Which mobile device for students?

[witch]

After talking to the ICT coord I have decided to concentrate on tablets with or without removable keyboards - Windows only as they definitely want to use them as an extension of our current environment.

@Chipie - why did you choose Terra Pads?

Are the Acers really good enough for the rough and tumble of a school?

Any other suggestions gratefully received - I have a quote from Very PC for the classmates which look good

[MMPS]

Have a look at the Prowise Windows 2-in-1 tablet. We got a price of £199 each for them with the keyboard, which I thought was very cheap given their specs and quality. They have everything you need for a school tablet (Windows 8.1 Pro, front and rear camera, good battery, 3 year warranty etc.). I'm looking at them to top up our existing Surface RT tablets, I'd love to get more Surface tablets but the Surface 3 costs far too much. The proconnect software that comes with them is good too, and it works on any device. We started using it for quizzes instead of the ActiVote student response devices.

[Chipie]

After talking to the ICT coord I have decided to concentrate on tablets with or without removable keyboards - Windows only as they definitely want to use them as an extension of our current environment.

@Chipie - why did you choose Terra Pads?

Are the Acers really good enough for the rough and tumble of a school?

Any other suggestions gratefully received - I have a quote from Very PC for the classmates which look good

 

I needed a solution for all ages as thats what we have at the school. The problem is that it doesn't matter what the HT tells you, in reality what is needed is never the same for each person or group of people. Each child will use the device differently, as they grow, their needs will change. Teachers will also need to use or at least know how to use the equipment to help the students out. Then their is whoever will be administering them, this has to be easy so you don't get bogged down.

 

I looked at various solutions and how technology has changed over the years and where its going. We have a few iPads in the school, as good as they are administration if different on these, which would mean ANOTHER system to think about. Most of the younger children have iPads at home so a touchscreen was a necessity, but as they grow a keyboard is needed. Typing in a keyboard for a majority people is quicker and more productive (there are exceptions).

 

As we already have windows infrastructure and Group Policies set up, adding these into it would/was much easier than going for something totally new e.g. Learnpads A few tweaks to the GPs for these Terra Hybrids meant they were locked down and doing what we wanted them to do in no time. It also meant that while testing, we could make adjustments on the fly for varying groups of students/teachers locking them down more for the younger children and fixing their metro screen, while Sixth formers, pretty much can do what they want with them.

 

The problem you may find is resistance or opinions of others such as the HT or other teachers who have an idea or like using other equipment such as iPads or have heard from others about how great something is. I could have gone down the route of being really technical and awarding points, pros and cons, but in reality the best way is to use them. Get a couple and try them out as, see what problems you may come across, let students try them for a week and give their opinions, same with teachers and you will also need to play with them and think of the administration of them. Also think about the practicalities of charging and storing, maybe how you will book them out and also how you will stop any potential theft, these are all things to consider.

 

There was a book going round to see how many hours it would take for the first one to be broken. Surprisingly they are pretty robust and none have yet to be broken (3 months in). The other close contender was a rugged, waterproof version, but these look more "adult/professional" and are quite slim, they were the preferred choice for 95% of users when asked.

 

I also considered iPads, Hudl, Learnpad, various Android, various tablets directly from China

Edited June 10, 2015 by Chipie
Spelling, and additions

[Chipie]

Those Prowise look good and at £199 including windows Pro, that would be high on my list to try out.

[witch]

thanks @Chipie

 

Having made the decision as to what sort of device, what attracted you to the ones you chose, particularly?

[Chipie]

We had seen a few different types, many were very similar to these ones, quite thin and good quality build. Keyboards are quite flexible and are best used on a desk otherwise you can sometimes mistype, but once you get used to it, its not a problem. The other variations were quite bulky and looked a little childish. Most users we asked liked the look and feel of these.

 

USB was a necessity, Micro HDMI to attach to larger monitors if needed, front and rear cameras were liked, Micro SD a bonus along with the ability to add 3G if needed. Price was pretty good too, especially when buying 125.