iPad+2+Case+Study

media type="youtube" key="_ZaMNPlEr94" height="315" width="420" align="center"

** __iPad 2__ ** ** The iPad 2 is a 9.7 inch touch screen tablet PC made by Apple. Its operating system (iOS) combines the computing power of a laptop or desktop with the portability of a smartphone. ** ** The iPad 2 is available with 16, 32, and 64 GB flash drives. It comes with Wi-Fi internet access. E-mail can be sent and received, surf the web, take photos, watch videos, and listen to music (1). **



__iPad 2 and Special Education Classrooms__ " I feel as though the iPad was developed specifically with the special needs child in mind... it is interactive, delivers a direct cause-and-effect relationship, and provides opportunities to learn materials in a multi-sensory way" (2). Apple offers thousands of free applications and inexpensive ones too that are educational. Nowadays, there are more applications for special education children. All of these applications were not only developed for just one group with one particular special need, these applications can be used by students with different disabilities. One example would be Proloquo2Go, this application is for children with Autism, Cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, Developmental disabilities, Apraxia, ALS, and stroke or traumatic brain injury. The amazing aspect about the iPad 2 is that engages the student's attention with its colorful touch screen. Students with the inability to grab things, such as flashcards with pictures on them to express or communicate what they feel or want, would not struggle that much if they had the iPad 2, they would only need to touch the screen to express their feelings. Even at home, children can have better communication with their families with the help of the iPad 2.



 __iPad 2 Applications for Special Education (3)__ __Grace__ - Grace App is a non-speaking, simple picture exchange system developed for people with Autism to communicate. __DAF Assistant__ - DAF Assistant implements Delayed Auditory Feedback (DAF) and Frequency-shifting Auditory Feedback (FAF) techniques that are known to help people with stuttering to speak more fluently. __Proloquo2Go__ - Proloquo2Go provides a full-featured augmentative and alternative communication solution for people who have difficulty speaking. It provides natural sounding text-to-speech voices, high resolution up-to-date symbols, powerful automatic conjugations, a default vocabulary of over 7000 items, advanced word prediction, full expandability and extreme ease of use. SLPs, teachers and parents recommend it for children and adults with autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, developmental disabilities, apraxia, ALS, stroke or traumatic brain injury. __Touch Chat__ - TouchChat for iPod and iPhone is a full-featured communication solution for individuals who have difficulty using their natural voice. TouchChat is designed for individuals with Autism, Down Syndrome, ALS, apraxia, stroke, or other conditions that affect a person's ability to use natural speech. __Expressive__ - Expressive is an entry to mid level, easy to use, and powerful app that allows children and adults with a speech impairment or a communication disorder to express their wants and needs through the use of pictures. It does not matter if an individual is having difficulty communicating due to autism, apraxia, stroke or any other communication disorder, Expressive will give that person the ability to express themselves through the use of pictured images and corresponding audio. __Tap Speak Choice__ - TapSpeak Choice for iPad re-interprets communication boards and speech generation devices for the iPad. Children and adults with autism, cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, cortical vision impairment (CVI), stroke, or any disability that impairs their ability to communicate can make use of TapSpeak Choice. __SoundingBoard__ - SoundingBoard transforms your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad into the latest in communication technology. In just minutes, you can create create custom boards using AbleNet symbols or your own photos. Perfect for children in special education, persons on the autism spectrum, and adults with disabilities.

media type="youtube" key="0EulS1MTqDo" height="315" width="420" align="center"

__Ethics__ Even though the iPad 2 is cheaper compared to other communication devices, not many schools and parents can afford them. Many school districts are dealing with budget cuts, so buying more than 10 iPads at $500 a piece, is quite expensive. Parents also see it difficult spending all that money on a device that can break easily when dropped or stepped on by accident. On the other hand, though there are hundreds of free applications for education and special education, some of them are not as useful as the ones that are for sale. Some of these applications range from $0.99 to $189.99, not all parents can afford spending close to $200 for an application. Many of the applications seem to be very effective and helpful in a child's learning, but unfortunately, not having the means to buy it, makes more difficult for them to include an iPad in their children's education and lives.

__The iPad's History (4)__

<span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;"> 1976 - High school buddies, and dropouts, Steven Wozniak and Steven Jobs found Apple Computer. Their first product, Apple I, built in circuit board form, debuts at “the Homebrew Computer Club” in Palo Alto, California, to little fanfare.

<span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;">1977 - The company unveils the Apple II, perhaps the first personal computer in a plastic case with color graphics. It is a big hit.

<span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;">1983 - Apple starts selling the “Lisa,” a desktop computer for businesses with a graphical user interface, the computer system most users are familiar with today. A year earlier, Jobs was booted from the Lisa project — so he started working on the Macintosh.

<span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;">1984 - Apple debuts the Macintosh personal computer. It is hyped with a dark, stylized commercial in which a lone “heroine” takes on “Big Brother” characters that are reminiscent of those in George Orwell’s novel “1984″ — a metaphor for IBM. Directed by “Alien” and “Blade Runner” filmmaker Ridley Scott, the ad airs just once nationally, during the Super Bowl.

<span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;">1991 - Apple introduces the Powerbook 100, its first hit portable computer.

<span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;"> 1993 - The Newton Message Pad, Apple’s first handheld device, debuts. The touchscreen device features many tools found in today’s smartphones, such as an address book, a calendar and an e-mail function. It flops.

<span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;">September 1997 - Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who left in 1985 after a power struggle, is named interim CEO of the struggling company, which had racked up losses of more than $1.8 billion in the previous two fiscal years.

<span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;">November 1997 - Jobs introduces a new line of Macintosh computers, called G3. He also demonstrates a new Web site that will let people order machines directly from Apple.

<span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;">1998 - Apple unveils the iMac desktop computer, boasting its simple setup and built for an Internet age.

<span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;"> 2001 - Apple introduces the iPod, a palm-sized, hard-drive-based digital music player

<span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;">2003 - The iTunes Store opens. The software-based application allows users to shop for music, audiobooks, movies, and TV shows for download over the Internet.

<span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;">2005 - The iPod adds video, and Apple fills out its portable media line with the low-end iPod shuffle, and sleek iPod nano. (Through 2009, it sold more than 220 million iPods.)

<span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;">January 2007 - Apple announces the iPhone. The device features one button on its smooth face and has a “virtual” keyboard. It also introduces Apple TV, considered one of Apple’s lowlights.

<span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;">September 2007 - Apple unveils the iPod Touch — essentially an iPhone without the phone — which has wireless capabilities and can perform much like a portable computer.

<span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;">2008 - Apple opens the doors to the App Store as an update to iTunes. The store features small applications — from games to social and business tools — that add functions to the iPhone and iPod Touch. Apple also releases the Macbook Air, a slim portable computer.

<span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;">2009 - Apple releases the iPhone 3GS.

<span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;">2010 - After months of speculation, <span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;">Apple introduced the iPad, a sleek, full-color, half-inch thin <span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;">touchscreen gadget designed for a variety of media , from videos to games to electronic books, movies and newspapers. Apple is hoping the device will be a new growth engine, particularly as iPod sales wane.

<span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif;">1. []


 * 2.** []


 * 3.** []


 * 4.** []