Tablets for assessment, safeguarding, etc.

[carlin_w]

We currently use various systems within school (all of which are web based), for use in assessment (SOLAR) and safeguarding (CPOMS).

Previously, under the old IT Manager, classes had an iPad which they could use to access these. I am in the process of reviewing the iPads within school and find some are now too old to be compatible with the systems - or some classes just don't have an iPad!

 

Does anyone else have a similar set-up or can recommend an alternative? At nearly £300 an iPad, it is hard to justify one for every class - and stretch my budget to that.

Teachers have laptops, but SLT would rather these were not out while students are in the class.

 

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[PrimaryNetMan]

Chrome OS based tablet, something like the Lenovo IdeadPad Duet 3

[mavhc]

Why would your teachers not use their laptops while in class? Isn't that the main point in having laptops?

[carlin_w]

Why would your teachers not use their laptops while in class? Isn't that the main point in having laptops?

 

We're a SEN SLD (Severe Learning Disabilities) school. Chances are they will end up damaged/broken - the main reason they don't have desktops in the classes.

We don't use projectors/interactive whiteboards, so the only real use of the laptops is for planning, assessment etc.

[psydii]

All teachers have a laptop - they use that for everything, well mostly.

 

Certain activities have a duty rota, for these an iPad is picked up from a central location, and the duty teacher uses that to interact with Behaviour Management, Attendance and CP systems. These duties are corridor or external to the school building so a laptop would be more of a hinderance, though possible in cases where the duty colleague was running late and didn't have time to pick up the duty iPad.

 

FWIW I used to work in a special school, and the teachers all ran their classes from laptops.

 

But in class a Teacher's PC could easily substitute.

 

With laptops / Desktops, care needs to be taken to not accidentally commit a data breach by displaying information from these systems on the class display.

[mavhc]

Makes sense, there's a wide range of special schools.

 

I'd push for the ipads and use them for much more, using video and photos with the camera to record the achievements of the students, as an alternative to traditional methods of writing. Using them to play music etc.

 

But I'd also wait for the next ipad to be released which will hopefully have usb-c instead of lightning connector.

[psydii]

We're a SEN SLD (Severe Learning Disabilities) school. Chances are they will end up damaged/broken - the main reason they don't have desktops in the classes.

We don't use projectors/interactive whiteboards, so the only real use of the laptops is for planning, assessment etc.

 

iPad in a rugged case seems the most sensible solution to this use case. I agree with @mavhc, if you can wait a few weeks for the new base model to move to usb-c then you will get the longest possible life from them. Likely 5-7 years based on our previous experience.

[carlin_w]

Makes sense, there's a wide range of special schools.

 

I'd push for the ipads and use them for much more, using video and photos with the camera to record the achievements of the students, as an alternative to traditional methods of writing. Using them to play music etc.

 

But I'd also wait for the next ipad to be released which will hopefully have usb-c instead of lightning connector.

 

Some staff do make use of their iPads for photo/videos too, I think it'll be a case of we need to spend a bit more for something that will last.

 

Thank you all for your thoughts.

[Oaktech]

We're only a mainstream school but we have previously had quite a high rate of attrition of portable devices. We're using Lenovo M10 HD tablets in either BobJGear or Otterbox cases and so far we've only lost 2 out 80 purchased to physical damage and 1 replaced under warranty.

[Scifigirl]

Special needs school here, we have just rejigged our iPad allocation to allow for more staff to use our assessment software.

 

Our current issue is getting them to understand it is ONLY for that, not for anything else.

 

Im sure you can put together a bid for this to come out of the main project budget, as we did, did not come out of IT. Out of our 200 plus i found 7 broken in the holidays.

 

Sure the attrition rate is terrible, we do have a couple of systems in place - different coloured cases, different straps to identify to students these are not for use by them.

not sure if any of that helps.

[carlin_w]

Special needs school here, we have just rejigged our iPad allocation to allow for more staff to use our assessment software.

 

Our current issue is getting them to understand it is ONLY for that, not for anything else.

 

Im sure you can put together a bid for this to come out of the main project budget, as we did, did not come out of IT. Out of our 200 plus i found 7 broken in the holidays.

 

Sure the attrition rate is terrible, we do have a couple of systems in place - different coloured cases, different straps to identify to students these are not for use by them.

not sure if any of that helps.

 

Good to get some insight from another Special School. We have similar systems in place to differentiate the iPads - and they are all labelled clearly. Obviously, this is never full proof.

 

I currently have a box of around 20 iPads all with broken screens. They are all iPad 2s and there's no reason for us to get these repaired now - they are well past their time.

 

I was hopeful there may be an alternative, but would rather get something that is going to last.

[mavhc]

What cases do you use?

[andy_b]

We tend to lock down our "assesment" iPads so the only thing they can do is the assesment. Otherwise it is far too tempting to quickly load youtube and pass it to a pupil.

 

We have tried a number of cases, and to be honest none of them will survive the kind of damage a pupil can inflict, so we tend to get supcases from amazon for ~£20 as a compromise.

 

(I have seen an ipad in an otterbox case literally folded in half....)

[jmak]

Seven years ago I took one of our teachers to BETT to look at them options and we ended up with Surface Pros to replace laptops and didn't buy the iPads that had been proposed.

 

One device for everything was popular with teachers and I liked being able to manage the devices along with my other Windows clients. I'd be more comfortable with iPads now than I was seven years ago - just an alternative for you consider.

[BeepBoop]

Make sure you get the most out of education pricing - KRCS have been great with us:

www.krcs.co.uk

[psydii]

iPad in a rugged case seems the most sensible solution to this use case. I agree with @mavhc, if you can wait a few weeks for the new base model to move to usb-c then you will get the longest possible life from them. Likely 5-7 years based on our previous experience.

 

Ok so they are out today. They haven't replaced the base model, the new 10th Gen iPad basically sites where the low-end of the iPad Air range sat a couple of years ago. The 9th Gen iPad basic model is still lightening based.

 

Definitely talk with an apple education specialist to gauge what is the correct route for you from here, I am not sure my advice above still stands.