Tablets in schools...which one and why?

[pooley]

@witch Yep. We bought our's direct from learnpad.co we have the octavo's (8") and they have been fine. You can put the learnpad software on any android device, I know Toshiba are pushing tablets bundled with learnpad. Learnpad are their own make.

[Steven_Cleaver]

1, Secondary

2, Trialing Ipads around 7 – one with blue tooth keyboard, 2 RT surfaces, 1 Windows Tablet Dell

3, Mostly, internet, videoing, group work in class PP, and accessing Gateway for remote access to PC all software and systems quite a lot etc

4, Meraki for Ipads but don’t connect to the network just use our remote Gateway?

5, Trialing all three at the moment both the Surface RT and Ipad with keyboard looking good but we do use the Gateway to connect to a PC on the these a lot for extra functionality with portability.

We brought one Ipad as a trial, 2 x surfaces for SLT but our recommendations and they seem pretty happy with these, but had 6 more purchased separate funding.

Overall the Surface and the Ipad with the keyboard seem good but we aren’t managing these heavily only Internet connectivity Firewall\Filtering and Meraki for Ipad and if they want to connect to network connect to PC or Virtual PC through the Gateway just internally.

[CESIL]

We are going with Learnpad Octavos (8") because the management software is so good.

 

I like the fact that we can use a webpage to build a profile that controls what the pupils can do with the tablet (ie not play with camera etc) and puts just the icons they need on the screen. All they have to do is scan a QR code and the tablet changes it's configuration. The codes also mean that confident teachers can create codes to setup the devices for less confident colleagues' classes

 

The tablets are pretty good too with more ports than my Nexus 7 (ie more than 1) including hdmi and the resolution although not up to Nexus standards is fine for school use. They are also supplied with a charging station and protective covers. They are also able to support Flash which is pretty important for the many online activity sites we use.

[woody]

Hi took a look at learnpad on a Toshiba tablet about 6 months ago and I wasn't too impressed. I liked the concept and the model works best for class sets rather than 1 to 1 but I just didn't find it reliable enough. When scanning the codes, the new profile didn't always apply properly especially when having to download apps from Learnpad.

 

I found it really difficult to get network drives to work. But the killer for me was just the limitation of Apps that was available in the Learnpad 'store'. Learnpad so say that you can ask the author's permission of an app found in the play store if you can use it on learnpad. So I asked two different authors for permission and didn't get a response so I was unable to use them through learnpad.

 

So if you are looking into this, check that you are happy with the availability of Apps through learnpad.

[edutech4schools]

But the killer for me was just the limitation of Apps that was available in the Learnpad 'store'. Learnpad so say that you can ask the author's permission of an app found in the play store if you can use it on learnpad. So I asked two different authors for permission and didn't get a response so I was unable to use them through learnpad.

 

You do not need permission to use an app on learnPad you just need to get a site licence. It is just an android tablet with a different skin and also has access to Google Play Apps. Most schools I now love them.

Edited November 19, 2013 by edutech4schools

[sippo]

We've been asked to source a tablet for nearly every member of staff. What are the best options? They must be able to 'mirror' to a projector.

 

Thoughts/Suggestions? The obvious ipad has been mentioned.

[woody]

You do not need permission to use an app on learnPad you just need to get a site licence. It is just an android tablet with a different skin and also has access to Google Play Apps. Most schools I now love them.

 

Yes, you can install individual apps and add a shortcut to them from within Learnpad. But the whole point of learnpad for me was that it would act as your MDM making application deployment easy and centrally managed. Meaning you should be able to bring Apps from the Play store into Learnpad and distribute them from there within a profile.

 

Using the shortcut way, you would still need to deploy the Apps to every tablet, meaning you either do it manually or get another MDM. I suppose you could use Meraki as a higher level MDM and use Learnpad for classroom management.

[pooley]

I haven't had this problem, I just ask learnpad if they can add an app to the store. Generally they do it within a week. If I am in a rush I will get the APK of the app and install/deploy manually. It's not difficult.

[SovietRussia]

We've been asked to source a tablet for nearly every member of staff. What are the best options? They must be able to 'mirror' to a projector.

 

Thoughts/Suggestions? The obvious ipad has been mentioned.

 

Unfortunately, this might be the best option, integration with Apple TV's to do mirroring etc

[sted]

Unfortunately, this might be the best option, integration with Apple TV's to do mirroring etc

 

or any windows tablet with a hdmi out

[ass17]

1, Primary/secondary?

2, What are you guys using in your school?

3, How are they used?

4, Are they managed?

5, Why did you choose that particular device?

Price? can be managed? SLT made me? other

 

1) Primary, managed sets of iPads & Secondary, BYOD

 

2) teachers were given an incentive to buy and use an iPad.

 

3) we use then mainly for use with our VLE firefly. There is a student app for both iOS and Android.

 

4) our junior school iPads are managed by AppleConfigurator. We don't managed the senior school devices.

 

5) iPads are child friendly for junior school, and can be locked down, and because staff use their own iPad they are familiar with the devices.

[edutech4schools]

Those ASUS units mentioned earlier look very good for primary schools.

 

 

ASUS Transformer Book T100 Windows 8.1 Hybrid - HotHardware

[hardtailstar]

We are looking at surface pros for govenors to read documents etc,

 

anyone know any better ones?

[woody]

We are looking at surface pros for govenors to read documents etc,

 

anyone know any better ones?

 

See the post above yours. The Asus Transformer is cheaper and will do just as good a job.

[delta7]

Hi Pooley

Saw your post today re. Learnpads. We have one to play with, with view to class purchase, but are struggling to make the network share work. Have you tried this? Basically I'd like the Learnpad to access and save Office-docs (through Kingsoft Office app, supplied) from our server. We've set up a share and allocated it to a lesson, but when we try to access it's requesting a network password (which obviously we don't want the children to have to do). Also, I can't see anywhere obvious, when using the Kingsoft app, that the share appears as a Save location.

Any help appreciated!

Thanks

(ICT co-ordinator, primary)

[TechSupp]

Yes, I have had the network share working but not sure if it's integrated into the office as a location, we just used it as a location on a QR code with the send to feature. Think the password is set up when you create the share?

[pooley]

When creating a network share it gives you then option to enter a username and password to use by default.

 

See http://learnpad.co/support/manage/network-shares.cfm

[laserblazer]

or any windows tablet with a hdmi out

 

My Tesco Hudl has. I'm very impressed with. Not sure about school use though.

 

Oops, sorry I missed the Windows bit.

[mrbios]

 

Twitter requires users to be of legal contractual age in their country of residence. Beware. Encouraging staff to get students aged 15 or less on to Twitter may not be perceived as a good move. We only allow staff to use twitter with pupils in lessons if they're Yr12 or 13.

 

That's an interesting one, some of our departments have recently started using twitter (against our will sadly, we were forced from the top down to unblock it for staff use) one department in particular has started sticking up posters about joining them on twitter. Could this be a cause for concern from a legal point that i may need to raise?

[laserblazer]

We've just had a demo of Learnpad and I have to say I was impressed. Anyone out there actually using them?

[pooley]

Yep between my 2 schools we have around 150 of them. Took a while for the teachers to stop pouting we weren't having shiney iPads!! But they have since worked out how controllable and customisable the learnpads are they have taken to them 100% now.

[Little-Miss]

Okay, these LearnPads have piqued my interest.

 

So, they're an Android device but with 3rd party management software on top?

[laserblazer]

Okay, these LearnPads have piqued my interest.

 

So, they're an Android device but with 3rd party management software on top?

 

This explains a bit.

 

[MrWu]

Yes they are Android based, they are rooted (or jailbroken in IOS speak) so that you could shadow students screens from a PC. The software will generally run on any Android tablets other than Learnpad (I ran the software on a Zoostorm 8 inch for example) and has most of the functions (like customised Desktop according to subject)

but to get screen shadowing and control of students Tablets you will need to have them rooted. That was the selling point of buying the Learnpad hardware rather than just running it on any Andriod device.

[edutech4schools]

This explains a bit.

 

 

I have always used the web based system to control and push software. Never even noticed you can do some of the bits from the device itself.

 

 

This goes over some other bits but might be worth jumping to 6 mins or so.

http://youtu.be/cDnrUUy3eSE