St. Francis Students and Teachers to Get iPads Next Fall

Goodbye textbooks; hello iPads!

announced Monday that it had partnered with Apple to provide 1800 iPads to its entire student body and faculty for the 2012-2013 school year. The 1:1 iPad Program will be part of the school's effort to improve the learning and transform the student experience.

"Our Holy Cross mission is to prepare conscientious leaders in the 21st century," said Kevin Makley, president of the 1,600 student school, in a press release about the partnership. "The one-to-one iPad program echoes our commitment to deliver a student-centered learning experience that reflects today’s world."

The 32GB third generation iPad will be free to all students because the school will own the devices and loan them out. Faculty members will get them first and undergo professional development. Students will receive their device in the Fall.

SFHS has since 2010 looked to improve its technological offerings. According to Holly Elkins, the school's director for institutional advancement, St. Francis tested laptops, netbooks, e-readers and other tablet devices, before they settled on the iPads, because they "found the iPad to be the best classroom device available on the market today.

The school also found that the iPad's multifunctionality, Apple's proven record deploying iPads at schools, and that the device is lightweight and has a long battery life appealing.

Principal Patricia Tennant shared the "thrilled" the administration and faculty feel.

"The new iPad will transform the way our teachers teach and our students learn," said Tennant. The school will hire an education technologist for support. "We also see this as a valuable opportunity for our students to become responsible digital citizens in our global community."

The iPad program also complements the school's Sobrato Family Learning Commons' multipurpose center, which also offers technology resources including PCs, Macs, Google Chromebooks and Kindle e-readers.

"We expect that the Saint Francis program will be a model for other schools to follow," said Elkins.