Having a history of making websites, Google Sites offers you everything that a novice could want without learning how to manipulate code. It is easy to begin new pages and have them become interlinked with each other, move widgets around to easily change page layouts, and add templates or styles to give a unique feel to each site. The biggest thing to note is that since this is part of Google's application suite there is interactivity between everything stored on your Google Drive and the websites you create. This means that all your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations are available to insert directly into your websites.
I'm not sure which was suppose to be correct but the top of the assignment said to make the site on something you know well while the bottom of the assignment said to make a site for a classroom setting. I added pages for both just to be sure. I can easily see Google Sites being used in any classroom that I teach in. It would be a wonderful tool for both students and parents so that everyone can gain access to all the necessary information pertaining to the classroom. Not only can it house homework, or additional help, it can become a portal to promote learning. Linking to sites that students will enjoy but learn from will keep them returning to the class website for more. Parents can keep up with what is due and when as well as know a reliable place to contact their teacher.
While there is always going to be a constant maintenance of the website I feel like it can easily cut some time in other places by giving students and parents access to information that they are contacting you about in the first place. Even so, keeping records online allow you to change due dates on the fly without having to hand out a new syllabus or make them write it down in class. A simple announcement in class is enough to notify and change what needs to be changed. I can only find good things to come from having a classroom website and I'm sure as I continue to think about possibilities more will present themselves.
CPED 5005 - Demo Site
https://sites.google.com/site/tlacped5005/
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
DISCIPLINES IN EDUCATION
ALGEBRA
The application called Algebra takes what appears to be a course book and puts it into an interactive form within the app. It not only has video lessons to go along with all of the material it also has a vast amount of practice problems and solutions to go with it. Each lesson has a tutorial, practice, challenge, and a test that can be given. While there is no open area in the app for scrap space for solving problems it does allow the students to go through each problem step by step to see if they are heading in the right direction. I feel like this would be a great way to go through a course at least once with each video in the classroom so that students are able to relate to what they saw in class with what they will be doing at home. There doesn't seem to be any kind of feature to connect student to teacher so it is an app that stands on its own. Homework and tests must be given through another medium since this app will not help you record grades.
MULTIPLE GRAPHING PROGRAMS
The different graphing programs on the iPads that I had a chance to play with were interesting but extremely hard to understand. The simple graphing program Quick Graph seemed to be the free version and had a few features locked but it was also hard to input equations as well as understand what exactly was going on when a proper equation was input to the graph. I could not even figure out a way to clear my own graph. It seemed very simplistic in its style and functionality. I doubt I would ever use something like this in the classroom. While I do feel like the iPad has the capability to replace a graphing calculator I do not feel that with what I have seen it is possible just yet. I also looked an app called Graphbook but it was not the full version and would only let me play with a pre-rendered sea shell in a 3D form. Pocket CAS was just as difficult to use and I could not even figure out how to get the keyboard to show! There was a button to pull it up but nothing I could do would let me input my own equations. I had no luck with any of the graphing solutions on the iPad.
THE OTHERS
The only other applications on my iPad under the Math category are Beat the Computer: Multiplication, Find Sums, and Jumbo Calculator. While all of these are fully functional and extremely simple in design and application they serve their purpose. Unfortunately, they are focused on younger ages and more simple mathematical problems such as multiplication and addition. The Jumbo Calculator was nice and had an upgrade feature. I'm sure that if this was a scientific or graphing calculator I could easily put it into use with a middle school classroom but since it is a basic four function calculator it has limited use.
MATHBOARD
I found one more app that was not under the Math section of my iPad. This application is one that I watched a tutorial video for before finding it and found it to be one of the best designed apps for elementary education. It does simple arithmetic but does it in a way that gives you scrap area to write out your process, multiple choice answers, and times your test so you know how fast you can solve certain problems. Once again, it does not hold much application in the middle grades unless there is a student that is truly struggling with these basic functions. It is cleanly designed, easy to use, and accomplishes its purpose of repetitive drilling for practice.
The application called Algebra takes what appears to be a course book and puts it into an interactive form within the app. It not only has video lessons to go along with all of the material it also has a vast amount of practice problems and solutions to go with it. Each lesson has a tutorial, practice, challenge, and a test that can be given. While there is no open area in the app for scrap space for solving problems it does allow the students to go through each problem step by step to see if they are heading in the right direction. I feel like this would be a great way to go through a course at least once with each video in the classroom so that students are able to relate to what they saw in class with what they will be doing at home. There doesn't seem to be any kind of feature to connect student to teacher so it is an app that stands on its own. Homework and tests must be given through another medium since this app will not help you record grades.
MULTIPLE GRAPHING PROGRAMS
The different graphing programs on the iPads that I had a chance to play with were interesting but extremely hard to understand. The simple graphing program Quick Graph seemed to be the free version and had a few features locked but it was also hard to input equations as well as understand what exactly was going on when a proper equation was input to the graph. I could not even figure out a way to clear my own graph. It seemed very simplistic in its style and functionality. I doubt I would ever use something like this in the classroom. While I do feel like the iPad has the capability to replace a graphing calculator I do not feel that with what I have seen it is possible just yet. I also looked an app called Graphbook but it was not the full version and would only let me play with a pre-rendered sea shell in a 3D form. Pocket CAS was just as difficult to use and I could not even figure out how to get the keyboard to show! There was a button to pull it up but nothing I could do would let me input my own equations. I had no luck with any of the graphing solutions on the iPad.
THE OTHERS
The only other applications on my iPad under the Math category are Beat the Computer: Multiplication, Find Sums, and Jumbo Calculator. While all of these are fully functional and extremely simple in design and application they serve their purpose. Unfortunately, they are focused on younger ages and more simple mathematical problems such as multiplication and addition. The Jumbo Calculator was nice and had an upgrade feature. I'm sure that if this was a scientific or graphing calculator I could easily put it into use with a middle school classroom but since it is a basic four function calculator it has limited use.
MATHBOARD
I found one more app that was not under the Math section of my iPad. This application is one that I watched a tutorial video for before finding it and found it to be one of the best designed apps for elementary education. It does simple arithmetic but does it in a way that gives you scrap area to write out your process, multiple choice answers, and times your test so you know how fast you can solve certain problems. Once again, it does not hold much application in the middle grades unless there is a student that is truly struggling with these basic functions. It is cleanly designed, easy to use, and accomplishes its purpose of repetitive drilling for practice.
LITERACY FOR EDUCATION
PREPARATIONS
MY SPELLING TEST
I found that this program was rather useful for students in a repetition learning way. One of the biggest problems with paper is that you can run out of space on it or just run out of it entirely. With this digital version of simple spelling tests it can be administered over and over without any worry for needing to carry pencil and paper. Review can be done in the car, in bed, or at the park. There is no need for a hard writing surface or anything other than your digital device. The instructor is able to also record their own voice and sentences so a student can be prepared for that word and sentence when it appears on a real test in the classroom. While I was not able to interact with the electronic whiteboard, the tutorial video showed that it had the ability to be used in conjunction with it. I'm not sure if the child was just listening to the recording and using the whiteboard to spell it or if the program actually connected to the whiteboard. Either way, it is a good example of using multiple sources of technology.
DICTIONARY.COM
The application Dictionary by Dictionary.com is a great and easy tool for simple dictionary use. I found this program to be laid out better than Merriam-Webster's app. It allowed for the definition to be displayed and a number of different words that can be used in its place which allowed for greater discovery and a broader vocabulary. Also, it has Thesaurus.com built into it as well. The two are easy to toggle between and give a student everything they need for choosing the proper words, or even more creative words, for their writing.
PRESENTATIONS
SHOW ME INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD
This free application allows both students and teachers to collaborate in a way that is pretty unique. The application lets a teacher create a lesson or brief tutorial by adding images, annotations, and recordings to give the feeling of a YouTube tutorial but in an educational setting and directly from their own teacher. Students can log in with their username and search for relevant content and also for their teacher. Teachers can keep their lessons private or allow them to be public for other users to stumble upon freely. I feel like this could be an amazing tool for quick tutorials for math or science and allow for creativity in English and history. I am really impressed and am excited to be able to let my future students be able to experience my personal black/whiteboard from their homes.
COMIC LIFE
The ease of use for this application is outstanding. It not only gives the teacher the ability to create fun and exciting images for students to use but it also is easy enough for students to illustrate their own comic strips. This could be easily used in many situations with English classes and even history. Allowing students to recreate scenes from books they are reading or allowing them to recite lines from history while using the camera to depict what they think it may have looked like is incredibly useful to helping this generation of students have a visual representation to remember concepts or facts.
MY SPELLING TEST
I found that this program was rather useful for students in a repetition learning way. One of the biggest problems with paper is that you can run out of space on it or just run out of it entirely. With this digital version of simple spelling tests it can be administered over and over without any worry for needing to carry pencil and paper. Review can be done in the car, in bed, or at the park. There is no need for a hard writing surface or anything other than your digital device. The instructor is able to also record their own voice and sentences so a student can be prepared for that word and sentence when it appears on a real test in the classroom. While I was not able to interact with the electronic whiteboard, the tutorial video showed that it had the ability to be used in conjunction with it. I'm not sure if the child was just listening to the recording and using the whiteboard to spell it or if the program actually connected to the whiteboard. Either way, it is a good example of using multiple sources of technology.
DICTIONARY.COM
The application Dictionary by Dictionary.com is a great and easy tool for simple dictionary use. I found this program to be laid out better than Merriam-Webster's app. It allowed for the definition to be displayed and a number of different words that can be used in its place which allowed for greater discovery and a broader vocabulary. Also, it has Thesaurus.com built into it as well. The two are easy to toggle between and give a student everything they need for choosing the proper words, or even more creative words, for their writing.
PRESENTATIONS
SHOW ME INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD
This free application allows both students and teachers to collaborate in a way that is pretty unique. The application lets a teacher create a lesson or brief tutorial by adding images, annotations, and recordings to give the feeling of a YouTube tutorial but in an educational setting and directly from their own teacher. Students can log in with their username and search for relevant content and also for their teacher. Teachers can keep their lessons private or allow them to be public for other users to stumble upon freely. I feel like this could be an amazing tool for quick tutorials for math or science and allow for creativity in English and history. I am really impressed and am excited to be able to let my future students be able to experience my personal black/whiteboard from their homes.
COMIC LIFE
The ease of use for this application is outstanding. It not only gives the teacher the ability to create fun and exciting images for students to use but it also is easy enough for students to illustrate their own comic strips. This could be easily used in many situations with English classes and even history. Allowing students to recreate scenes from books they are reading or allowing them to recite lines from history while using the camera to depict what they think it may have looked like is incredibly useful to helping this generation of students have a visual representation to remember concepts or facts.
GOOGLE DRAWING
Google's Drawing application was a simple learn for me. I have worked with Adobe Illustrator for years now and this application gives the basic functions of software like Adobe Illustrator. The biggest thing about this kind of software is its ability to work in vector graphics. To make a long explanation short, vector graphics allow pieces of an image or the whole image itself to be increased or decreased in size without losing its visual quality. While this is a wonderful concept it is often times a difficult one to learn. You must switch your artistic creativity from brush or pencil strokes to lines, angles, and curves. Not only must that change but you also have to begin to think in layers of a drawing. These few but tricky concepts makes the learning curve for a program such as Google Drawing a little higher than others. I had not used the program before this assignment and the name of it was a little misleading. I was hoping that it was a little more like Adobe Photoshop rather than Illustrator. Both are amazing in their own rights but Photoshop acts and draws like you would on a piece of paper.
Because of this learning curve, I feel as if it is not a good tool for students to use artistically but in a manner of teachers using it to explain it is a wonderful tool. The tutorial I had for the middle ages was based on the Tangram Square. I feel as if this is a perfect example of what Google Drawing should be used for. Because of the easy ability to move the shapes around and create their own images students can work together and create their own stories like the YouTube video provided. It allows the students to be creative with images in the same concept as they would with blocks. While it is a digital representation of something that can be done also with paper it does allow students to interact with technology and a program that they may not even know existed. This program I can see being used mainly for math classes because of its ability to deal so easily with shapes. There are a number of different lesson plans and tutorials on things to do with Google Drawing but this was a good introduction to the program.
The Common Core State Standards are easily woven into this program by the need for students to create and present with images as well as understand properties of different geometry shapes. These Google Drawings can be used along with Google's Presentation or Document software to help with the presentations and writing elements of the CCSS and, just like all of the other Google software, it can be shared and worked on collaboratively with others. While it is an image program, that is definitely needed in the Google Suite, it is the bare bones edition of what can be used and has a strong learning curve for almost anybody since it is not like pencil on paper. A decent program to learn on.
Because of this learning curve, I feel as if it is not a good tool for students to use artistically but in a manner of teachers using it to explain it is a wonderful tool. The tutorial I had for the middle ages was based on the Tangram Square. I feel as if this is a perfect example of what Google Drawing should be used for. Because of the easy ability to move the shapes around and create their own images students can work together and create their own stories like the YouTube video provided. It allows the students to be creative with images in the same concept as they would with blocks. While it is a digital representation of something that can be done also with paper it does allow students to interact with technology and a program that they may not even know existed. This program I can see being used mainly for math classes because of its ability to deal so easily with shapes. There are a number of different lesson plans and tutorials on things to do with Google Drawing but this was a good introduction to the program.
The Common Core State Standards are easily woven into this program by the need for students to create and present with images as well as understand properties of different geometry shapes. These Google Drawings can be used along with Google's Presentation or Document software to help with the presentations and writing elements of the CCSS and, just like all of the other Google software, it can be shared and worked on collaboratively with others. While it is an image program, that is definitely needed in the Google Suite, it is the bare bones edition of what can be used and has a strong learning curve for almost anybody since it is not like pencil on paper. A decent program to learn on.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
IPAD BASICS
The iWorks application suite has programs within it that function a lot like Microsoft Office or Google's Office web applications. They have programs for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. The most commonly used one is the word processing program.
Every word processing program has the typical features such as font customization and styling, image inserting, and editable graphs. Normally I would use a program such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator to make my own custom graphics just because I know how the software works and is easier for me to use to edit an image. After watching the tutorial on iWorks Pages application I found that it was incredibly easy to crop and size an image from within the document itself. With cropping being one of the biggest things I normally have to do to edit a picture this would save a lot of time, especially while trying to type and edit on a tablet. The same type of feature was found for graphs. A type of graph could be chosen in either a 2D or 3D model and data could be edited instantly to change the graphic. Once again, this eliminates my need for another graphics editing program and greatly reduces time spent having to remake images with wrong data. The one thing about word processing on a tablet that I have never liked is the ability to freely move around the document as easily as a mouse. I do not find that the magnifying glass and selection features are as easy to use as a standard mouse and can easily slow down production when it comes to standard text editing.
The touch features of a tablet allow for some easier manipulating of documents when it comes to inserting graphics and editing them but for the main purpose of word processing I still have trouble navigating and stylizing exactly what I want as quickly as I can with a conventional mouse and keyboard.
The concept of cloud storage and the digital dropbox have been around for a while and I have been using them for quite some time. When the feature was just getting started I remember having to use it for assignments even back in high school. Today I use the feature to share documents across my two computers and phone so I am never without an important document. Box.net is a great piece of software that does exactly what you want it to do.
Between the iBooks and Kindle apps I am not so sure that I have a favorite. I have not put extensive time into either app by reading books so I am not aware of the little features that one has that the other might not. They both seem to have all of the standard features such as text manipulation, highlighting, notes, and screen brightness options so I believe that it really just comes down to personal preference and even possibly where your book library currently is. The only noticeable difference that I could find was how to actually purchase books. iBooks allows for books to be purchased from within the application itself while Kindle does not. If Kindle were to allow purchasing of books from within its app it would have to pay a % to Apple for its service. Because of this Kindle links directly to their website and you must buy books through the browser and then reopen your Kindle app. Not a terribly annoying or complicated thing to have to deal with but definitely a difference in simplicity between the two. I don't see a clear cut difference but I think I would prefer Kindle based on its ability to be read on other devices that I own.
Safari and Rover are completely different types of browsers. Safari is your standard browser but on the iPad it does not allow for some of the standard plugins that have become a staple to the Internet. These plugins include Adobe Flash and Shockwave as well as Sun Java. Rover is a browser that attempts to allow both of these types of plugins run on an iPad. However, it does not do so by normal means. It essentially has another computer sitting somewhere that will pull up whatever web page you desire on a standard computer running a Firefox browser. It then captures its screen as a video and streams it to your iPad making it appear that you are looking at a browser window when really you are just watching someone else's screen. Because it does this in such a strange manner it takes a lot more bandwidth than expected. For any kind of classroom purpose this would be unacceptable because it would tie up most of the school's network resources and would only allow a small number of iPads to do this. For a home setting this would be acceptable but even so I think I would rather my child use a standard computer for the short time they will be using the program anyway. I applaud Rover for its concept but not for its execution.
Every word processing program has the typical features such as font customization and styling, image inserting, and editable graphs. Normally I would use a program such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator to make my own custom graphics just because I know how the software works and is easier for me to use to edit an image. After watching the tutorial on iWorks Pages application I found that it was incredibly easy to crop and size an image from within the document itself. With cropping being one of the biggest things I normally have to do to edit a picture this would save a lot of time, especially while trying to type and edit on a tablet. The same type of feature was found for graphs. A type of graph could be chosen in either a 2D or 3D model and data could be edited instantly to change the graphic. Once again, this eliminates my need for another graphics editing program and greatly reduces time spent having to remake images with wrong data. The one thing about word processing on a tablet that I have never liked is the ability to freely move around the document as easily as a mouse. I do not find that the magnifying glass and selection features are as easy to use as a standard mouse and can easily slow down production when it comes to standard text editing.
The touch features of a tablet allow for some easier manipulating of documents when it comes to inserting graphics and editing them but for the main purpose of word processing I still have trouble navigating and stylizing exactly what I want as quickly as I can with a conventional mouse and keyboard.
The concept of cloud storage and the digital dropbox have been around for a while and I have been using them for quite some time. When the feature was just getting started I remember having to use it for assignments even back in high school. Today I use the feature to share documents across my two computers and phone so I am never without an important document. Box.net is a great piece of software that does exactly what you want it to do.
Between the iBooks and Kindle apps I am not so sure that I have a favorite. I have not put extensive time into either app by reading books so I am not aware of the little features that one has that the other might not. They both seem to have all of the standard features such as text manipulation, highlighting, notes, and screen brightness options so I believe that it really just comes down to personal preference and even possibly where your book library currently is. The only noticeable difference that I could find was how to actually purchase books. iBooks allows for books to be purchased from within the application itself while Kindle does not. If Kindle were to allow purchasing of books from within its app it would have to pay a % to Apple for its service. Because of this Kindle links directly to their website and you must buy books through the browser and then reopen your Kindle app. Not a terribly annoying or complicated thing to have to deal with but definitely a difference in simplicity between the two. I don't see a clear cut difference but I think I would prefer Kindle based on its ability to be read on other devices that I own.
Safari and Rover are completely different types of browsers. Safari is your standard browser but on the iPad it does not allow for some of the standard plugins that have become a staple to the Internet. These plugins include Adobe Flash and Shockwave as well as Sun Java. Rover is a browser that attempts to allow both of these types of plugins run on an iPad. However, it does not do so by normal means. It essentially has another computer sitting somewhere that will pull up whatever web page you desire on a standard computer running a Firefox browser. It then captures its screen as a video and streams it to your iPad making it appear that you are looking at a browser window when really you are just watching someone else's screen. Because it does this in such a strange manner it takes a lot more bandwidth than expected. For any kind of classroom purpose this would be unacceptable because it would tie up most of the school's network resources and would only allow a small number of iPads to do this. For a home setting this would be acceptable but even so I think I would rather my child use a standard computer for the short time they will be using the program anyway. I applaud Rover for its concept but not for its execution.
GOOGLE FORMS
The idea of having a self grading test or quiz is amazing. As a middle school teacher there is not only one class that will need assignments graded but multiple classes with multiple assignments. Homework could be done in this fashion too but it would have to be within a subject that would allow for a multiple choice answer based assignment. The biggest benefit of this self grading quiz format is that it frees up time that a teacher would normally use to grade them to instead sort through the information gathered and figure out how to best help the class based on the answers they gave. However, saving time is not the only thing that these forms can do. Gathering information needs a purpose and sharing that information is how this is easily accomplished. Parents are always wanting to know what their kids are doing whether it be academically or just socially. If a teacher could monitor and record data based on student's behaviors it would allow teachers to notify parents with strong data about areas in which a student should receive praise or additional help.
The Common Core State Standards support the use of Google Forms by showing that students should be able to "Present information, findings, and supporting evidence that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style, are appropriate to purpose, and audience." Not only must they be able to collect data and present it they are also required to "Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations." Google Forms is already considered digital media and while it does record answers from a survey it can also take those results and turn them into graphical representations of the data recorded. Students are equipped with all of the basic needs of the requirements so that they are able to put their focus mainly into research and formatting of the information rather than graphics.
There are plenty of applications that Google Forms can be used for and I can easily see myself using it for a wide range of ideas in the future.
Form
http://goo.gl/W6a5k
Form Spreadsheet
http://goo.gl/gauIE
The Common Core State Standards support the use of Google Forms by showing that students should be able to "Present information, findings, and supporting evidence that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style, are appropriate to purpose, and audience." Not only must they be able to collect data and present it they are also required to "Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations." Google Forms is already considered digital media and while it does record answers from a survey it can also take those results and turn them into graphical representations of the data recorded. Students are equipped with all of the basic needs of the requirements so that they are able to put their focus mainly into research and formatting of the information rather than graphics.
There are plenty of applications that Google Forms can be used for and I can easily see myself using it for a wide range of ideas in the future.
Form
http://goo.gl/W6a5k
Form Spreadsheet
http://goo.gl/gauIE
Monday, May 27, 2013
TABLETS IN EDUCATION
The number of ways that tablets can be used it outstanding. They have features for almost everything you could want to physically have in your hands. Books, newspapers, music, movies, internet, and a vast range of different utility software helps eliminate clutter and improves accessibility. Tablets have many features that add additional functionality to every day life and professional arenas. Their biggest asset is accessibility. Having a device that is portable enough to take with you anywhere you go as well as replace other object that you might normally carry with you is no small feat. The technology that has come around has opened doors to a culture that must learn how to properly multi-task or become a step behind.
With tablets having so many features accessible anywhere there is an internet connection this creates an incredible work environment for teachers and students alike. Teachers are able to use the many apps across the different platforms of tablets to keep their data in order, share and evaluate documents with students, and keep a curriculum in order and editable. Students are able to replace books and notes with digital versions, use the internet for research, and collaborate with other students and teachers by sharing their documents. Also, while everyone is getting a multitude of work done they are able to listen to their favorite music in the background or take a break to read the news or watch an episode of TV.
Unfortunately, some brands of tablets are stronger in one or more of these areas of work or entertainment. Amazon and Barnes & Noble have an upper hand on the digital book and textbook management, while Apple and Android are leaders in the apps category. However, with Microsoft introducing their Surface tablet they are the leader in tablets with full computer software functionality. Almost all of these provide some way to listen to music and watch movies. These features have pretty much become a staple in tablet functionality.
With tablets becoming integrated with schools there have been a wide range of results. Some positive and some negative. Since tablets were intended to be purchased and used by a single person there have been problems with integrating them into a school setting where the school may purchase them and control what features are used on them. Since most tablets are tied to one specific account this creates a problem for a school. There are instances where there can only be so many devices tied to one account which means there can no longer be one account for the whole range of school devices. I personally have even run into a problem with certain devices of mine where purchased software can only be downloaded a number of times. Since technology by nature is upgraded every few years downloading things over and over is just natural and having to purchase software again is never a positive.
However, the schools that were able to introduce tablets to their students 1:1 were able to cut costs on books, increase the excitement of learning for students, and allow them to get their hands on technology and use it in a way that is a little different from normal. Most of the students found that the tablets were easy to use but hard to master. Even though students were allowed to use tablets to take notes there were still some that would use the tablet for their book or research and still take hand written notes due to not being able to use the keyboard easily or not being able to use two applications at once like a laptop. The results found that most students liked their tablet and would like to be able to use it in many different classes but it was not a resounding answer. Only a little more than half of the students preferred them while the others were either not fond or indecisive.
While there are technical limitations in place as well as different levels of student understanding the tablet technology can definitely be used in an incredible way to further education and enable students to learn advanced and more efficient ways of getting work done. There are a number of incredible websites that have tutorials on how to use the tablets as well as education specific websites where teachers share their success and failures with tablets so that others can repeat or avoid similar circumstances. Since this technology has been used in education for the past 2-3 years now we are arriving at a time where studies are able to acquire more information on this topic. Since there are more people involved in this kind of research there are also more hubs of teacher driven communities that are not reinventing the wheel but learning how to use the wheel in a new way. If implementing technology in your classroom becomes a struggle try learning from the number of people who are sharing their stories online.
With tablets having so many features accessible anywhere there is an internet connection this creates an incredible work environment for teachers and students alike. Teachers are able to use the many apps across the different platforms of tablets to keep their data in order, share and evaluate documents with students, and keep a curriculum in order and editable. Students are able to replace books and notes with digital versions, use the internet for research, and collaborate with other students and teachers by sharing their documents. Also, while everyone is getting a multitude of work done they are able to listen to their favorite music in the background or take a break to read the news or watch an episode of TV.
Unfortunately, some brands of tablets are stronger in one or more of these areas of work or entertainment. Amazon and Barnes & Noble have an upper hand on the digital book and textbook management, while Apple and Android are leaders in the apps category. However, with Microsoft introducing their Surface tablet they are the leader in tablets with full computer software functionality. Almost all of these provide some way to listen to music and watch movies. These features have pretty much become a staple in tablet functionality.
With tablets becoming integrated with schools there have been a wide range of results. Some positive and some negative. Since tablets were intended to be purchased and used by a single person there have been problems with integrating them into a school setting where the school may purchase them and control what features are used on them. Since most tablets are tied to one specific account this creates a problem for a school. There are instances where there can only be so many devices tied to one account which means there can no longer be one account for the whole range of school devices. I personally have even run into a problem with certain devices of mine where purchased software can only be downloaded a number of times. Since technology by nature is upgraded every few years downloading things over and over is just natural and having to purchase software again is never a positive.
However, the schools that were able to introduce tablets to their students 1:1 were able to cut costs on books, increase the excitement of learning for students, and allow them to get their hands on technology and use it in a way that is a little different from normal. Most of the students found that the tablets were easy to use but hard to master. Even though students were allowed to use tablets to take notes there were still some that would use the tablet for their book or research and still take hand written notes due to not being able to use the keyboard easily or not being able to use two applications at once like a laptop. The results found that most students liked their tablet and would like to be able to use it in many different classes but it was not a resounding answer. Only a little more than half of the students preferred them while the others were either not fond or indecisive.
While there are technical limitations in place as well as different levels of student understanding the tablet technology can definitely be used in an incredible way to further education and enable students to learn advanced and more efficient ways of getting work done. There are a number of incredible websites that have tutorials on how to use the tablets as well as education specific websites where teachers share their success and failures with tablets so that others can repeat or avoid similar circumstances. Since this technology has been used in education for the past 2-3 years now we are arriving at a time where studies are able to acquire more information on this topic. Since there are more people involved in this kind of research there are also more hubs of teacher driven communities that are not reinventing the wheel but learning how to use the wheel in a new way. If implementing technology in your classroom becomes a struggle try learning from the number of people who are sharing their stories online.
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