In one of the special needs classrooms at Quaker Valley Middle School in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, tablets are integrated into lesson plans each day. With seven Apple® iPads, teacher Jason Harrison transformed his traditional classroom into an intimate learning experience that enables students with disabilities to interact with the materials at hand. In order to protect his school’s investment in innovative classroom technology, Harrison searched for the most protective tablet cases. He eventually turned to Trident’s Aegis cases and Arkon mounts, a solution that simultaneously protects and locks down tablets.
“We have had the cases for about a year,” Harrison explained, “and they are still in perfect condition after being used every day. It was a necessary investment, and we made the right choice choosing Trident cases.”
One of the determining factors in choosing the Trident cases was the compatibility with professional-grade mounts from Arkon. In the classroom, Harrison uses the mounts to securely fasten tablets to the edge of each student’s desk. “The mounts diminish the variable of having to pick up the iPad and move it, enabling students to focus directly on the lesson,” he said.
Harrison, a teacher of thirteen years, currently oversees seven special needs students, many of which are accompanied by a personal attendant. He utilizes the latest tablet applications, such as UPAD, a traditional note-taking application with photo and caption capabilities. “UPAD allows students to highlight and edit the PDF material I post,” Harrison said.
Similarly, the app Educreations acts as a virtual whiteboard, bridging the gap between each student and the teacher. The app allows instructors to create new lesson plans before class time, which are later launched through the application. Other capabilities include voice recording and recognition and handwriting analysis for students.
“As I began teaching, I asked myself, ‘how can we naturally integrate this technology? How can the iPad replace basic classroom tools such as the whiteboard, markers, and the calculator?’ Now, teachers can grab an app to accompany each need and find a natural fit for the classroom,” he said.
According to Harrison, as technology becomes more important in the classroom, teachers will require the toughest cases to protect against the wear-and-tear of daily use. “I would absolutely recommend Trident cases to any classroom. We are trying to get them introduced into every special needs classroom at Quaker Valley,” he said.
