-Morgan Dorsky
When evaluating school hardware, it can be nearly impossible to meet the needs of all teachers and students. However, educational technology experts should advise districts to purchase hardware that will meet the needs of the majority of educators and students, be most cost effective, and last a significant amount of time. A best practice would be to either speak with teachers directly in order to best understand their individual needs, or to focus on one department at a time when deciding on what new hardware will be purchased and implemented, as the instructional needs of each department will vary depending on content area, student grade level, and teaching styles and preferences.
In addition, the reliability, cost, and functionality of the hardware should also be considered. Is there a one time flat rate for this hardware, or does it require a monthly or yearly subscription that will be an additional cost to the district? Will teachers and students need to be trained in how to best utilize this hardware or can it simply be downloaded and used immediately with efficacy? When determing which hardware is best for a specific classroom, department, school, or district, all of these factors need to be thought out prior to implementation in order to guarantee that the new hardware is being used correctly and will success in order to aid in teaching and learning.
Comment by Chloe Pozderac
You highlighted some critical questions regarding the evaluation of school hardware. I would encourage you to think about the external factors that hardware needs to function. For example, if the entire district gets new Active Boards that function independently from a desktop computer, now each classroom has two computers running constantly. Does your server have the bandwidth to handle the additional hardware added? Will you need to increase your server strength? How much will that cost? Essentially, you could expand your questions to include potential issues that new hardware could create.
Comment by Wisdom Oyatokun
Your suggestions as to the critical questions you highlighted are similar to the kind of questions an educational technology expert will want to ask when conducting a needs analysis for a school system. when designing a school system or any kind of educational system either formal or informal models like ADDIE, ASSURE, etc. are used and the analysis stage of this model(s) creates the opportunity for the kind of critical questions that you have highlighted. while evaluating the school hardware, it is also best to keep in mind the objective(s) to be met so that the school does not go overboard purchasing hardware unnecessary
Chromebooks or iPads? Which is more beneficial for classroom use?
Written by Emily Burns
Technology departments must choose appropriate devices to purchase for school districts during this technological age. In addition to teaching the required content, educators are expected to embed 21st-century skills within their classes. For example, teaching digital literacy, finding, accessing, and using digital content, is a skill that students need to master to attain digital citizenship (Loewus, 2020). Therefore, educators and students need access to devices that will enable educators to teach the skills students must learn.
Two of the most popular devices across America are Chromebooks, created by Google, and iPads, developed by Apple. Significant determinants need consideration before purchasing and implementing technology within the classroom. For example, reviewing teacher experience, preparedness, and attitudes may sway a technology department's decision. School factors such as professional development, technological support, and class sizes would also affect decisions (Kaur, 2020). There is a multitude of factors that could persuade a technology department or school system to purchase one device over the other.
Investing in education is investing in our students. Many schools are doing so by transforming classrooms into digital classrooms. Therefore, school districts need to compare the options, Chromebooks, and iPads, before purchasing to make this transition beneficial to all stakeholders. Chromebooks and iPads have much in common; both have long battery life, are portable and lightweight, have classroom management systems built in, and have various models to purchase. To purchase the device that will be most beneficial, districts and technology departments should consider the form of device users will operate, the age of students using the device, how much storage will be needed, security measures, multitasking capabilities, and file storage (Kaur, 2020). Current students are familiar with touchscreen devices which makes iPads more appealing to some, but concerns arise when those students need to type essays. Would a school district require the additional purchase of a keyboard to connect with the device? This is a scenario that technology departments must consider.
In looking at the benefits of each device, there are significant categories that could persuade a buyer one way or another. If schools are looking to purchase an aesthetically pleasing device with access to most applications that are familiar to students, the iPad would be the best choice. On the other hand, if schools are looking to purchase a device that is more affordable and has a built-in keyboard, the Chromebook would be the better option. Deciding which device is best for a school district depends on the needs of the students and educators.
Resources:
AGiRepair. (2021, May 20). Chromebook vs ipad in the classroom: Which is best? Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://agirepair.com/chromebook-vs-ipad-in-the-classroom-which-is-best/
Kaur, D. (2020). Post-positivist approach to factors that influence K-12 teachers’ use of iPads and Chromebooks. International Journal of Technology in Education and Science (IJTES), 4(1), 26-36.
Loewus, L. (2020, December 9). What is Digital Literacy? Education Week. Retrieved June 23, 2022, from https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/what-is-digital-literacy/2016/11
Comment by Ethan Ozinga
The debate over iPads and Chromebooks is a debate that I have had numerous times with my colleagues and my students. Our district is currently 1 to 1 with Chromebooks. As you stated, Chromebooks have many advantages and the built in keyboard, in my opinion, is the distinguishing factor. However, it is a dream of mine for my students to be 1 to 1 with iPads or even have class set of iPads for my math classroom. I will admit, I am biased because I use Apple devices for my instruction, however iPads are so much more functional than Chromebooks. I have found that Chromebooks are relatively primitive as far as their capabilities. iPads make it so easy to share documents, show work for math problems, organize notes and other documents, etc. The two big concerns for me are cost and durability. I teach 8th grade and watching the way these kids treat their Chromebooks can be very alarming. I don't know that iPads could withstand the wear and tear that the Chromebooks can.
Comment by Elise Bennett
The debate over Chromebooks and iPads is interesting. My school has a set class of iPads in grades K-2. For grades 3-5, they have class sets of Chromebooks. Grades 6-8 have 1:1 Chromebooks. I think for grades K-2, iPads are more effective with their curriculum. For grades 6-8 I think Chromebooks are more effective and efficient because they type more papers. So having a keyboard for some students is more beneficial. Ipads does make it easy to share documents. I use an iPad to mirror my notes on the ActivPanel and annotate with it. Plus, carrying an iPad around is much easier to travel with around the room. I agree with Ethan that iPads many not be as durable because of how middle school students treat them unfortunately.