Tablets in Education

In my earlier post, Tablets in the Classroom, I compared several top choices in the tablet arena for classroom use.  Among the various options in tablets today there are seven main areas of basic functions or uses that sway purchasing: Apps, Books, Internet, Magazines/Newspapers, Movies/TV/Video, Music and Software.  I will briefly discuss these functions, comparative use factors and iPads from educators' standpoints and specifically in relation to teaching.  

Apps
Due to their exclusivity within operating systems and inability for most to work among varying mobile devices, app availability is an important area to consider when looking at tablets.  From games and puzzles to avenues for artistic expression, apps can be great teaching tools as well as engaging for the young student.  The leader by number of educational apps available remains iTunes (Apple) followed by Google Play (Android) and Amazon (Kindle) in last place.

Books
All tablets generally have book reading capabilities with hi lighting, dictionary and annotation features.  The vendors, and in particular the pricing and variety offered in their markets, as well as software features can be daunting to sift through for this specific tablet function.  Both the Nook and Kindle remain favorites among book readers.  Amazon (Kindle) dominates the ebook market.  Apple has the best book features if not the greatest availability of books through iTunes.  However, books from all major markets can be viewed on the iPad.  Another great feature is iAuthor, which allows educators to create books with media and app supplements.  Book features allow students to easily transport and access textbooks, references, and independent reading assignments.

Internet
All major tablets in question have basic Internet access.  However, because Flash continues to be widely used, Apple is at a disadvantage to their competitors.  Apple uses HTML5 and many Flash games and educational programs as well as web site features will not work on the iPad.  The option of cellular connectivity is also available on most devices other than the Nook and Windows tablets.

Magazines/Newspapers
All major tablet vendors offer Magazine and Newspaper subscriptions.  Apple has a stand alone app, Newstand, that keeps periodical materials organized.

Movies/TV/Video
Subscription services remain the least expensive way to access large quantities of movies and TV shows.  Most newer devices can access subscriptions such as Amazon Prime, Crackle, Hulu and NetFlix.  Movies can also be purchased via the same markets as books.  Most newer devices have similar functions in this category.

Music
Apple's iTunes music library is arguably the largest with Amazon closely behind.  Google Play is still fairly new and has yet to accumulate as many offerings as the prior two vendors.  Prices for music files are pretty comparable among the markets.  Both Amazon and Apple's music files can be played on each other's devices as well as on some other tablets.

Software
With the addition of Google Docs in recent history, many devices have access to the same type of software features previously only found with Microsoft Office compatible devices.  Microsoft is currently the only vendor offering the exact same software from computers down to mobile devices.  Apple has transferred much of the same software to its tablets but in a mobile version.  The Microsoft Surface tablet tends to work best in business environments and not as well in the classroom.


Examples of Tablet Use in Education
Many schools are now integrating tablets into their libraries to create new ebook/ereader programs.  Others have created "book clubs" based on tablet use to encourage reading as well as boost achievement and motivation.  The availability of many classroom textbooks in ebook format also prevents damage and loss that can occur with traditional books.  The initial cost will be far outweighed by the durability and longevity of ebook format.  The Nook, Kindle and iPad are three specific tablets that have been purchased and reviewed by multiple sources that can be found through Comparative Use Factors in Education for Tablets and Uses of iPads in Education. 

Nook:  Several sources have cited that the Nook is by far the best option for school use based on its low comparative price point and excellent tech support.  Another benefit is that Barnes & Noble is now offering a back-end management system/tool to K12 schools.  The Nook has an easily cleaned touch-screen, Web access and utilizes standard ePub book format.  Nook Study is being used widely in universities to deliver eTextbooks and provide study aids, test preps and periodicals to students at a fraction of the cost of buying.  The books available on the Nook can also be used by other devices.  However, there are only a limited amount of apps available on the nook, and those cannot be utilized by other devices.  Other negative reviews state that school policies regarding paying for the ebooks are often hard to deal with, and the fact that Barnes & Noble charges each ebook separately makes this difficult to circumvent. 

Kindle:  One great feature of the Kindle is that social networking is not available, which makes for a safer experience for the student.  The "electronic ink" display technology is reflective like paper and makes the screen very easy to read.  Other great features are the long battery life and text-to-speech function for ESL and vision impaired students.  Amazon has also launched an eTextbook store for its Kindle platform.  Several negative reviews state the likely hardware damage, proprietary format, lack of expandable storage space

iPad:  The iPad is by far the most like a computer in its ability to do research on the Internet, create presentations, shoot and edit video, take notes and write papers...all in a very portable little package.  Although iPads are slightly more expensive than other tablets, they function in many of the ways a computer would in the classroom at a significantly lower cost.  Maintenance issues are almost nonexistent, not to mention the plethora of educational apps at the teacher's disposal and the ability to to create digital textbooks with Apple's iBooks Author.  The high expense of textbooks can be eased in the long run when iPads are used instead.  The Apple Configurator is an app which can mass configure and deploy the devices in a school-wide setting.  Another great feature is the Verbally app, a speech aid software that pronounces English words correctly, which would be beneficial in an ESL or speech therapy classes.  Apple iPads are also being used on a 1:1 basis in classrooms and in some cases can erase the need for physical classrooms altogether.  There are instances of pilot courses in which the iPad will give students animated instruction, note taking capabilities and access to video tutorials.  The teacher can monitor performance in real-time, administer tests and provide feedback as well.  These are just a few reasons of too many to mention why Apple devices remain the best tablets for education.