Say goodbye to textbooks and hello to iPads thanks to the $5000 grant from the Barona Band of Mission Indians.

On Wednesday, the Barona Band of Mission Indians generously gave math teacher Mr. Jeff Simon a $5000 grant to purchase new iPads for his classes. Mr. Simon will be the first teacher at Carlsbad High School to incorporate this new technology into his lesson plans.

“We will be using this money to purchase about a dozen iPads to use to promote academic improvement in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math,” Simon said.

During class, students will be able to take notes on the iPad and also save them for future reference. Additionally, students will use interactive eTextbooks with instructions on how to solve each problem.

“The iPads will be used to usher the digital revolution into my Geometry and Algebra 2-H classes as we explore ways to make learning math more engaging, more inspiring, more accessible, and more manageable,” Simon said.

Simon is looking forward to working with the new iPads in his classroom. He hopes to get all CHS teachers using iPads next year.

“The iPads’ full potential will only be unlocked when students and teachers begin to learn how they can be used to explore new topics, explain unanswered questions, and develop new insights into the world of mathematics,” Simon said.

Many people have wondered why the new technology is necessary. However, Simon feels that if the school should spend money on something, iPads would be the most beneficial.

“In this time of global recession, I believe that it would come at great cost for us to deny ourselves of every opportunity to improve our educational programs,” Simon said. “Innovation would be stifled, progress would halt, and the aspiration for a more hopeful future would fade into a bleak outlook.”

CHS is extremely thankful for the generosity of the Barona Band of Mission Indians. Without their grant, CHS would not be able to advance technologically. As iPads are starting to be used in math classes, CHS looks forward to incorporating this new technology into all aspects of learning.

“We have to rely on the generosity of philanthropists and the promise of our democratic and capitalist structures to play the essential role of providing the resources to further our progress,” Simon said.