EDMONTON – The popularity of iPads and other tablets begs the question: Are “pads” and “tabs” good enough for school, college and university? They are small, portable and easy to use, but deciding on whether to replace a laptop with a tablet may be challenging.
Our tech guru Steve Makris who has tried every portable device from smart phones to laptops, talked to school officials across the country to shed some light on the tablet versus laptop debate facing students this fall.
How do I decide if I need a personal computer for school?
Check with the specific school and classes on their technical requirements. Instead of pricey in-house computing environments, many schools are switching to Google’s online Apps for Education loaded with classroom tools that work anywhere. “The only thing our students need today is a browser,” said Edmonton Public School Board technology consultant Terry Korte. “Your homework is not at school, home or your computer…it’s in the cloud, accessible anywhere,” he said. This means you can work on your homework from any web enabled device from home or an Internet café. And you don’t need a brand new fast computer.
www.google.com/apps/intl/en/edu/
OK, Internet is in. How do I decide between iPad, tablets, netbooks and laptops?
Web browsing experience is not the same on all devices. Since Google is officially supporting the feature-rich HTML5 standard for web site design and functionality of all its online applications, make sure your browser supports it. Korte recommends the Netbook for the EPSB (Edmonton Public School Board) as it is affordable at several hundred dollars, light, long-running, complete with keyboard/mousepad and shows all the features on Google’s Apps for Education site, especially important collaborative onscreen tools. He noted inconsistency with browsers from various tablets in the past. Tablets (including iPads) are generally stuck with their own unique operating system and browser, different from more flexible Netbooks, laptops and desktops which can run multiple browser makes like Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Opera, Firefox and Internet Explorer. You can choose which works best for your school work.
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http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy/netbook-pcs.aspx#page=2
I found all tablets, including the iPad, scored 20 per cent lower on showing HTML5 features than did netbooks, laptops and desktops (including MacBooks, Air and iMacs). Interestingly, the power of any of these devices did not affect how well they behave on a web site. It was the browser that made the difference. It’s interesting to note that the BlackBerry Playbook outperformed all “pads and tabs” while Google’s Chrome browser scored highest on Mac and Windows laptops, netbooks and desktops.
What does all this mean? The operating system and browser in tablets does not match Netbooks, laptops and desktop computers for most school work.
Can iPads and tablets work in a school environment as well as a laptop?
In my experience, tablets cannot match the power, multitasking, screen size, accuracy of mouse and keyboard input and web experience of laptops. An exception may be a particular class program designed to work with, for example, an iPad and Apple servers as the Apple website suggests. http://apple.ca/education Most educators recommend netbooks and laptops (macs and Windows) designed for a lot of typing and multiple windows on screens.
Where do iPads and Tablets fit in my school life?
iPads and tablets were not designed with school in mind. They are cool, portable and slick general purpose personal devices that let you do many things in simple ways with finger gestures. Yet, they are trying to justify themselves in the classroom and educators are still weighing in. “We plan with a goal in mind, in this case we ask what is the purpose of the tablet, or any technology ,” said Toronto District School Board Superintendent of Education Peter Chang. He said the Ontario School Board is trying different tablets and iPads, netbooks and laptops and cloud computing in pilot programs throughout the elementary and secondary system.”We are trying to excite the kids and at the same time making sure new technology is fundamentally used in pedagogy.”
From what grade does my child need a personal computing device?
Children can be exposed to personal computing in school from grade three and up. It’s best to check with your school, as each school’s use of technology varies, even within the same school board system. In general, elementary schools use a mix of old fashioned “analog” tools like pencil, paper and books and introduce school computers in later grades.
Are smart phones suitable for school use?
In most cases no. Smart Phone browsers have problems showing full functionality on sophisticated web sites. They are distractive and their screens are too small.
Can I simply rely on my school to supply computing experience in the classroom?
Check with each school. Some have aggressive IT programs with involved parent councils with enough computers for a classroom. But generally there is one computer for every four students in most schools.
How can iPads and tablets work in education?
Many support special programs for students with learning disabilities and special interest programs that encourage learning. The iPad for example has the largest collection of education friendly apps like “The Elements” for science students. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-elements-a-visual-exploration/id364147847?mt=8
While Apple’s App Store and Android’s Market may have hundreds of thousands of apps, only a handful might show up in Canadian school curriculums.
What about post secondary school, how do I choose between tablets and laptops?
Colleges and Universities generally see portable computing as a personal tool mature adult students prefer to use. Check with your faculty for recommended computers. Cloud computing is taking over. The University of Alberta is months away from completing a total Google transformation. “We are moving everyone at the U of A to Google Apps for Education and one single email system (a special version of Google’s Gmail) for our 140,000+ user accounts,” said Jonathan Schaeffer, Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President IT. He said the campus help desk will closely follow changes on Google’s web site capabilities and browser versions for different users, to ensure optimum online performance.
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