Do you have 1 to 1 devices using iPads and/or Chromebooks?

[jblackburnHWGA]

Hi Everyone

We currently have iPads for all KS3 and CBs for all KS4 and 5. Staff have a 2 in 1 style Windows device and an Apple Air.

We're using O365 for everything even on the CBs. We've disabled most the Google stuff to keep it simple.

 

I'm currently looking for other schools that do the same thing to explore what you do and how you currently do it. The intention is to broaden our horizons from what we currently do compared to what others are doing.

More from a teaching and learning point of view. The technical side in hand but again if someone is doing something better it would be good to know and compare it.

 

We're a girls school in Birmingham.

 

I'm also interested in finding a school that uses iPads for KS4 and or 5. We chose CBs because KS4 and 5 is more coursework based and we thought a traditional laptop style device would be better for them.

 

Many thanks

[paulkerton]

We will be moving our model to 1 to 1 with Chromebooks shortly. We currently have a departmental based model, which doesn't work for us now.

We're a completely Google school though, so it works perfectly for us.

[jblackburnHWGA]

We will be moving our model to 1 to 1 with Chromebooks shortly. We currently have a departmental based model, which doesn't work for us now.

We're a completely Google school though, so it works perfectly for us.

Once you've moved to the 1 to 1 model get another tech term time only. Jobs increase massively!

 

The best thing we did was move from the department based model. The term work is much easier and overall all students get better access to devices.

The CB setup is quite easy to setup and use if you're already google based. If only Windows did an OS that was as good on a low powered device!

[RLR]

We have iPads from Year 1 all the way through to Year 13. We use shared iPad mode from Year 1 to Year 5 (2:1 ratio).

From year 6 to Year 13 we are 1:1 with iPads.

All teaching staff are given iPads with a keyboard case and an Apple Pencil.

 

We are a Google school so everything is done through the Google apps and Google Classroom.

 

There has been talks about possibly changing from iPads to Chromebooks or something similar for KS4/KS5 but this is just talks at the moment. Some main concerns is staff possibly requiring an iPad and a Chromebook. Also, all our classrooms have Apple TVs which makes it easier to share screens. We find a lot of KS5 students bring their own devices in (usually a windows laptop or Macbook) and rarely use the iPad we issue them.

 

1:1 devices does increase the work load significantly but are usually fairly simple solutions. Another thing to be aware of is the damages. We are constantly having to process a pile of iPads to be repaired/switched out with Apple.

Edited April 4, 2022 by RLR

[simpsonj]

If you fancy a quick trip down the M40, happy to swap ideas. We've been running a 1:1 Chromebook scheme since September for all KS3 and KS4.

[jblackburnHWGA]

If you fancy a quick trip down the M40, happy to swap ideas. We've been running a 1:1 Chromebook scheme since September for all KS3 and KS4.

 

Oxford from Brum is not a quick trip

I think if you're google using CBs its a bit easier than using O365 and CBs. Its taken us a while but i think we're finally got some decent guidance together on how they can work Its just shame that need to work in Chrome and they can't work natively. The OneDrive client for CBs cant upload data, its read only.

[jblackburnHWGA]

We have iPads from Year 1 all the way through to Year 13. We use shared iPad mode from Year 1 to Year 5 (2:1 ratio).

From year 6 to Year 13 we are 1:1 with iPads.

All teaching staff are given iPads with a keyboard case and an Apple Pencil.

 

We are a Google school so everything is done through the Google apps and Google Classroom.

There has been talks about possibly changing from iPads to Chromebooks or something similar for KS4/KS5 but this is just talks at the moment. Some main concerns is staff possibly requiring an iPad and a Chromebook. Also, all our classrooms have Apple TVs which makes it easier to share screens. We find a lot of KS5 students bring their own devices in (usually a windows laptop or Macbook) and rarely use the iPad we issue them.

1:1 devices does increase the work load significantly but are usually fairly simple solutions. Another thing to be aware of is the damages. We are constantly having to process a pile of iPads to be repaired/switched out with Apple.

That's a lot of iPads. We've stopped our sixthformers bringing in they're own devices now. We given them a nice CB though with a touch screen.

 

How do your year 10s and 11 get on with the iPads and coursework? do you provide KB cases?

I'm guessing the Google experience is very similar to the O365 experience on an iPad. Do your students take them home or do you store and charge in the school?

 

We've struggled to get our teachers to adopt the iPads for teaching. The majority of them seem to just use them to check e-mails on and take the odd register. Do you have the same problem?

 

We're paying £70 each for the screen repairs using service Birmingham. Cheapest i found online was about £120. I'm looking into changing screens internally. I just can't find a good reseller for the parts.

[RLR]

That's a lot of iPads. We've stopped our sixthformers bringing in they're own devices now. We given them a nice CB though with a touch screen.

 

How do your year 10s and 11 get on with the iPads and coursework? do you provide KB cases?

I'm guessing the Google experience is very similar to the O365 experience on an iPad. Do your students take them home or do you store and charge in the school?

 

We've struggled to get our teachers to adopt the iPads for teaching. The majority of them seem to just use them to check e-mails on and take the odd register. Do you have the same problem?

 

We're paying £70 each for the screen repairs using service Birmingham. Cheapest i found online was about £120. I'm looking into changing screens internally. I just can't find a good reseller for the parts.

Not too involved with the teaching side of it so not entirely sure how well the year 10s/11s cope. I've not heard anything so I imagine it's going okay. They don't get keyboard cases.

 

We use to have issues with teachers not using iPads but we've been doing this for 8 years now and the majority are now using them every lesson. I think a lot of the older teachers that didn't want to use them have since left and the newer teachers seem more enthusiastic with using them. Finding the right apps to use is key and having a VLE environment which everyone uses helps. For example, almost everything is now on Google so we have shared drives setup for departments to store their own department resources in. Google Classroom is populated with all the teachers classrooms so they can use it straight away. Some other apps like Notability and Explain everything are also good to use.

 

We use to use a local company to repair our iPads but we had so many come back with a bad repair that we found it just wasn't worth it. We now send them back to Apple which they don't repair but allow us to purchase a new one at a discounted price. We will also be putting screen protectors on all our iPads within the next year to try help with damages.

[simpsonj]

Oxford from Brum is not a quick trip

I think if you're google using CBs its a bit easier than using O365 and CBs. Its taken us a while but i think we're finally got some decent guidance together on how they can work Its just shame that need to work in Chrome and they can't work natively. The OneDrive client for CBs cant upload data, its read only.

 

I'm actually a little further up the M40, closer to High Wycombe, which is even further away. so I take your point

 

Yes, the Onedrive client not being native is a massive pita. However, as much of our work is in Class Notebooks, it is mitigated somewhat. I just wish you could back up Class Onenotes...

Edited April 5, 2022 by simpsonj
Terrible geography

[paulkerton]

Oxford from Brum is not a quick trip

I used to commute it daily!

[PotNoodleTech]

Yes 1:1 chromebooks here including staff and all the T&L done in google. It's working really well.

 

Just be prepared to allocate at least 5% of overall cost towards for repairs/replacments as chromebooks will get accidentally dropped/damaged here and there. If you are not going down the leasing or accidental insurance road then keep a stock of spare screens, power adaptors, and spare chromebooks.

[seaweed]

Our school has 1:1 android tablets. They were only used as a web browser before I came in and enrolled them into Intunes and push apps.

[jblackburnHWGA]

Yes 1:1 chromebooks here including staff and all the T&L done in google. It's working really well.

Just be prepared to allocate at least 5% of overall cost towards for repairs/replacments as chromebooks will get accidentally dropped/damaged here and there. If you are not going down the leasing or accidental insurance road then keep a stock of spare screens, power adaptors, and spare chromebooks.

 

Yes we're expecting them to have a short lifespan

The kids breaking the iPads are the most annoying one. £70 a go to replace the screen and we have maybe 3 a week 🙄

[jblackburnHWGA]

Our school has 1:1 android tablets. They were only used as a web browser before I came in and enrolled them into Intunes and push apps.

Intune has come a long way and has a long left to go Are you pushing O365 aka office.com and teams?