iPad project getting boys reading

​Thanks to a new research project taking place out of Nipissing University, a group of boys at O’Gorman Intermediate Catholic School in Timmins are using iPads, the latest and coolest gadget on the market, to improve their literacy skills.

The research project is the work of Tina Benevides, instructional designer in Nipissing University’s Centre for Flexible Learning, and Dr. David Booth, Chair of Nipissing’s Centre for Literacy.

The idea behind the project is that iPad technology will better engage boys in reading and other literacies, something with which some boys tend to struggle. There are 20 Grade 7 boys who are part of the project, all with differing literacy skill levels. Each boy is given an iPad to take home as well as use in class. On the iPad, students have access to books and graphic novels, the internet, as well as applications for other subjects like mathematics and science.

“Typically, boys are interested in technology. The idea is that by using this new technology, we’ll be able to take those boys who haven’t developed a love of reading and really engage them in books and in other subjects,” said Benevides. “It’s a digital world that we live in and literacy doesn’t just mean reading books.”

The project began after Benevides made an academic workshop presentation on multi-literacies and digital literacies at a recent conference held at Nipissing University. Following her presentation, O’Gorman Intermediate Catholic School principal Ted Weltz, approached her about partnering up for the iPad project. Weltz created an all-boy class at the school especially for the project. The local school board purchased the iPads and Nipissing’s Centre for Literacy purchased the digital books that are uploaded onto the iPads. Nipissing’s Centre for Flexible learning provides technical support.

“It’s important to note that this project does not replace the great teaching practices that are used by teachers in classrooms all over the country,” notes Benevides. “We are basically researching another tool that can be used very effectively by teachers in their classroom, especially in engaging boys.”

The iPad project is planned to last for this entire academic year, and may continue in future years.