Over the years technology companies have been quite clever in their approaches when dealing with the way they promote their products in the classroom. Recently, Apple launched two new education profiles: one centered on a heart anatomy lesson and another centered on a performing arts curriculum, with the iPad being the star of both.

“Before iPad, some of ... students struggled to understand the anatomy and complexities of blood flow through the heart muscle,” read a stand-alone quote on the education page.  

“But with iBooks textbooks and creativity tools on iPad, the details become captivatingly clear.”

Apple used Jodie Deinhammer, a science teacher in Coppell, Texas, who is turning to their product as a way to help students better understand the anatomy of a heart. The company continues to quote Deinhammer on the importance of the technology and how she uses it in her classroom.

“With the heart unit, there are lots of great visualizations I could never provide before,” said Deinhammer according to the page.

“Now students can just click on them on iPad, and it makes the learning more concrete, so it sticks with them.”

Furthermore, Apple plugs a series of applications that are compatible with iPad devices and geared towards improving upon student learning. For example, tools used in Deinhammer’s classroom include, Moticonnect, Notability, BioDigital Human and many more.

Apple didn’t stop there, they set their eyes on the arts, more so the performing arts. The company featured the String Theory Schools in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as their example of how the iPad has transcended into STEAM classrooms.

“We’re a STEAM school so it’s bringing the arts back into science, technology, engineering and math and how all of those are connected,” said Christine DiPaulo, the Director of Innovation and Instructional Technology for the String Theory Schools, in Apple’s video.

The String Theory Schools wanted to replace textbooks with iPads in order to create better learning experiences for teachers and students. They pride themselves in having their teachers build their own curriculums through tools from iTunes.

From lessons on stop motion animation to production assignments, Apple and its two new education pages make an impressive bid for extensive use of the iPad in the classroom. That being said within the districts nationwide, schools need to decide how their budget best fits the expense of having an iPad available for it’s students. If you've been quoted for an EdTech ad campaign, we'd love to hear your story. Email editor[at]educationworld.com.

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Article by Navindra Persaud, Education World Contributor