In a recent speech held at Hampton University this past weekend President Obama shed some light on his views regarding some of the newest gadgets recently released in the tech world.
One comment from the POTUS went a little something like this “With iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations — none of which I know how to work becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation,”.
It’s good to see opinions being formed about devices directly after admitting you haven’t a clue how to work on a single one. True that in some cases these devices can be used as a distraction, but this is so with just about anything. To me a comment like this was prematurely blurted, not only offending a lot of people, but discouraging parents from buying their offspring something like an Apple iPad that can aid as a tool of empowerment and a means of emancipation. Only time will tell if this is the case and if such devices will truly be used for educational purposes, but from my own experience the future looks bright.
As a student who is homeschooled through an online charter school, I can attest to the Apple iPad being a great help in conquering my daily workload. Basic Apps that come preinstalled on the iPad such as Calendar, Notes and Mail serve as an electronic binder and planner that help me to keep up with assignments, take effective notes in class, and stay in constant contact with my teachers. Aside from these, the ever expanding App Store offers a variety of productivity and educational Apps. Three of my personal favorites include the iWork suite of apps, native to the Mac, designed for the iPad and called Pages, Keynote, and Numbers respectively. These are essential if you plan on doing any word processing, creating spreadsheets or composing awesome presentations.
Overall, as with any device, the iPad can be tool of empowerment if the user wishes for it to be. Since gaining office, Obama has been a huge advocate for making the Nation and White House more technologically advance, claiming it as a tool of advancement and a means to move towards the future, but his most recent tech related comment portrays just the opposite. I have outlined ways the iPad can be used educationally, but don’t take my word for it. Make your way to your local Apple Retail Store or Best Buy and try one out. I’m sure they’ll let you in and President Obama too.
Stay tuned for more in depth reviews on educational apps and the Apple iPad as a continuation of this article!
In an address to the Hampton University graduates, President Obama bemoans the iPod as a distraction, and that information has become a distraction posing problems for the democracy.
What? Loved Barack Obama’s Hope poster? You can replace him in the poster too!
