Teachers in St. Cloud, Minn., who complete five hours of iPad training can receive up to $350 for the purchase of an iPad, reports The St. Cloud Times.
The district already has some iPads for classroom use, The St. Cloud Times reports, and the classes are aimed at helping teachers “become more adept at using iPads instructionally.” Mary Broderick, president of the St. Cloud Education Association, explained that “teachers had been requesting more iPad availability and training, and the reimbursement program was a happy middle ground.”
The district is offering four 2.5-hour classes: a beginner’s class, a district-specific class, a class on collaboration, and a class on management. Teachers who receive the reimbursement but do not complete their 2013-2015 contracts must pay back half of the money they receive, the newspaper reports.
The $350 incentive should be enough for an iPad Mini, which costs $299, according to Apple. The iPad 2 starts at $399 and an iPad Air costs $499. There is no discount on iPads for teachers, the company told us by phone.
Teachers, does this sound like a good deal to you? Would you be interested in this sort of iPad reimbursement program? Has your district tried a similar incentive to get teachers to participate in technology trainings?