iPads for Everyone: How a small library program became a runaway hit and reached more than 4,100 kids and teachers.

McCall-Bramley, Julianne

Foote, Carolyn (2012, October 2). iPads for Everyone: How a small library program became a runaway hit and reached more than 4,100 kids and teachers. Retrieved October 7, 2012, from The Digital Shift: http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/ebooks/ipads-for-everyone-how-a-small-library-program-became-a-runaway-hit-and-reached-more-than-4100-kids-and-teachers/

While spending a lot of time investigating and thinking about what kind of content to put on the Experimental Learning page of my group’s VLC, I came across this interesting article from School Library Journal via The Digital Shift. The VLC that my group is working on is for a school that is currently utilizing a one on one iPad program for the middle school aged kids (grades 6-8). This consists of approximately 90 ipads (30 per grade). Since the VLC we are developing is for one of my partner’s schools, I personally haven’t had the opportunity to see how this program works. My partner did mention that she knows that the students are using the iPad right now in order to access their textbooks as well as eBooks. I hope that this is just the beginning.   As a new iPad owner, I have only just begun to understand and utilize the many, many bells and whistles that accompany this technology. This librarian, Carolyn Foote, started this revolution two years ago with only 6 iPads and the ratio has now grown to become a 1:1. Foote walks readers through her program and all of the various roads that she traveled to evolve and find her role in this revolution. She piloted and experimented and is still working to define the iPad use.  She also recognizes that this will be a continuous cycle of growth as students needs' change, classrooms change, and technology changes. I really needed to share this since after reading it, I felt that it was applicable to our existing goals of creating, promoting, and utilizing VLCs in our schools. Foote's beginnings were small and grew by leaps and bounds because of her dedication and determination. She is an inspiration!