Tablets in the Classroom

My partner and I have reviewed three options available in the tablet arena.  I will discuss Apple, Android and Windows in their direct pros and cons to classroom use.  Specifically, I will look at medium and large sizes of tablets with the smallest devices discounted due to decreased functionality for our purposes.

Apple (iOS)
Discounting the unusable, for our purposes, small Apple devices such as the iPod or iPhone, the iPad and iPad mini are left as contenders for the iOS category.  Apple's closed operating system is a great feature which is easier for schools to maintain.  The iPad also has the most apps geared towards education and interactive school textbooks with a total of 700,000 apps available through iTunes.  Apple's iBook Author software is a great advantage in providing educational information that can be accessed in iBooks.  The ability to store pdf files is another great feature of iBooks.  One negative aspect to choosing the iPad is the upfront cost at $399 for older models and significantly higher for newer ones.  By using HTML5 for downloading files the iPad can be slower than other tablets, particularly for large and interactive ones, as well as prevent the viewing of Flash sites.  Apple also gives only a fractional discount to educators and schools looking to purchase iPads for classroom use.

Android (Google)
Because of their "open" operating system, there are more options for devices in this category.  This can also be seen in negative light due to the maintenance issues, fluctuating manufacturers and lack of support.  However, we will look at the Google Nexus as a contender for classroom use because it is seemingly the most reliably supported being branded to Google. With the addition of Google Play to the market there is now a strong competitive base for apps with 500,000 options.  However, this can also be seen as a weak point due to the fact it is still young and in development.  The cache of books available to Android devices is much larger and varied with multiple markets for purchasing depending on specific device you choose.  Amazon generally is the most popular and price competitive for book downloads to its Kindle software.  The use of Flash is a great plus because of its large installed base and speed of downloads for large and interactive files.  The Android devices have a much lower price point starting at $199 and up. 

Windows (Microsoft)
One good design of the Windows tablet is that Microsoft software can be used on both it and Windows 7 desktop.  The standard software has not been reformatted for mobile devices but is exactly the same.  There are also many apps that have been developed to work in conjunction with the Microsoft Office Suite.  The Surface also has a large, solid memory capacity which may skew uses more towards a laptop replacement.  A few negative aspects include the size, by far the largest lending the tablet an almost "laptop hybrid" look, and the expense which far exceeds the competition. Most benefits of the Microsoft Surface tablet lead me to believe it is best used in business environments and less so in the classroom.

In regards to cellular options, Apple seems to be the most consistent in pricing with an $130 up charge for cellular editions.  There is also cost involved with maintaining the ongoing service.  However, for our intent of use, cellular service is not necessary due to the school's WiFi environment.  The tablets will predominantly be used inside the school. In most situations of off-campus use, for instance in the case of school field trips, at least one teacher generally has a mobile device or smart phone to quickly access the Internet. 

In conclusion, my partner and I agree that the Apple iPad would be the best choice for use in the classroom.  The larger screen size versus the iPad mini allows for more screen use while not compromising much on the weight, at less than a pound in difference.  The upfront cost of the newest models is offset in the long run due to lower maintenance requirements.  The quantity of learning and educational apps is a huge plus.  Another benefit to choosing the iPad is that most Knox County schools already use the Mac in classrooms, allowing for more collaboration among the tablet devices and desktop computers.