It's way too early to know whether the iPad will have an effect on the education system as a whole. We need time to study its impact on how students learn. But anecdotal evidence from teachers so far is encouraging.
See what Frasier Speirs from Cedars School of Excellence has to say about deploying 115 iPads in school.
The biggest early change has been in teaching art. Apps like Brushes, MoodBoard Pro, and Photoshop Express help children experiment with art and build confidence. Children are often reluctant to try new things in art class for fear of getting something wrong. With the freedom to simply try things, with the safety of unlimited undo, their creativity has opened up dramatically. Similarly, in English our teachers are now having to teach the art of keeping to a word limit because children are producing longer and better pieces of writing than ever before.
Are there things we wish the iPad did better? Of course. Is there another computing device that meets our needs more fully? Not right now. The iPad has transformed our school, and we have only begun to find out what’s possible.
I'd love to hear from other educators or parents the specifics on how they're seeing students' learning process changing.
[Via Scott McLeod's Mind Dump.]