phil Schiller say in Wednesday ’s annunciation that almost 10 million iPads are already in schools .
Apple ’s bear on to amend digital textbooks , but the roll out has been dim .
The deal itself is fiddling surprisal : Apple ’s education roots run deep . The company has long describe breeding as part of its DNA . In 2007 , it launch iTunes U , which bring in courses from high education establishment around the reality to anybody with an iTunes account statement , for complimentary ; in the beginning this year , the service gouge upits billionth download . And last yr , the company held an event in New York City to present its new electronic textbook opening move . That push has meet withmixed results : though the digital school text have been positively receive by many students and teacher , availability of materials for some grade degree and subject areas has been sparse .
But that may change , with this inflow of iPads into one of the country ’s most populous schoolhouse districts ; the prominent phone number of devices would certainly be a hard impetus for textbook publishers to increase their attempt to play tocopherol - text to grocery store .
Electronic textbooks wo n’t be the only learning software on the iPads the L.A. school district deploys . Apple state it will also include a Modern app that delivers the Pearson Common Core System of Courses , as well as first - political party apps like iWork and a diversity of third - company education apps .
While Number Munchers may not be available for these iPads , they ’ll at least be one text that educatee in all likelihood wo n’t have to enwrap in those moth-eaten old dark-brown - newspaper top .
