Hardware

Seven iPad alternatives for schools. These tablets give school leaders other options to consider besides Apple’s ubiquitous device By Raishay Lin, Contributing Editor Read more by Contributor July 6th, 2012 Besides the new Microsoft and Google devices, here are seven other iPad alternatives to consider—three of which were designed specifically for schools.

With their interactive touch screens, easy portability, and quick boot-up time, tablets are increasingly becoming schools’ classroom computers of choice. And while many schools have invested in Apple’s revolutionary iPad, which started the whole tablet computing craze, a number of other suitable options have emerged to give school leaders more choices. Last month, for instance, both Microsoft and Google unveiled new tablet computers. With so many options at varying price points and with different educational capabilities, choosing the right tablet can be overwhelming.

San Diego Invests in 26,000 iPads for School District. Published on 06-26-2012 10:36 AM The iPad revolution in academia isn't coming.

It's already here. Nowhere is this reality more apparent today than in places like San Diego, California. The forward-thinking San Diego Unified School District is giving their students a huge learning opportunity - and some say advantage - with a robust iPad-based program that has gotten the green light for deployment.

The school district in question has just purchased 26,000 iPads, each of which will be distributed to students in the classroom beginning at the end of this summer as the new school year begins. The district is paying for the iPads through Proposition S funding. According to a local news outlet in San Diego, the Apple tablets will be assigned to classrooms for 5th-graders, 8th-graders and some high-schoolers. Source: 10news. The New Microsoft Surface Tablet and the Rear-view Mirror Effect [Mobile] Herbert Marshall McLuhan, the late, great philosper, who is known for coining powerful expressions, such as “the medium is the message,” had one quote in particular that has stuck with me for a long time, namely: “The past went that-a-way.

When faced with a totally new situation, we tend always to attach ourselves to the objects, to the flavor of the most recent past. We look at the present through a rear view mirror. We march backwards into the future.”This became known as the rear-view mirror effect. “We march backwards into the future” Wow. How BYOD Fits Into The Insanely Crowded World Of Education Technology. 5 Reasons Why BYOD is a Bad Idea. Ed Note – I think some readers are interpreting this article as somehow being against putting devices in students hands, but I am quite in favor of doing that, with standardized technology.

I know from experience that providing standardized devices eliminates or reduces many of the issues I cite below. When the devices and configurations vary widely and are not under the control of the school, these types of problems can make use of these devices fraught with disruptive issues. User feedback is leading me to rethink this a little, but I am not hearing a lot that is effectively addressing these specific issues just yet. – KW When I first read about the idea of BYOD programs in schools, my initial reaction was that it is certainly one way to get technology in the hands of all students in a school or class without having to find lots of budgetary funds to do it. Here are a number of problems with the BYOD initiative for schools: What do you think? About Kelly Walsh Print This Post. Game of Phones. Despite the emergence of Google Play, iOS revenue stays well ahead Click here to access the PDF version of the Game of Phones infographic.

The battle for supremacy in the app store ecosystem between Apple and Google rages on, and we’ve decided to give you an update on the state of affairs between the two dominant app stores. Keep reading to see where the battles are being fought. Android’s proliferation as a platform is widespread news, but has Google Play been able to gain ground on iOS as the main source of commerce for app publishers? China and Japan make up 25% of iOS’s total downloads.