Looking for Tablet Wars?

Here is a direct link to the infographic referenced in my last post:

http://www.bestchoicereviews.org/electronics/tablets/

Thanks Amelia!

Tablet Wars - What's Your Tablet of Choice?

Amelia Bush, one of my readers, just sent me a cool infographic about tablets.  Amelia is associated with the website, Best Choice Reviews.  The graphic presents data that shows the iPad's dominance is slipping.  Is this a trend that will continue as more and more sub-100 dollar tablets flood the market.  Let's face it, as much as we have fallen in love with Apple, their products are expensive.  So, is iOS and the App Store worth the extra money?  Is the "cool factor" worth shelling out more than a few extra bucks?  How important is reliability and a company that stands behind it's products?  Without Steve Jobs, how will Apple hang on to the i-loyalists and motivate us to spend the extra dollars on Apple products?  Hmmmmm....

You can check out "The Tablet Race:  I iPad vs. the Rest" 

http://www.bestchoicereviews.org/ 

   

The iPad Mini Rumors Continue

     Steve Jobs may not been a fan of the idea of a mini iPad, (Too small to be a tablet and to big to be a smartphone) but there is obviously a market for a smaller iPad.  Take a look at the tablet market.  Most successful tablets are in the 7 inch range.  The question seems to be, "Do you want mobility or do you want screen size?"  I used an iPad when they first came out because of the coolness and sexiness factors.  I switched to a MacBook Air because I found if I had to carry a device the size of an iPad, I might as well have a fully functioning computer in hand.  Away from work or home, my iPhone is my computer.  For me, the iPad is just too big for what it can do. 
     Four of my classrooms are equipped with iPod Touches as part of a 1-to-1 initiative.  Cost was a major consideration when the project was initiated.  The iPad was just too expensive for our budget. The only complaint I have about the Touches is the screen size, although it does not seem to be an issue for the kids. I have found these devices work more effectively in our 20th century classrooms (student desks, print media, notebooks, papers, school supplies) than giving each kid an iPad or laptop.  I know, I know, we need to reconfigure our classrooms if we are going to transform education, but the iPad Mini would be a device to help bridge this transition to the 21st century.  I can't wait to take one for a test drive.
     You can read a post written by Tom Kaneshige in CIO.com below:

http://www.cio.com/article/711178/The_iPad_Mini_A_Late_Game_Changer_?page=2&taxonomyId=3052

25,000 iPads & iPods - Is Everything Bigger in Texas?

 Check out this posting from THE Journal about the McAllen Independent School District  which is rolling out a huge 1-to-1 initiative.  The district will be providing mobile devices to every single student, teacher, and administrator in their district.  Combining state, federal and private funds and taking a fresh look at how budgets are prioritized, the district is putting their money where their vision is.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2012/07/11/meet-the-district-rolling-out-25000-ipads-and-ipods.aspx

iPads in First Grade

First grade teacher, Kathy Cassidy shares her experiences with a 1-to-1 iPad initiative in her classroom.  Her focus on creation, collaboration and transformation comes through in both her words and images.  Check out the piece on the website Powerful Learning Practice: 

http://plpnetwork.com/2012/07/02/ipads-primary-1-to-1-difference/

The New and Improved Rubric

After receiving feedback from folks all over the world, I have made some several revisions to the widely adopted Evaluation Rubric for iPod/iPad Apps. In the coming weeks I will be launching a formal study as a part of my doctoral dissertation research at Johns Hopkins to empirically validate the rubric.  You can find the revised rubric at the following link:

https://www.box.com/s/2a70214763a4e0fef802

If you encounter difficulty accessing the rubric, please email me and I will send you a PDF.  I have traditionally used EmbedIt, but apparently they are no longer accepting embeds, so I'm trying a new system called Box.  Thanks and I'll keep everyone posted on my research.

If you are unable to access the rubric via the box link, try this one:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KKm3Ls_jIg8s0_rXcFmVqbXiZtvFb0nr54BzFSOl_SY/edit

A Chicken in Every Pot, A Device on Every Desk

Check out this story from the Daily Herald in suburban Chicago highlighting an iPad/macBook Air initiative in District 93 in Illinois.  Younger students will be receiving iPads, while the older kids will get MacBooks.  The district has decided to lease the devices as the technology is changing so rapidly.  Hats off to Superintendent Bill Shields for his vision recognizing that it just doesn't make sense to make kids sign up or wait in line for their turn to have access to technology in their schools. 

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120705/news/707059664/

Can Surface Compete with iPad?

Has iPad met its match?  While it is too early to tell what impact Microsoft's venture into the tablet market will have, the answer appears to be - not likely.  Check out this post that compares Surface to iPad. There appear to still be a lot of questions about Surface, in particular price and mobile capabilities.  Although I remain skeptical, I still can't wait to check out the new tablet in person, especially taking the pen for a spin.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57458868-1/why-the-microsoft-surface-probably-wont-be-an-ipad-killer/

Apple - Seducing Folks Since the Days of Adam and Eve

Why is it any Apple store you pass by anywhere in this country is always crowded with people playing with the latest and "sexiest" technology?  Read the post from Forbes.com and find out.  Everything about the experience is designed to make you buy and then remain loyal to the Apple brand.  There is even a app to calibrate the ideal viewing angle of monitors for customers.  Was Steve Jobs a genius or what?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2012/06/14/why-the-new-macbook-pro-is-tilted-70-degrees-in-an-apple-store/

Young Childrens' Comprehension and eBooks

So how do ebooks compare to traditional print books in terms of how well kids' comprehend the text?  That depends on how you look at it.  In a recent study released by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, young kids remembered more details in narrative texts when reading print material. The good news was no differences were reported in overall comprehension.  An important consideration with young children is how the ebooks had a tendency to hinder parent/child conversation given the engaging nature of this platform.  Food for thought and definitely worth exploring in greater detail.  You can read a short piece from Kidscreen below and then link to the report from the article.

http://kidscreen.com/2012/05/29/new-study-examines-print-vs-ebooks-for-kids/

So Do Digital Texts Save Money or Not?

The problem I have with all of these discussions is they seem to focus exclusively on the financial considerations associated with digital texts.  What about enhancing the learning and educational experience for kids?  What about connecting with kids and engaging them in digital environments in which they thrive outside of the classroom?  Wouldn't that be worth spending a little more?  It's a no brainer that costs associated with digital learning will continue to decrease while quality increases.  Most importantly, educators will continue to develop their capacity to use the technology to enhance student learning.  So what are we waiting for?  Hats off to McAllen Independent School District, Pinellas County Schools, Vail School District, Riverside Unified School District.

Attached is a well written article by Jason Tomassini in Education Week that summarizes the pros and cons of rolling out e-texts in schools.


http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/05/09/30etextbooks_ep.h31.html?tkn=QSUF%2FJ7xBvV40WxEczEyEvcij6%2F5iab6a397&cmp=ENL-DD-NEWS1

Will iPads Replace Textbooks? Really?

Sorry, been away for a while trying to get through yet another hectic end to a school year. 

I ran across this editorial from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh questioning whether tablets will overtake textbooks.  Really?  It not a question of whether or not, but rather when.  With over 600 school districts issuing iPads to their high school students, the wave is building and will inevitably wash right over the textbook industry.  While pointing out the disadvantages of iPads, the Advance-Titan Staff did not mention the drawbacks to traditional print materials.  Besides those hated paper cuts, every text I have in my school is outdated before it even arrives in my building.  Come on U of W - wake up and smell the gorilla glass.  Thoughts?

http://www.advancetitan.com/editorial/ipads-replace-textbooks-1.2819254#.T5AZ2e3A_bh

300 Rubric Requests and Going Strong

I received an email from a research assistant working at the, are you ready for this, University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia.  Now as a student, who wouldn't want to go there? It marks the 300th formal request to use the Evaluation Rubric for iPod Apps from folks all over the world.    It is being used in school systems, agencies, universities, and by individuals from all over the planet.  And that's just the formal requests.  How cool is that?

With such a large and diverse group of folks using the rubric, I am getting ready to launch a formal research project as part of my dissertation research at Johns Hopkins to empirically establish content validity for the rubric.  If have requested permission to use the rubric and happen to be reading my blog too, look for a formal invitation in the coming month.  I have also had requests to publish a list of top apps using the rubric.  Look for that list to be in an upcoming blog (once school gets out and I have a little more time on my hands).  Thanks again for your interest in my blog, in the rubric, and most importantly in your work to get mobile devices into the hands of students.

Read All About It - It's In A Book!

The Evaluation Rubric for iPod/iPad Apps was just published in a book entitled, "A Complete Guide to Rubrics" by Dr. Audrey M. Quinlan, Chair of the Division of Education at Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania.  Pretty cool.  The book is a great guide for anyone designing or using rubrics from elementary through high school.  The ISBN number is 978-1-60709-674-0.  Happy Reading. 

A $200 Tablet?

A 7 inch tablet, encased in rugged plastic, created specifically for the education market,water and dust resistant, designed to withstand drops off of student desks, comes with 4GB, WiFI, gorilla glass and costs under $200 - too good to be true?  Where do I sign up?  Intel recently released what they are calling a "studybook".  It will run either Android or Windows operating systems. The release date has not been announced, but I'll be on the lookout, anxious to put one through its paces.  You can read the piece from Ed Week below:


http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2012/04/intel_unveils_new_200_tablet_f.html?cmp=ENL-DD-NEWS2

Another Day? Must be time for another iSchool District!

In a state where everything is bigger, McAllen Independent School District in Texas has big plans - an iPad for each of its 27,000 students, one of the biggest undertakings of 1-to-1 mobile computing that I am aware of.  A relatively poor district (67% poverty rate) on the Mexican border with a vision and an ability to connect with folks for support will pay dividends for each of its students.  You can read the story from mysanantonio.com below:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Valley-school-district-makes-a-digital-leap-in-3467776.php#page-2

Khan Academy IPad APP!

I happened to catch the Khan Academy news feature on 60 Minutes this week.  I was blown away at the impact that one person can have on the entire globe.  The concept of a free education for anyone in the world hearkens back to the days of peace, love and Woodstock.  Well now "there's an app for that!" You can check out the piece from Fast Company below.
http://www.fastcompany.com/1823819/khan-academy-ipad

You can go here to download the app on your device.  That's where I am heading right now.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id469863705

What the??? Tablets That Aren't IPads????

Charlottesville, Virginia City Schools is rolling out an ambitious tablet project and one of the most interesting things is they are not buying IPads.  Instead they have purchased 2,000 Fujitsu STYLISTIC® Q550 tablets for every student in grades six through 12.  Officials cited issues with the IPad including integrity of the glass and limited ability to manage security.  Apparently, the STYLISTIC Q550 tablet is MIL-STD-810G1 tested, meeting nine of the military standard tests for various demanding environmental conditions including transit drop, dust, functional shock and high temperature.  What about kindergartners?   Based on my experiences, everything about the IPad, other than maybe durability, is far superior to any Windows based or Android tablet. Anyway, this project will be interesting to watch. Here's a short piece from School CIO:

http://www.schoolcio.com/article/charlottesville-schools-roll-out-over-2000-computer-tablets/52234

Things Are Always Bigger In Texas!

Let's hear it for McAllen Independent School District in Texas for what might be the largest deployment of IPads and IPods in the country.  This week they are distributing 6,800 devices with the hopes that every one of its 25,000 K-12 students will have their own device by next year.  Talk about BYOD on steroids.  Assuming they are an affluent district?  Wrong! Two-thirds of their student population is economically disadvantaged.  One thing that is obviously not at a disadvantage in McAllen - visionary leadership.  You can read the piece from ABC news below:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/texas-district-embarks-widespread-ipad-program-15804858#.T00Lt3F9m6E

Another Day, Another IPad District

Students and teachers in New Hampshire are getting in the game. William Allen Elementary purchased 50 IPads for their classrooms and are focused on using them in interactive ways rather than simply playing games and apps.  Students are working on research, creating projects, and developing presentations for their peers.  You can read about their project below:

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120220/GJNEWS_01/702209949/-1/FOSNEWS