Education students in Texas who are seeking teacher certification, including those who aren’t education majors, have to buy an iBook or PowerBook starting this semester as they begin student teaching in public school classrooms, according to an article in The Daily Texan .
Anne Bustard, lecturer in the Curriculum and Instruction Department of the College of Education, told The Daily Texan that the laptops are being used to create projects with children, organize lesson plans and improve communication among students and faculty in the College of Education and the Austin Independent School District.
The laptop program was announced by the college in April. The University, the Austin Independent School District and Apple teamed up to offer iBooks for US$1,000 (they normally cost from $1,200 to $1,800), according to The Daily Texan. (Students may receive financial aid because the laptops are a required part of the curriculum.) Macs are the only laptop brand being offered.
“The student reaction has been very positive, and they’re finding the computers easy to use,” Bustard told the newspaper. “They have lots of technical support, and it has made the transition easier.”