It’s Tablet Time: K-12 Students Find Learning Advantages

The use of tablet computers in K-12 schools is rapidly increasing. And they’re changing the dynamics of the learning environment in significant ways. Their small size enables students to move between learning spaces without difficulty—whether those spaces are in school, at home or elsewhere. And while they are not a replacement for laptops or desktop computers, especially for content creation, they promise to make learning more fun and interactive for young students.

Touch-Screen Tablets: The Perfect Tech for Kindergarteners

Using technology that lets our youngest students get hands-on with learning at an early age makes sense.

Think about one of the main activities most people associate with kindergarten: finger painting. It’s a simple, messy, fun way for kindergarteners to learn about color and expand the boundaries of their imagination.
But with tablets, and an app that simulates finger painting, teachers can unleash the artistic potential of their fresh-eyed students — without all of the usual mess and cleanup.

iPad trumps PC in sales to schools for first time: Report

PC sales to schools in the U.S. are seeing its long-established lead in the education market overtaken by Apple’s iPad, according to a new report.

While PC education shipments fell by 265,000 units, or 13.9 percent, from the June quarter a year ago, Apple sold almost a million iPads to K-12 in June, according to a note to investors sent by Needham & Company analyst Charles Wolf.

Here is What Students Can Do with an iPad

iPads can be used to house digital textbooks, watch videos, manipulate images, create podcasts and more. The sky is the limit. But how does this actually connect to learning objectives in the classrooms?
I came across this wonderful post “What Students Can Actually Do with an iPad” on Edudemicby Beth Holland that lays out some great ideas.

Here is an example of how she and an English teacher used the iPad to master the concept of the story arc.

Some Schools Actually Want Students To Play With Their Smartphones In Class

 

If there is one thing that the mobile-computing era has made clear, it's that kids love touch screens. Because those touch screens — smartphones, iPads, Kindles and the like — are an inevitable added distraction to the classroom, schools across the country are struggling to deal with the growing prevalence of the technology.
But a growing number of schools are embracing these hand-held, Internet-ready devices by creating policies that put them to use in the classroom.

College faculty integrate iPads into classrooms for innovative teaching

A different kind of apple is appearing on more and more teachers’ desks.Educators around the country at almost all academic levels are leaning toward utilizing Apple devices, like iPads, as predominant tools for learning and instruction.Following the Apple trend, Ithaca College has implemented a pilot program in which 40 iPads will be distributed to select faculty members — 20 in the fall and 20 in the spring — to help aid classroom instruction and collaboration.The program, which was developed through a collaborative effort by Information Technology Services and the Center for Faculty Excellence, was launched this semester. The goal is to “explore the use of tablet computing for their teaching, research and personal productivity,” as stated on the pilot program website. The pilot also aims to create a faculty iPad “community” through Sakai for instructional collaboration. Twenty professors across all five academic schools received their temporary iPads two weeks ago to use during the fall semester.Beth Rugg, assistant director of technology and instructional support services, said she believes the program will help the college gauge how it can better use portable devices to foster more in-depth instruction and learning.

Edutopia: A guide to mobile devices for learning

Edutopia is a part of the George Lucas Educational Foundation, and it has developed a new, free guide with Google to help teachers use mobile devices, including cell phones, tablets and e-readers, to engage students – and to help parents wrap their head around how mobile technology fits into their child’s education.

iPads (and tablets) in K12 - When will we get it together?

Summary: An interview with John Martellaro over at the Mac Observer got me thinking...why can't we get this right?

By Christopher Dawson for ZDNet Education

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of talking with John Martellaro over at the Mac Observer. He had written an article a couple weeks ago about "The Real Reason Apple Wants a 7-inch iPad" which, in part, inspired my own post on the new Kindle Fire HD and its inability to change the game in education. My problem with tablets in education has, for the relatively short time tablets and e-readers have been floating around, always been one of ecosystem (or the lack thereof).

Educational Resources debuts LearnPad

Educational Resources® (“ER™”) is releasing the LearnPad™ tablet solution to the US market. The LearnPad™ is a customized school-based tablet solution that supports a wide range of curriculum resources, including tablet “apps”, websites and Flash-based learning content. It contains easy-to-use tools expressly designed to support effective teaching with out-of-the-box utility. “Contrast the LearnPad™ with various brands’ consumer tablets, and it is easy to see they are overtly lacking any embedded instructional utility. The LearnPad™ addresses rather than over-simplifies everyday school challenges.” says Kevin Shupenia, VP of Tablet Solutions for Educational Resources®.

Tablets, laptops and mobiles in the classroom: top tips from teachers

Tablets, laptops and mobiles aren't there to replace traditional teaching tools, but designed to complement them. Our panel of education experts share advice on using one to one devices in schools .

This week we've been exploring how technology is being used to educate and engage in the classroom and our piece on using mobile phones in the classroom caused quite the stir, attracting comments from enthusiasts, skeptics and those teachers in between.

Teaching With Tablets

Tablets can be used for much more than playing games and reading the latest e-books. Learn more about how tablets are also changing the face of education.

The Future of Education: Tablets vs. Textbooks

The federal government, book publishers and the technology industry are considering a large-scale effort to push tablets into public schools, raising questions about hidden costs to implement such a program.

Apple, Intel and McGraw Hill representatives joined other technology and publishing heavy hitters to meet with Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski and Education Secretary Arne Duncan last week to discuss a FCC report indicating tablets can save $3 billion a year, garnering discussion about most effective ways to introduce digital technology into the emerging classroom.