Tablet storage and charging - and kids

[mikeprice]

Hi all

 

One of our teachers (one of the ones who normally gets her way - you know the ones) has decided that it would be a good idea to have 16 'tablets' just to go on one web site about once a day - on some days

 

OK - so not my decision - but I AM going to have a say

 

but my problems is - if we use normal Windows/Android tablets they have those microUSB type charging ports and will need to be put on charge after use

 

so we need a storage thingy - which seem to have silly prices for what we need

 

also - can primary school kids (especilly year 4 5 6) be trusted to put them on charge without breaking them??

 

 

anyone

 

1) any experience of kids putting these things on charge

 

2) any experience of storage thingys that work and are cheapish??

 

 

TIA

 

Mike

[RLR]

Hi all

 

One of our teachers (one of the ones who normally gets her way - you know the ones) has decided that it would be a good idea to have 16 'tablets' just to go on one web site about once a day - on some days

 

OK - so not my decision - but I AM going to have a say

 

but my problems is - if we use normal Windows/Android tablets they have those microUSB type charging ports and will need to be put on charge after use

 

so we need a storage thingy - which seem to have silly prices for what we need

 

also - can primary school kids (especilly year 4 5 6) be trusted to put them on charge without breaking them??

 

 

anyone

 

1) any experience of kids putting these things on charge

 

2) any experience of storage thingys that work and are cheapish??

 

 

TIA

 

Mike

 

We have iPads for our pre-prep and junior school. They're good at putting them away and putting them on charge but the cables break/stop working quite often. These are 3rd party lightning cables which might be the reason. It's not necessary the kids breaking them (some do but our teachers and older students manage to break them too).

 

We brought some Kensington charge and sync boxes which are very expensive and absolutely rubbish. The cooling fan broke on a few and the USB and so many USB ports have stopped working. We're looking at getting some different sync units this year but not sure yet.

[Duranis]

Having had to replace about 8 chargers recently in a year 5 area I would say no, they can't be trusted to put them away and take them out properly. The cables often get yanked out by the cable rather than the plug and eventually the cable will break. I image it will be a lot worse if your using Micro USB charging cables. I would suggest getting the thickest cables you can find and reinforcing them with gaffer tape.

Having said that though the rest of the school's charging trolleys have not had any issues, they are however always supervised properly....

 

Maybe have a chat with your Site manager and look at making your own charging unit? I few multiport USB chargers and a bit of wood and felt/rubber would make a nice charging unit for under £100.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01F52DGBC?psc=1

Edited June 15, 2017 by Duranis

[HTCPCP]

I haven't had any issues with the Lapsafe Trolleys as long as the cables don't get stuck in the doors (staff more than students cause this!), and remember lightening leads don't have an indefinate life span.

 

Other solutions I have come across/have been forced into and their effectiveness

 

1 - Using Comms cabinets and USB charging hubs - Not very attractive, but does work. It's a bit of a pain to set up, and so far more cables have been caught and damaged than anything else.

2 - Proper trolleys - I have used Lapsafe, Zioxi and Lapcabby. I wouldn't recomend the latter 2, as I have found the trolleys to be poorly built and not very well designed, but was a big improvement from the comms cabinets! The Nursery children are relatively good at putting them back in the trolley, but obviously need to be plugged in by staff, but the older students (year 3+ have been brilliant with these)

3 - suitcase style trolleys - Avoid these like the plague, I can't trust teachers to use these, let alone the kids to put them on charge. Cables become a mess, leads go missing regularly, and the ones that haven't gone missing tend to be the ones that someone has closed the lid on...

4 - Wireless charging - this looks great, and was really hoping to get it put into one of my schools, until I found out that the Business manager had spent the money that was meant to go for charging infrastructure on something else... Suitable for all kids, and from what i've seen works well, but does cost a fair bit of money. However, no cables to worry about, secure and children will be able to put them away. (ClassCharge was the option we looked at)

 

From experience, if you cut corners when it comes to the charging kit, you pay for it later down the road, so I would suggest if at all possible spend more on something that will not break. I go on at least 2 cycles of devices per trolley minimum if it's good quality, 1 if its cheaper, and based on the wear of the Zioxi trolley so far, probably 2 trolleys per 5 year cycle of devices.

[Joanne]

Is it IDL mike?! I have iPads in trolleys of 24 which are Partotec inSync which are good. I find it's not the children who can't put them away - it's the staff. Trapping cables and whatnot.

 

If I were replacing, I would get some cheapo android tablets, a good case for them and then lock them down so they can only access Chrome or something.

[simonw]

I have iPads in one school in Lock n' Charge trolleys. The kids are good at taking out and returning, no broken cables but sometimes they get pulled out of the usb slots under the false floor - a PITA to reconnect as you have to dismantle the trolley. The devices are in baskets of 5 which are easy to carry.

 

I have Learnpads in my other school and these are stored in the Tectus wireless charging cabinets. Sometimes they get returned to the cabinet and not put in properly, then they don't charge.

[paulellam]

Zioxi Trolleys here for Ipads and laptops, they are designed well and easy to move about and not expensive. The cable management is good too. The children have got used to putting them away safely so no problems here so far, luckily, touch wood etc

[Bev]

if they are staying in the classrooms, we like this wooden unit

Buy Desktop USB Tablet Charger Storage Rack | TTS

 

I also have a proper lock n sync for ipads that roam the school, but the wooden one does the job. I bought 1ft cables for it to avoid tangling. We have 30 ipads in the classroom but they are just charged as and when needed, we don't have all 30 on charge at once.

[irfdude]

Reception to Yr 2 kids couldn't be trusted, they managed to break all the cables or charge ports on various devices. Kindles and Surface tablets. I trained a group of Yr5 and Y6 digital leaders to be responsible for mobile devices. Their job was to go round at the start of the day and unplug all the devices and tidy the cabling.Then at the end of the day to go back round and plug them back in to charge. Most devices could last a week on standby to be honest.

Early years had their tablets in a cleaners caddy type thing which the Teachers/TA's/Staff were responsible for keeping charged. These Kindles just had a child account activated and locked down. They couldn't fiddle round with them at all.

Re staff just wanting something to do the same thing I had a teacher that just wanted a device to let their class go on a kids website. I just got them to use chromebooks which I added a bookmark for them to click on. No need for new devices.

Biggest drawback I've come across for trolleys/charging boxes is that the cables invariably get crushed when the door is closed. Unless you get a load of really short cables I suppose.

[mikeprice]

Biggest drawback I've come across for trolleys/charging boxes is that the cables invariably get crushed when the door is closed. Unless you get a load of really short cables I suppose.

 

I'm planning on gaffer taping the cables to the cabinet over the summer so they don't trail

[elsiegee40]

@BKGarry has been experimenting with wireless charging I think

[BKGarry]

@BKGarry has been experimenting with wireless charging I think

For my phone yes. But may be worth giving learnpad/avantis a call. The do wireless charging cases for iPads and storage cupboards and may have a solution for microUSB

[Sylv3r]

In our primaries "Ipad monitors" look after the job of putting the iPads away at the end of the school day. They count them up and make sure they are all there before boxing them up to the following day for classes to use.

 

Here in secondary school, safely putting them away wouldn't happen so thats a job of ICT Support to box them up and put them on charge each night. Generally anything less than 65% goes on charge each evening.

[witch]

I would go for an android device, well locked down.

As for the charging, we have 70 Lenovo Yogas in three Lapcabby trollies and tbf there hasnt been any damage to the cables as yet. They have pulled the cable keepers off the shelves in some cases but we havent had a broken charging cable yet. The main issue for us is that the children don't plug the laptops in when returning them to the trolley

[SamanthaD]

Android wireless charging option - not used it myself but looks interesting....

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HI8JYFE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00HI8JYFE&linkCode=as2&tag=htso05-20&linkId=KTQBH66W56NOPXJY

[pooley]

We have android (Learnpad) and iPad wireless charging solutions from Avantis Learnpad. I will never go back to a cabled option. I wen't through so many micro usb cables, broken ports on tablets and "missing" Apple lightning leads (Borrowed by teaching staff).

[GuyJD]

I don't generally have problems with iPads not being put on charge or cables breaking but I think this is because it's normally well behaved children from each class that are trusted to collect and return iPads before and after use.

 

I have LapCabby mini 32v trolleys