Editor, The News:
Re: iPads are nice, but not a necessity (Letters, Sept. 27).
I just read the article by Sue Bentley regarding CUPE and cuts that are required. She states that the tablets aren’t required, but simply a luxury.
I have a son with dyslexia. If he didn’t have the use of a tablet and the programs available through the school district, my son would still be at least five years behind his classmates as far as reading and writing.
With the help of the tablet, my son was able to achieve amazing leaps in education. He is now in Grade 8, loves school, reads books (actually reading now, not just read for him by the tablet), prints out all his own work rather than needing a scribe, or the tablet, He is at grade level. This would not be the case had we not had these options available to us.
I agree that teachers don’t all need individual laptops, or perhaps we just don’t know how much they do need them? After all, we don’t do their job, so I won’t be judgemental in that regard. But don’t kid yourself about students and electronics. They do need them. Especially children with learning disabilities.
Carly Marchand-Jones
Maple Ridge