Tennessee school making iPads mandatory

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 21 (UPI) -- A private school in Knoxville, Tenn., says it will make all of its students -- from the fourth grade up -- get iPads next year.

Jim Manikas, director of technology at the Webb School, told WATE-TV:

"To be able to use that technology whenever they need it is key, rather than as it is now. They have to check out a cart, a laptop cart, or schedule lab time to take a class to a lab.

"We'll offer a lease, a three-year lease for that. In essence, you're talking about $200 a year, paid over a 10-month school year, you're talking about $20 a month."

Parents will be able to set their own payment plans.

"We really want this to be a replacement for textbooks over time," Manikas said. "We have some students carrying 50 to 60 pounds of books and the iPad weighs just a pound and a half."

English teacher Elli Shellist said, "Once I explored it, I was really excited because there are things we can do better on this than we can on a paper text."