This post is NOT about the iPad… however, the iPad has certainly sparked this post.
On a recent visit to a school district, one which has tremendously embraced student access by providing one to one (1:1) student devices, I was able to actually SEE what I had been making assumptions on. At the High School level every student has a full blown laptop experience, while at the Middle School students have district provided slate devices.
Most of us have had the consumption versus creation conversation, at this point. It seems to be really important to determine the main goal of providing devices. Are you trying to create more (authentic) opportunities to access rich/ dynamic/ multimedia content? Or is one of your main learning goals for learners to be able to create. This is a big conversation. While you can argue that with a slate type device, content consumption seems to fit naturally, there are certainly growing opportunities for content creation (blog posts, google docs, email, or even an iBand). Most folks seem to agree that high level content creation rests on the shoulders of traditional laptop or desktop devices (with all of the bells and whistles). BUT at what cost? Do traditional laptops take too long time to authentically integrate into daily learning activities?
iOpening (s):
While in the Middle School, I witnessed some extremely natural integration with slates. Are slate devices less terrifying for teachers in traditional classrooms? Keeping in mind that the students had only had the devices for less than 4 months, there was some very natural usage. During project/group work, I witnessed how a slate may be more of a social device. In a group of 4 students – 5 different fingers, belonging to 4 different students (one student was ambidextrous) touched the screen and contributed within a 2 minute period. It was natural, students were engaged, collaborating, and sharing. 3 slates were propped up as a command center, the middle one was being used for creation (capturing thoughts and ideas) while the 2 on either side were being used for research and communications and sharing back and forth. Tapping, pinching, and swiping fun was had by all. Do multi-touch-based OS‘s remove some learner load? In another classroom there was some self paced media guidance for practice geometry problems going on. The slate footprint wasn’t awkward, as I’ve seen with laptops in the classroom sometimes. Students had headphones, the slates fit nicely on tables/ desks, while students followed along with individual video guidance – and paper/pencil. Some students even used the scrubber to rewind, while some used the scrubber to fast forward. A teacher told me that she was very skeptical of the screen real-estate/ size. She had trouble at first, but once she realized that her students had no trouble at all (a slate must seem Ginormous for students compared to a cell phone – which most student are now sending tens of thousands of text messages on) she quickly decided that that particular opinion was her dislike for change.
Question I’m now asking: Are students and teachers more likely to engage with slate type devices than traditional laptops? (keeping in mind, that I’m not even sure that there is an answer – or – even if it is dramatic enough to matter). It’s just plain interesting.
Leadership:
As leaders, most of the time we control the power of the purse. More specifically, we control the purchasing and therefore mostly control the ideas that get to develop using technologies in the classroom. On more than one occasion, I’ve heard statements like this:
These things are just toys… they have the wow and cool factor, that’s it. People are buying them all over the place and then trying to figure out what they are going to do with them.
As leaders, sometimes we struggle with someone actually coming up with really good ideas before we do. We sometimes even shoot holes in ideas that may not work – in the big picture. We sometimes support that status quo, instead of innovation.
I definitely support researching and identifying goals before purchasing tools (if all you have is a hammer – everything looks like a nail). That’s pretty important. Especially if it is a massive, large initiative purchase. Often times it requires purchasing a couple of the tools and putting them in classrooms to see what barriers need to be removed to make them successful. That is supportive versus the opposition, which is dramatically dismissive.
Expectations:
It’s pretty important to set the appropriate expectations. For example, if your teachers and learners are going to need to use a flash interactive resource, and there is no room for budging… The native mobile Safari browser on an iPad is not going to fit. Setting that expectation up front – ensuring that folks get it is key to over all success. If folks need to VPN and hit internal resources, a mobile OS may not be the answer. Sometimes the key is determining if the device is an appropriate fit, OR if there is an alternative resource that is a better fit for the device. In a nutshell… ALL MUST have the conversation.
Slates (or Tablets):
Price points are key (they seem to be dropping, hopefully). The difference in the name, at this point seems to be semantics. Maybe it’s form factor/ footprint/ or size. Or just maybe it’s the OS. Maybe if it’s running a full blown computer OS it’s called a tablet, and if it is more mobile based is should be called a slate. [picture the iOS – iPad slate … then the Windows based Windows Phone 7 – based slate (not on the market)]. Maybe slates are just over $500, while tablets are still hitting $1,000.00+. At this years CES (Consumer Electronics Show), slates and tablets were the buzz. Several new Windows 7 slates where introduced. ASUS and Microsoft announced the Eee Slate. It’s still pretty pricy, but does run a full Windows 7 OS, as apposed to a mobile OS.
Additional Notes:
In Kentucky schools, there are an estimated 65,000 slate (ish) devices in schools today (iPad, kindle, iPod touch, etc.). Some are personally owned and some are district/ school owned. Again this is estimated. There has to be a reason why the numbers are increasing. Is it b/c they are flashy, shiny and new? I certainly hope not. But we do owe it to our learners to engage in the conversation and try our best to be relevant. …bottom line, if students have devices in their hands (laptops, slates, tablets, smartphones, etc.), that they can readily have available, they will use them and learn with them – With or without teacher guidance, activities, or coaching (in spite of).
Pingback: The Slate Shakedown… | kyedtech.com