Students Kyle Huggenberger (left) and Cameron Meter use iPads in an education class.

At Morningside College, it is  important to provide students with access to the technology that they will use  in their careers. The iPad has become an important tool in both the workplace  and the classroom. Three Morningside professors have implemented the use of iPads  in their teaching agendas with positive results.

Pam Mickelson, professor of  business administration, uses iPads in her market research class, where she  has found them to be a convenient and useful marketing tool. Students can use  their iPads to record interviews, make podcasts, take pictures and notes, and  much more. The iPads sync up to Apple’s Macbook computers so students can  easily transfer data. She has found that presentations done with iPads are  more slick and professional, a definite benefit for business students. This  semester, her students were also able to put together an iBook for a client  with the results of their research.

Susie Lubbers, assistant professor  of education, wanted the iPads so her secondary education students could move  forward in their teaching through the use of technology, especially since  technology has become more important for K-12 education in the last few years.  Her students use them as a teaching tool for active student participation in  the classroom. Lubbers’ students also use their iPads to design lesson plans  incorporating the device and to find content-specific applications that can  further student engagement.

Jill Wilson, assistant professor of  music, uses iPads in her music education seminar and practicum for  elementary school. She has found that there are many applications that can be  used to engage young music students. Wilson said, “I want our pre-service  teachers to gain confidence in using this technology and have a store of ideas  they can use when they go out into the schools in the near future.” The iPads  are also used for peer teaching experiences and recording themselves in action  while at practicums. “The possibilities are endless!” Wilson said.

Student Beth Fish was pleased with  her experience with the iPad in her music education class at Morningside. She includes  a multitude of applications into her lesson plans so she can assess her  students while they are entertained. Fish said, “I believe that I will continue  to use my iPad while teaching in the future.”

-Carly Hanson