There are many advantages to using tablets in education, and while most types of tablets are quite similar, each comes with its own set of strengths and weaknesses. I would like to look at the Barnes and Noble Nook, the Amazon Kindle, and the Apple iPad, and some of their pros and cons as far as use in the school. I would then like to take a look at how the iPad has been implemented in some schools, and what the results were.
The Barnes and Noble Nook is one tablet that has been used in some schools, including in Jennifer LaGarde's school library. There are many advantages to using a Nook. First of all, it comes at a reasonable price point, which is important for schools that need to purchase many. Six Nooks can share one Barnes and Noble account, which is less for accounts for teachers to manage. One reason LaGarde chose the Nook was because of the fantastic support and trainings, including with real people. She had really great outcomes with the students' use of the Nooks. The students enjoyed customizing their own "library" on their own Nook, and motivated them to learn. The students were also able to interact easily with the text. A couple of drawbacks that LaGarde experienced included the fact that there was much to learn not only about the Nook itself and how it worked, but also how to implement the devices smoothly into the school. Next, many schools needed to catch up with the technology; their policies did not always make her transition into using the Nooks for instruction smoothly (for example, in purchasing books on the Nooks). And last, she noted that Barnes and Noble was not necessarily aimed for schools and libraries, but rather for the individual consumer. This is a red flag for me, as I consider what I think would be the best tablet to use in my school,
The Amazon Kindle is another tablet, which has one great and obvious advantage over the other tablets; that is, its domination of the e-book market. Amazon has more e-books than any other company, and has a strong market of textbooks as well (another obvious advantage for schools). It comes at a reasonable cost, less than the Apple iPad, and has a longer battery life as well. The Kindle seems like a great addition to a school, especially in a library or a literary-focused school.
The Apple iPad also has many wonderful implications for education usage; however, it did not initially market to schools; it "followed its customers there." Now, however, Apple is much more focused on catering to schools and education. One of the biggest advantages to the iPad is the sheer number of educational apps for use in schools. As a future elementary school teacher, I think that these interactive and fun learning apps would best benefit my young students. The one drawback that I can see for the iPad is the cost, although I think that it would be worth the cost in the end.
I would now like to take a look at how iPads have actually been used in education, and what the outcomes have been. One surprising and encouraging outcome is that the use of iPads seems to be improving test scores. This could be because the iPads cause students to be more engaged in their learning; students think that it's "cool." Students now have grown up with technology, and so it only makes sense for them to use it not only in their home or social lives, but in the educational/school lives as well. Students enjoy using iPads in school; it helps make learning more interesting to this technological generation. Students can take their iPads home to complete their homework, email teachers, and even watch instructional videos multiple times until they understand the concept.
For students to each have their own device (1:1) aids student learning. Jill Hobson, an instructional technology direction, says that they help students to become "information producers" instead of "information consumers." Students must interact with the information that they are learning in order to get the most out of their education, and this is what iPads allow them to do.
The Barnes and Noble Nook, Amazon Kindle, and Apple iPad, have all had fairly positive outcomes in the integration of their use into education. Students enjoy using them, and thus, are more motivated and inspired to learn. Which tablet is right for one's school depends partly on the school's needs, what the tablet will be used for, and cost. For an elementary school, I think that the Apple iPad would be most beneficial, mainly because of their extensive number of educational apps, and continued focus on education. Very positive results, including rising test scores, have been recorded with the use of iPads.
References:
Jennifer LaGarde, "Our Nook Adventure" Parts I, II, III, and IV.
Peter Kafka, "Amazon Tries Taking the Kindle to School, Again, With Textbook Rentals"
Bertolucci, Jeff, "Apple iPad vs Kindle DX"
"How the iPad is Changing Education"
Schools See Rising Scores with iPads
'Bring Your Own Device' Catching on in Schools
Great!
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