I Swear It's Not a Toy! (Why I Needed An iPad, and Why Your Classroom Does, Too)

I'll come clean.  I'm one of those people...kind of.  I woke up at 4:30am to wait in line the first week to get my iPad 2, but the person in front of me got the last one the store had in stock that day.  He got there at 4:15. Yup.  So I had to wait another three weeks for mine to come in the mail, since I refused to repeat that experience.  Now, in the bigger picture, this is not such a big deal. I had waited for the iPad 2 to come out rather than get the first generation, as I knew this one would come with a camera and all the other things the first one should have...which is also why I will never get a first generation Apple product again after my experience with the iPod.  You get the picture.  So I was excited, and I waited.  On a cold, rainy Thursday afternoon in April, it arrived.  Finally.  And it was even better than I had hoped.  (Side note: I must give my father props for not rolling his eyes throughout the entire process, and even pretending to be excited as I showed him all of the cool things my new *investment* could do.  He can always count on me for a good story, although my bet is that he'll be more excited that he got a shout-out in this blog!)

For starters, the main reason I made the purchase was for school...both personally and professionally.  I'm currently studying Jewish education, and I had been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to ditch my heavy laptop (and many of my textbooks) and start using my new iPad to take notes in class, check email and social media in between classes, and load a few of the available books onto it so I only had to schlep around one bag instead of two.  Success.  It's awesome.

(Dramatic statement alert) For work/the classroom...I believe that the iPad is a much better option (in most cases) than a netbook.  The educational apps that are available making learning come alive in a new way that is incredibly exciting.  Whether it's using browsing the web or listening to music as part of a lesson, there are a myriad of uses for this hand-held device.  Most importantly, is what the app store brings to your finger tips.  Check out Jewish iPhone Community, a blog that lists and reviews many of the Jewish applications available for the iOS platform (along with Android, Blackberry and others, too).

And finally...my thesis statement of this post: Behrman House ROCKS.  Every time I get an email from them, I do a little dance.  This past week was no different.  They just came out with ANOTHER amazing app for the iOS platform.  You should check all of them out.  Talk about incredible tools for center-based learning activities in the classroom, or a wonderful way for intergenerational learning at home/in the car/on the beach/wherever you go.  They are trailblazing the way to connected Jewish educational experiences in the palm of your hand, and it's a market that has been (thus far) pretty boring until they came along.

Simply said, every single b'nai mitzvah student should have this app for both in-class and at-home engagement.  From center-based learning options to personal review, iTorah Blessings provides a unique opportunity for students, parents, educators and tutors to engage with the brachot in an interactive, fun and meaningful way.  I find the auto-record feature to be particularly exciting, as it enables real-time feedback and analysis in a way that is extremely user-friendly.  Behrman House has done it again, and as an educator who strives to strategically incorporate technology in my classrooms and programs, I sincerely appreciate their efforts in creating such solid products for us to help our digital natives connect to Jewish education in new and exciting ways.

Two weeks ago, I was teaching about zachor (remembrance) and what the Mourner's Kaddish was all about.  I broke out my iPad (which instantly earned me bonus points with my students), and showed them iComfort, which teaches the traditions, rituals, blessings and prayers for the mourning process.  We got to listen to (and record ourselves reciting) the Kaddish, and then learned about it.  All on the iPad.  Need to learn the four questions for your Pesach Seder?  iMah Nishtanah has you covered.  Looking to brush up on the Sh'ma?  Take iShma for a spin...complete with flashcards!

Bottom line?  Check Behrman House out, along with some of the other great products available for the iPad.  These apps are interactive, fun and well designed.  Now we just need some Jewish video games...