iPads in school: an example of working harder or smarter?

We all know the saying 'work smarter not harder'  and it might be that doing your school work on an iPad is the perfect example of this. I have been doing a lot of reading about apple and mac and all that for work, and today I came across a really interesting article about a number of schools all around America who are getting iPads rather than text books.
Now, I want to be a writer and I know that I need an agent and a publishing house to get a book made but many people are saying that publishers of physical books won't exist in the future. I for one don't believe it, but if high schools move towards digital books then many companies will loose a lot of their business.
Also, I have a theory that the alphabet won't be taught as A B C D in the future, but Q W E R T Y because children will only see the keyboard and it won't make sense to them to learn the letters any other way. I know that the way that the alphabet is taught has a rhyme to it and is easier for children to recite but if they will be using a keyboard instead of writing then they will be seeing the qwerty layout more often.
One of the main arguments for iPads in school is the up to date texts and the vast number of educational apps, but many people are saying that the iPad will just give children more opportunity to procrastinate and more access to sites that promote cyber-bullying.
It's still early days but it seems that tablet PCs in school will be here to stay. I for one like that I was taught how to handwrite despite the fact that my writing is really bad and, if I don't pay absolute attention to every letter that I type, I will jumble the letters around. It happens when I type too but typing has auto correct :P.


What does everyone else think about iPads in school? Do you think that it's the way of the future, or are you upset that you didn't get to use one in school? Are you using one in school, maybe you're reading this on your iPad? I want to know ha ha.

Kathy

Link: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Many-US-schools-adding-iPads-apf-1245885050.html?x=0&.v=2 the aritcle that I read about iPads in American schools.

Themes: iPad, ipad, iPad 2, iPad in school, ipad in school,

Holy Hannah ya'll

I have another blog post ready to go this afternoon after I finish work, but I just had to share this with you all:

Nice yes???!!! It's so cool that she actually responded :D I'm tickled pink and can't stop smiling.

Talk to you all later,

Kathy

Themes: Once Upon A Time, Once upon a time TV, Ginnifer Goodwin, Snow White, ABC,

Get Glue: Checking In and Checking Out Rewards

Article first published as Get Glue: The Way of the Future on Blogcritics.

At the 2011 Comic Con Warehouse 13 actor Saul Rubinek said that he would love an artefact that would enable him to gauge the real amount of viewers. Saul mentions that his daughter in college told him that no one there has the time or patients to watch TV shows when they are airing on the traditional medium and that knowing the actual number of people who watch the show would show that that Warehouse gets more viewers than what is measured at the Neilson ratings.

Get Glue might not be an artefact but it is a great way to measure how many people are watching and thinking about a TV show, movie, book, or topic. Get Glue is a new social networking site with a difference. Rather than updating a status, users check in when they are watching a TV show or movie, reading a book, listening to music, or thinking about a topic. This is more entertaining and exciting than updating on FaceBook or Twitter because you can see how many other people around the world are watching the same show or reading the same as you. You can also use it to compete against friends and family to see who the bigger fan is or who saw the movie first.

Get Glue is also one of the first social networking sites to reward its members. Some check-ins are rewarded with a virtual sticker that adorns your profile, and when you have 20 stickers you can opt to have these sent to you- free of charge. The stickers are roughly the size of a button and are real; you can put them in your diary or on your fridge it’s up to you.

Get Glue has over 50 major entertainment sponsors helping to boost the number of series, books, sports, and movies on the site. With the Fall TV line up starting this week in America it’s no surprise that distribution companies are falling over each other to have their show on the site. Get Glue is a great way for these companies to find out who is watching their show and how they are doing it. People can check in from all over the world and comment with the episode number and time that they are watching and this gives the networks the information that they have been waiting for. For example, eight thousand people may check in when the new episode of The Office is airing but over the next 24 hours a further 10,000 may check in from overseas who have downloaded the show or from people watching it from their DVR. Get Glue is the way that networks can track who is watching their programs.

Obviously, I don’t work for Get Glue but I am a member, and being a member is free and you don’t have to pay extra to get your stickers. I encourage everyone to join up to make it easier for networks and producers to see the real number of people who are watching their TV shows, reading their books, and thinking about their sports.

So Saul, this might not be an artefact like you’re used to, but Get Glue sure has some power.

Who else is on Get Glue and would like to share their experiences? Do you like it or think that it's a fad? Let me know in the comments.

Kathy

Themes: Get Glue, SMM, social media, Social Networking