ACU isn’t the only school in Abilene planning to integrate the iPad into education – Dr. Kim Pamplin, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and 20 teachers in the Big Country area are waiting for approval of a grant that will provide iPads to science classes.

Pamplin said the money comes from the state as part of the Teacher Quality Grant, a program designed to provide high-quality professional development for, in this case, high school and middle school science teachers in and around Abilene.

Pamplin said the grant will not be official for a few more weeks, but he is confident in its chance for approval. The grant will pay for top-of-the-line 3G iPads with a 64-gigabyte memory, as well as the monthly fee for the data plan.

Pamplin said money was left over in the budget in Austin this year, and project directors were invited to submit requests for the remaining money.

“I requested one iPad to share with teachers, to let them put their hands on it and see what they thought of it so maybe they could order one in the future,” he said.

However, the program director in Austin had a different idea. He suggested funding for all 20 teachers in Pamplin’s Texas Midwest Science Alliance.

The problem Pamplin said he and the other teachers are running is the same for most iPad users – they aren’t sure what the iPad is capable of. Pamplin says he envisions using the iPad to surf the Web for lessons, view video clips useful for the classroom and look into electronic chemistry textbooks. Also, he said he thinks applications are being written for iPads about the periodic table and other chemistry and education-specific apps.

The TMSA has been awarded the Teacher Quality Grant since 2002. Through the years, Pamplin said the grants have provided $1,000-$1,500 to buy new technology, such as PowerPoint, digital video cameras, laptops, projectors, probes, photography equipment and iPods. These technologies are used in science classrooms to help with labs and curriculum.

“It is really whatever kind of technology they can convince me they will use,” Pamplin said.

Dwayne Norton, Albany High School science teacher and member of the TMSA, said because of all the technology they have received, people have come in to train them on the technology and show them things they haven’t thought of. He thinks the same thing will happen when they get the iPads.

“We’re pretty excited. I don’t know all they are capable of, but it’s something that we could really use and invent new ways to use in a class,” Norton said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun to have that chance.”

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