Jan. 2, 2013

iPads enhance learning at Morningside College

Students Kyle Huggenberger (left) and Cameron Meter use iPads in a secondary 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