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West Prairie High School Students Will Get Wireless Devices

The West Prairie School District has chosen a popular device as its next leap in classroom technology.

High school students will each receive an Apple iPad3 next school year.

Superintendent Jonathan Heerboth said the district has been studying the available wireless devices. He said the district wanted them to be light-weight, robust and have great battery life. The availability of software tipped the balance toward the iPad.

He said, “What's transformative about the iPad is its access to the world of applications or apps that allow teachers to be very selective about what kind of skills they want to teach children, what kind of knowledge they want to bring into the classroom.”

The district will lease 210 of the units. The lease agreement will cost the district $45,000 each year for three years.

Heerboth said the district has been trying out a few of the devices.

He said, “Kids and teachers seem to be using it very effectively in ways that we'd not done before with laptops or desktop computers.”