I was wondering about the keyboard issue. I can't type on the pretend keyboard, myself, so I never use the iPad, but a bluetooth keyboard, as well as an iPad, might be too much for a 7 year old to keep track of. Anyone have success with that age group maintaining possession of such things over time?!
My kids definitely wouldn't have been capable of managing an iPad for school etc at that point in their lives - none of them, even the most organized. DS didn't start using his laptop on his own and taking it back and forth between school until midway through 4th grade. He used an Alphasmart provided by the school at school before that, with another loaner Alphasmart at home for awhile. He had access to school computers starting in 2nd grade. I think the iPad can work (and a keyboard), but without turning it over to him to take care of and be responsible for.
Re the keyboard, our ds has a sturdy carrying case that the keyboard and iPad both fit into. When he uses his iPad, he can stand it up like a laptop monitor using the case, and type on the keyboard without removing it from the case. The potential gotcha with the bluetooth keyboard is that the student has to have wifi access at school, and that was something that ds' previous school was not willing to let students have. His current school has no issues with it.
The school is going to be searching out math apps over spring break and I'll post if they come up with any good ones.
Be sure to let us know what you find! FWIW, after I posted yesterday I remembered that ds has an app called "Math Paper" that allows you to write simple equations and save them to pdf files. He also has an equation called "Graph Paper" that is exactly that - graph paper that you can annotated on the iPad. If you search "Math Paper" in the app store it brings up some apps that might be helpful!
polarbear
