We have been working towards innovation in education this year at Legacy Academy.  A huge part of this has been our use of the iPad 2 devices that we have had in many of the classrooms for the last 45 days of school.  With every day that passes, we are learning about new ways to integrate this technology into the things that Legacy Academy has already been doing for years.  While the introduction to iPad’s is in its infancy, the teachers at Legacy Academy have been working very hard to integrate them into the classrooms as quickly as possible.

Integrating technology into education is really about merging the analog and digital worlds.  On one hand, we have curriculum based textbooks and worksheets that represent the analog world.  Opposite that, we now have iPads and the internet that puts our fingertips at every bit of information that the world has to offer.  Finding ways to merge these two worlds together offers our students the best chance to learn.  Ideally, we would like the vast amounts of information brought to us by the digital world, merged with the speed and organization present in the analog world.  

It is important as we continue to bring technology into our classrooms, that we are safe and premeditated in our approach.  Our goal through this implementation process has been to create an environment where the technology is used to enhance the educational goals of Legacy Academy and that it never becomes a distraction to learning.   Recently, an upgrade to our servers created a security issue with our ability to allow the iPad devices to go home.  Apple has been working with our IT department to correct the issue.  In the meantime, Asher Sume, our new IT Director, was able to find a fantastic alternative that increases the at home security of these devices.  Through what was seemingly a complex issue, we once again innovated a way to make our technology program stronger and safer and moving forward.   There is little doubt that with every day that passes, we will continue to see improvements in our ability to merge the digital and analog worlds at school and also in the home.