When asked what ed-tech devices their schools plan to buy next year, iPads were the top response, at 57 percent.

Desktop and laptop PCs still dominate in schools, but iPads already are the second most widely used ed-tech devices in K-12 classrooms just three years after their introduction in 2010, according to an informal survey of educators by the ed-tech company Netop.

What’s more, the survey reveals a dramatic shift in spending toward iPads next year, with 57 percent of educators saying their schools plan to invest in iPads for the 2013-14 school year.

The survey results suggest “there is an exciting transformation going on in schools,” said Kirk Greiner, senior vice president for Netop Education.

(Next page: What the research says)