iPads are a bad idea for school because there is only one big enough upside for students to consider and countless downsides. The only thing students do on their iPad is play games. Also the only upside I see is that we can look at our grade book while on school campus but we could already check it at a home or on campus computer. I guess there are a lot of advantages for the school board and principles but for the teachers I don’t think there are any advantages because all I hear is “Stupid thing! Work!”. The thing is that when you give a student a iPad for him or her to use from 6th grade until you leave the high school (including summers) they will just say “Sweet!” And download some games. Then when they get bored in class they will just turn to they’re iPad. It’s also really easy to get away with playing on the iPad because all you have to do is click the big button and your game goes away, then you can say you were doing something educational and the teacher has no evidence against you. Also if the teacher says “Apples up!” (iPads down!) you can just turn your brightness really low and flip your iPad over if a teacher comes by.
The second reason I think iPads are a bad idea for school purposes is because of the cost. Yes getting the iPads is free but insurance costs 110 dollars for the school year and 60 for the summer, adding up to 170 dollars a year for 7 years which means they cost more than just getting a brand new iPad (the school ones are refurbished). And at least 1/4 of the school iPads I see have cracks in them, mine does! Also the insurance is a ripoff because on the basis that you crack the screen once a year (which is about average) without insurance you would pay 105 dollars and with insurance 205. That’s because insurance (as I already said) costs 170 per year and with it it covers ONLY ONE break for 35 dollars instead of the normal 105. So you think that it would be a good idea to get insurance but it actually costs more no matter how many times you crack it since it only covers you once! Also to keep the iPad over the summer costs 10 dollars plus the 60 for insurance. So over the time that you have the iPad (if you pay insurance witch most people do, break it the average once a year and have it over the summer) you will pay 1,505 dollars! Also think about how much money the school payed to buy iPads for hundreds of students! All in all the school iPads are a waste of time and money.