I think that the iPad is a revolutionary educational device. Opposition to this idea comes from those who dislike Apple. Personally I do not care if it is an iPad or some other electronic tablet. It is the fact of being able to connect anywhere and everywhere to all the learning content on the Web that is exciting. I believe sites like Khan Academy can replace text books and classrooms, not to mention cram schools and tutors, at least for some students.

 

Another voice of disagreement comes from teachers, who claim that many people cannot afford an iPad and say that the school system does not have the money to provide everyone, whether a schoolkid, or an adult learner, with an iPad. However, the cost per learner of our bureaucratic school system is enormous, between $12,000 and $27,000 per year in the US according to a recent study.

 

I think it is a matter of how the money is spent. Less time in class, and more advice and encouragement on how to become an independent learner, might do wonders. We need to liberate the learners from the classroom and the teacher. And a learner who does not want to learn, is not a learner.