I-pads seem to be the most popular. Cell phones are an option for educational use as well, but the majority of schools still ban them. The most likely competitors of the I-Pad are the Nook and the Kindle. There are a few other less expensive tablets, such as the Android. For my purposes, I will discuss the Nook, Kindle and I-Pad.
The Nook is a medium-sized option, with a screen of 6-7", which makes it still easy to read. It is also a size that is easy to hold with one hand. In the link to The Adventures of Library Girl Blog,http://www.librarygirl.net/2010/11/our-e-reader-adventure-part-i.html, she states Nook is very supportive to those who purchase these. She stated that they provided 3 training sessions for the staff. They offer coming out to the school for hands on support if needed. The Nook can also be replaced easily if anything goes wrong with it. It is very useful with e-reader, but keep in mind e-books have to be purchased for the Nooks, which will cost more. Also, accounts with Barnes and Noble have to be made on all of the Nooks and a Credit Card has to be kept on file, which could be a concern of schools.
The next tablet of discussion is the Kindle, which is also a medium-sized tablet. It too is easy to carry. Kindle has taken many years to finally enter the school textbooks contract for purchase. As was discussed in the Tampa Bay Times, /businClearwater H.S.http://www2.tbo.comess/tech/2010/sep/16/kindles-replacing-textbooks-today-at-clearwater-hi-ar-30616/, is one of the first schools to receive a Kindle for all of it's students. They were each given one with their school books for their classes already downloaded on them. Students were not only excited to get them, but were excited to get started with their classwork. They liked the feature that it included a built in dictionary. The school like the cost-effectiveness of the Kindle compared to the purchase of all new textbooks. This article was very exciting to me and helped me to realize how important technology can be in schools.
The last tablet I will discuss is the I-Pad. It is a larger tablet, not as easy to hold, but less easy to misplace. It has many uses in the classroom, such as writing papers, doing internet research, taking notes, used for presentations, video producing and also has many apps for learning available to download. In education, I-Pads are relatively low-cost, compared to computers, they have the ability to be used in place of textbooks, which can show much wear and tear after a year of use. Also, textbooks change editions often and with an I-Pad, you can just download the new book. They are able to receive low cost apps to assist teachers with instruction. The touch screen is easy to use for students. They have many features, such as cameras, microphones and also has the ability to edit software. This eliminates the purchase of separate technology apparatus that has to be purchased by the school. In the article, "Schools see rising scores with i-Pads,-sehttp://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/05/09/schoolse-rising-scores-with-ipads/ educators are seeing that students are more engaged in their studies with the use of these touch-screen devices.Test scores are improving. This is exciting in the world of Technology.
Nice work
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